Foreword by Microsoft – What disabled consumers choose to buy and why

Foreword

By Kristina Michalsky, General Manager, UK&I, Microsoft

I would like to thank the Business Disability Forum for carrying out this important research with Ipsos Mori.

I believe the role of leaders is to look at the world as it is today, imagine a better future, chart a course towards it and bring people with them.  And, if we have learnt anything from the recent past it is that we are ever more globally and digitally connected.  To truly make progress towards equitable and accessible products and services, business must consider the needs of all.

Organisations inherently know that their customers include a the 1 in 6 people on the planet with disabilities, but there is often a lack of knowledge and confidence to delve in and learn more.  We recognise this is not always easy. At Microsoft, we have been on a long journey to understand the role we need to play to support organisations of all sizes and across industries, sharing our learnings and approaches.

The business imperative is clear. As society digitally transforms, we must ensure that we do not leave anyone behind.  To do so will slow our progress and lead to an increasing gap between those who can access products and services, and those who cannot.  This is what the World Bank first called The Disability Divide.  As we have seen digital transformation accelerate over the past decade and particularly over the past two years, there are already signs that that the divide is increasing.

The approach of the research announced today is also significant.  By leveraging the Business Disability Forum’s extensive network across industries, and by making the research study accessible and inclusive, they have been able to get straight to the voice and experience of the disabled consumer.  It illustrates both the divide, and the need to make more investment in this area.

There is certainly room for optimism.  As we have invested in the accessibility of our products and our customer experiences, we have built community internally with our employees and externally with our customers.  Just getting started on this journey brings new insight, and quite frankly new thoughts and innovative approaches that light up our organisation.  From browser embedded sign language to bar code scanning applications designed for our blind consumers, through to laptop adaptation kits for multiple disabilities, we learn each year how much further we can go.  Each commitment we make builds trust with our customers and amazingly constructive feedback channels that we did not have before.

Disability inclusion is paramount in any modern business because it has never been more important to include everyone, and accessibility is the vehicle to inclusion. It is a responsibility and an opportunity because there are no limits to what people can achieve when society reflects the diversity of everyone. I hope that you find the research useful and that it informs your next steps for greater, more purposeful accessibility for your colleagues and your customers.

Kristina Michalsky, General Manager, UK&I, Microsoft