About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Microsoft’s best-known software products are the Windows line of operating systems, the Microsoft 365 suite of productivity applications, and the Edge web browser.
The challenge
Microsoft worked with members of the disability community to understand their needs and challenges when using technology.
The project
In response to research with the disability community, Microsoft created the Surface Laptop Studio 2. The precision haptic touchpad in the Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a large touchpad that provides realistic feedback when you tap it, and you can hear it click when you’re using it. The touchpad is also adaptive, meaning it can be used with different parts of the body, such as the palm, foot, edges of the hand, or residual limbs. This feature makes the touchpad more inclusive for people who can’t continuously use fingers to move a cursor around.
The touchpad is one of the most inclusive touchpads on any laptop, and it is designed to make laptop trackpads more inclusive for people with limited mobility. The touchpad is also customizable, and you can customize the touchpad gestures. The touchpad’s large size also provides more room to work, making it easier to use for people with limited mobility.
The company believes in the saying, “Nothing about us without us,” and involved members of the disability community in the design process of this product.