On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we take a moment to acknowledge the strides made in product development, driven by invaluable feedback from the disability community. The evolution of our offerings reflects a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring that every user can engage meaningfully with technology.
Nothing about us, without us
The Windows Accessibility team embraces the guiding principle of the disability community: “nothing about us without us.” By centering people in the design process and adhering to Microsoft Inclusive Design, we collaborate closely with advisory boards representing the blind, mobility, and hard of hearing communities. This partnership is essential for crafting features that genuinely empower all users.
Fluid Dictation on Windows enables you to dictate with ease
Fluid Dictation is a groundbreaking feature that transforms voice-based text authoring into a seamless experience. It intelligently corrects grammar, punctuation, and spelling in real time, allowing your spoken words to be converted into polished text instantly. This innovation minimizes the need for tedious manual corrections and complex voice commands.
Moreover, Fluid Dictation utilizes your custom vocabulary defined within Voice Access, ensuring that specialized terms and names are recognized accurately. This feature, powered by on-device AI on Copilot+ PCs, operates without an internet connection and can be used across various applications on Windows. Whether drafting emails, taking notes, or collaborating in your favorite apps, Fluid Dictation allows you to concentrate on your ideas rather than the mechanics of text entry. To activate it, simply enable Fluid Dictation in the manage options menu under Voice Access settings and start interacting with any text editing surface of your choice.
Voice Access: Understanding everyone better
Recognizing that voice input varies widely among individuals, we are continuously enhancing Voice Access to better understand and respond to diverse communication styles.
- Wait time before acting: This setting allows users to configure a delay before a command is executed, accommodating different speech patterns for more accurate recognition.
- Custom word dictionary: Users can now add their own words to the Voice Access dictionary, improving dictation accuracy for difficult-to-pronounce terms.
- Flexible and natural commanding: Voice Access now understands multiple variations of commands, allowing for a more conversational interaction. For example, you can say, “Can you open Edge application?” or “Please open the Edge browser,” and Voice Access will recognize your intent.
- Improved speech pattern recognition: Enhanced recognition for speech patterns, particularly those associated with Parkinson’s, reduces errors and facilitates smoother dictation and navigation.
- Chinese and Japanese Support: Voice Access has expanded to support Chinese and Japanese, broadening accessibility for users in these languages.
More natural and expressive voices for Narrator and Magnifier
In collaboration with Azure AI, Narrator and Magnifier now offer new, state-of-the-art human-like voices. These options are designed to mimic the nuances of human conversation, including natural pauses and emotional tones, thereby reducing cognitive load for users. To experience these natural voices, navigate to the voice options in Narrator or Magnifier settings, select the HD voice option, download the voice model, and enhance your screen reading experience.
Efficient document creation with Narrator and Word
We are pleased to announce that using Narrator in Microsoft Word has become more intuitive. Recent updates, shaped by user feedback, enhance the experience of drafting and reviewing text, navigating lists, tables, and comments. Narrator now provides clearer announcements when reading tabular data and footnotes, making it easier to engage with comments and requiring fewer keystrokes. Additionally, spelling and grammar feedback is now delivered in a more concise manner, with improved keyboard shortcuts for faster corrections.
Focus on fundamentals, powered by your feedback
Our commitment to consistency and reliability across assistive technologies is paramount. We prioritize addressing critical issues raised through user feedback and advisory board engagements. Recent enhancements to Narrator include:
- Screen Curtain: This feature blacks out the display to enhance privacy and focus, ensuring that only the user hears what’s on the screen.
- Richer image descriptions: Leveraging AI, Narrator now provides detailed descriptions of images, charts, and graphs, enhancing accessibility for users.
- Speech Recap and live transcription: Users can easily review what Narrator has said, making it an invaluable tool for educators and professionals who support individuals with disabilities.
Join us on the journey
We extend our gratitude to all Windows customers for their engagement with new features and for providing feedback that helps us enhance user experiences. Consistency and reliability remain the foundation of our assistive technologies. We encourage users to continue sharing their insights, as they are instrumental in guiding our development efforts.
If you require technical assistance with Windows or any Microsoft product, please reach out to the Disability Answer Desk via phone, chat, or American Sign Language.
Year recap
| Assistive Technology |
Description |
Links |
| Voice Access and Voice Typing |
AI-powered dictation that cleans up your speech automatically, conversational commands, personalized vocab, adjustable command timing, profanity control, and expanded support for Chinese and Japanese. |
[Fluid Dictation] • [Natural Language Commands] • [Custom Dictionary] • [Wait Time] • [Profanity Filter] • [Language Support] |
| Narrator |
Richer image descriptions, smoother Word reading, privacy tools like Screen Curtain, Speech Recap, and new HD voices that sound natural and expressive. |
[Image Descriptions] • [Word Improvements] • [Speech Recap] • [Screen Curtain] • [Braille Viewer] • [HD Voices] |
| Magnifier |
Faster, clearer navigation with one-click zoom controls and HD voices for a more engaging read-aloud experience. |
[1 Click Zoom Toggle] • [Reset Zoom] • [HD Voices] |
Features marked with an asterisk (*) are available only on Copilot+ PCs.
2025 – A year in recap
On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we take a moment to acknowledge the strides made in product development, driven by invaluable feedback from the disability community. The evolution of our offerings reflects a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring that every user can engage meaningfully with technology.
Nothing about us, without us
The Windows Accessibility team embraces the guiding principle of the disability community: “nothing about us without us.” By centering people in the design process and adhering to Microsoft Inclusive Design, we collaborate closely with advisory boards representing the blind, mobility, and hard of hearing communities. This partnership is essential for crafting features that genuinely empower all users.
Fluid Dictation on Windows enables you to dictate with ease
Fluid Dictation is a groundbreaking feature that transforms voice-based text authoring into a seamless experience. It intelligently corrects grammar, punctuation, and spelling in real time, allowing your spoken words to be converted into polished text instantly. This innovation minimizes the need for tedious manual corrections and complex voice commands.
Moreover, Fluid Dictation utilizes your custom vocabulary defined within Voice Access, ensuring that specialized terms and names are recognized accurately. This feature, powered by on-device AI on Copilot+ PCs, operates without an internet connection and can be used across various applications on Windows. Whether drafting emails, taking notes, or collaborating in your favorite apps, Fluid Dictation allows you to concentrate on your ideas rather than the mechanics of text entry. To activate it, simply enable Fluid Dictation in the manage options menu under Voice Access settings and start interacting with any text editing surface of your choice.
Voice Access: Understanding everyone better
Recognizing that voice input varies widely among individuals, we are continuously enhancing Voice Access to better understand and respond to diverse communication styles.
More natural and expressive voices for Narrator and Magnifier
In collaboration with Azure AI, Narrator and Magnifier now offer new, state-of-the-art human-like voices. These options are designed to mimic the nuances of human conversation, including natural pauses and emotional tones, thereby reducing cognitive load for users. To experience these natural voices, navigate to the voice options in Narrator or Magnifier settings, select the HD voice option, download the voice model, and enhance your screen reading experience.
Efficient document creation with Narrator and Word
We are pleased to announce that using Narrator in Microsoft Word has become more intuitive. Recent updates, shaped by user feedback, enhance the experience of drafting and reviewing text, navigating lists, tables, and comments. Narrator now provides clearer announcements when reading tabular data and footnotes, making it easier to engage with comments and requiring fewer keystrokes. Additionally, spelling and grammar feedback is now delivered in a more concise manner, with improved keyboard shortcuts for faster corrections.
Focus on fundamentals, powered by your feedback
Our commitment to consistency and reliability across assistive technologies is paramount. We prioritize addressing critical issues raised through user feedback and advisory board engagements. Recent enhancements to Narrator include:
Join us on the journey
We extend our gratitude to all Windows customers for their engagement with new features and for providing feedback that helps us enhance user experiences. Consistency and reliability remain the foundation of our assistive technologies. We encourage users to continue sharing their insights, as they are instrumental in guiding our development efforts.
If you require technical assistance with Windows or any Microsoft product, please reach out to the Disability Answer Desk via phone, chat, or American Sign Language.
Year recap
Features marked with an asterisk (*) are available only on Copilot+ PCs.