<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><base href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/accessibility/m365-winter-accessibility-updates/"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><title>Making it easier to create content that everyone can use—what’s new in Microsoft 365 accessibility features for Winter 2022 - Microsoft Accessibility Blog</title><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:-apple-system-font;
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:24.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
font-weight:bold;}
h4
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 4 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#2F5496;}
span.Heading4Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 4 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 4";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#2F5496;
font-style:italic;}
span.EmailStyle23
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:452867691;
mso-list-template-ids:-462260374;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:602958967;
mso-list-template-ids:-504727816;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l1:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2
{mso-list-id:1120802639;
mso-list-template-ids:-824021634;}
@list l2:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l2:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l2:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3
{mso-list-id:1234468391;
mso-list-template-ids:124819156;}
@list l3:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l3:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l3:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> tech-vi@groups.io <tech-vi@groups.io> <b>On Behalf Of </b>David Goldfield<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, January 24, 2022 9:25 AM<br><b>To:</b> tech-vi@groups.iotv <tech-vi@groups.io><br><b>Subject:</b> [tech-vi Announce List] Making it easier to create content that everyone can use—what’s new in Microsoft 365 accessibility features for Winter 2022 - Microsoft Accessibility Blog<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br><a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/accessibility/m365-winter-accessibility-updates/">https://blogs.microsoft.com/accessibility/m365-winter-accessibility-updates/</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div id=article><div><h1 style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0in;mso-line-height-alt:14.55pt'><span style='font-size:25.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Making it easier to create content that everyone can use—what’s new in Microsoft 365 accessibility features for Winter 2022<o:p></o:p></span></h1><div><div><div><p style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>written byAleš HolečekJan 20, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><div><p style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/accessibility/m365-accessibility-fall-2021/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Last October I committed to provide regular updates</span></a> on the work we’re doing across Microsoft 365 to increase accessibility and inclusion in the hybrid workplace. In this second installment, I’ll explore some of the work we’ve been doing to make content creation and collaboration more inclusive across Microsoft 365. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><h1 style='mso-line-height-alt:16.8pt'><strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Simplifying accessible authoring across Microsoft 365 Apps </span></strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Over the years, we’ve provided a whole range of tools – from basic spellcheck to intelligent editing and design recommendations – that have shaped the authoring experience. At their best, these tools fit seamlessly into your work and help you focus on the content. And while the Accessibility Checker has also helped millions of users make their content more accessible, we know it hasn’t always been the easiest tool to use. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Going forward, we want to provide equally simple and powerful assistance for creating accessible content as we do for spelling and grammar. This quarter, we’ve made several improvements to the authoring workflows in Microsoft 365 Apps to help you create documents that everyone can use – without disrupting your creative flow. Let’s take a look. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><h1 style='mso-line-height-alt:16.8pt'><strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Stay aware of accessibility issues as you write – or get reminders </span></strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>As with spelling and grammar, keeping accessibility issues in your line of sight throughout the editing process can help make those fixes feel more manageable. Instead of encountering a long list of errors to correct at the very end, you can use contextual cues to learn where those errors are coming from and avoid making more of the same as you continue writing. To provide this kind of information within the flow of work, we’re rolling out the option to run the Accessibility Checker in the background while you work within Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Windows. When this option is enabled, you’ll see an indicator in the bottom status bar letting you know either that your document is “good to go” or that there are issues to investigate. Clicking on the message takes you to the Accessibility Checker pane, where you can learn more and make corrections. <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/check-accessibility-while-you-work-in-office-apps-ae9e8ea7-1f22-41af-ad04-cc2919daebae" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Learn how to start checking accessibility while you work</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><img border=0 width=545 height=450 style='width:5.677in;height:4.6875in' id="_x0000_i1035" src="https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/172/2022/01/accessibility3_screenshot-300x247.png" alt="Microsoft Word editing window showing a document with low text contrast in one section. A zoomed-in piece of the screen shows the “Accessibility: Investigate” indicator."></span><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Check accessibility while you write <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>To further raise awareness of accessibility issues within the flow of work, we also <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-365-blog/accessibility-reminder-app-for-microsoft-365-now-generally/ba-p/3053021" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>recently released the Accessibility Reminder add-in</span></a> for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Windows, Mac and Web. The Accessibility Reminder places an additional tab in the top ribbon navigation containing a set of ready-made “nudges” that people with disabilities and their allies can use to notify document authors and contributors about accessibility issues while also providing tips and links to help articles. <a href="https://aka.ms/a11yapp" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Download the Accessibility Reminder here</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><h1 style='mso-line-height-alt:16.8pt'><strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Find all your accessibility tools in one place </span></strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>We have also been working on ways to simplify the process of fixing accessibility issues once you’ve found them. The <a href="https://insider.office.com/en-us/blog/accessibility-ribbon-in-powerpoint-accessibility-made-easier" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>PowerPoint Accessibility Ribbon</span></a> and <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/excel-blog/our-journey-to-make-excel-work-well-for-everyone/ba-p/2322439" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Excel Accessibility Ribbon</span></a> bring together all the tools you need to make your presentations and spreadsheets accessible – things like using sufficient color contrast, adding alt text to images, and structuring your content to be comprehensible for screen reader users. The Accessibility Ribbon appears automatically when you open the Accessibility Checker (from the Review ribbon or by clicking the accessibility indicator in the status bar). Check out the video below for some scenarios to try with the PowerPoint Accessibility Ribbon.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><h1 style='mso-line-height-alt:16.8pt'><strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Use alt text to make images accessible </span></strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Alternative text (alt text) is descriptive text that conveys the meaning and context of a visual item in a digital setting, such as on an app or web page, so that screen reader users have a way to understand what those items are without necessarily being able to see them. Including alt text is critical to making our typically image-heavy digital documents and spaces accessible, yet it’s often overlooked. To help encourage creators to include alt text, we have been working on ways to make it easier to provide, in more contexts, across Microsoft 365. Last month, we rolled out the <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-teams-december-2021/ba-p/3050099#:~:text=%20What%E2%80%99s%20New%20in%20Microsoft%20Teams%20%7C%20December,meeting%20participants%20if%20the%20room%20is...%20More%20" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>ability for users to provide alt text for images they share in Microsoft Teams Chat</span></a> on Windows, with Mac coming soon.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><img border=0 width=465 height=272 style='width:4.8437in;height:2.8333in' id="_x0000_i1034" src="https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/172/2022/01/Add-alt-text-2-300x176.png" alt="Teams chat window showing the dialog box for adding alt text to an image. The prompt says “How would you describe this image to someone who is blind or low vision?” "></span><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Adding alt text to an image in Teams Chat <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>And Excel now provides screen reader users with automatic alt text for charts and PivotCharts, generated on-demand at the point the screen reader reaches the object to ensure that it’s based on the most recent data – though chart authors are still encouraged to create their own alt text for greatest accuracy. Not sure what it should say? Here’s <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-effective-alt-text-df98f884-ca3d-456c-807b-1a1fa82f5dc2#:~:text=Turn%20automatic%20alt%20text%20on.%201%20Select%20File,selected%20under%20Automatic%20Alt%20Text.%20%20See%20More." target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>everything you need to know to write effective alt text</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><h1 style='mso-line-height-alt:16.8pt'><strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Learn more about creating accessible content</span></strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></h1><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>If all of this has made you hungry for more information about how to make your content more broadly accessible, we have many more resources available. Here are a few places to start: <o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;max-width:100%'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Check out <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/accessible-content-m365/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Creating accessible content with Microsoft 365</span></a> on Microsoft Learn – part of the larger <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/paths/accessibility-fundamentals/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Accessibility fundamentals</span></a> course – for a 51-minute primer on accessible authoring tools and practices. <o:p></o:p></span></h4><h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;max-width:100%'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Hear from PowerPoint Accessibility lead Peter Wu on <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-365-blog/learn-how-to-create-accessible-content-in-powerpoint-and-across/ba-p/3040526" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>how to create accessible content in PowerPoint and across Microsoft 365</span></a> on the Microsoft 365 Tech Community blog, and <a href="https://youtu.be/el60p-DGtAY" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>watch his session on the topic from the recent CreativePro Design + Accessibility Summit</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></h4><h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2;max-width:100%'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Dig into our <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-accessible-office-documents-868ecfcd-4f00-4224-b881-a65537a7c155" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>support content on creating accessible documents</span></a> for detailed instructions and best practices for accessible authoring across Microsoft 365 Apps.<o:p></o:p></span></h4></div></div><div><div><h1 style='mso-line-height-alt:16.8pt'><strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>More inclusive collaboration in Microsoft Teams </span></strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Of course, authorship isn’t just about the content. It’s often a highly collaborative process – and in the hybrid world, that means connecting through platforms like Microsoft Teams. <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/accessibility/m365-accessibility-fall-2021/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Last quarter we shared several ways we’ve been working to make Teams Meetings more accessible</span></a>, including improvements to Live Captions and Live Transcription, integration of CART captioning, and the ability to pin or spotlight multiple users. Since then, we’ve continued to iterate and expand on this work, to help make collaboration in Teams more inclusive and flexible for everyone. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Within meetings themselves, we’ve introduced <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-public-preview/now-in-public-preview-press-to-unmute-in-meetings/m-p/3036154" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>press to unmute (currently in public preview)</span></a>, which makes it easier to quickly unmute in a Teams meeting by providing keyboard shortcuts for doing so (Ctrl + Space on Windows and Option + Space on macOS). Simpler for everyone, but especially helpful for participants who have trouble using a traditional mouse and cursor. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><img border=0 width=530 height=147 style='width:5.5208in;height:1.5312in' id="_x0000_i1033" src="https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/172/2022/01/MicrosoftTeams-image.jpg" alt="Alert message that reads: “You’re unmuted. Release the Ctrl+Spacebar to mute your mic again.” "></span><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Press to unmute in Teams Meetings <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>For those meeting in <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-rooms" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Microsoft Teams Rooms</span></a>, the ability to <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-teams-december-2021/ba-p/3050099#:~:text=%20What%E2%80%99s%20New%20in%20Microsoft%20Teams%20%7C%20December,meeting%20participants%20if%20the%20room%20is...%20More%20" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>split video layout across multiple screens</span></a> helps everyone see each other better, enhancing a sense of presence for remote participants as well as the ability of those in the room to track facial expressions, sign language, and lip movements. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><img border=0 width=800 height=220 style='width:8.3333in;height:2.2916in' id="_x0000_i1032" src="https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/172/2022/01/MicrosoftTeams-image-1.jpg" alt="ns side-by-side. One shows the videos for three of the participants in a Teams Meeting; the other shows the remaining participants as well as the view from the camera in the Teams Room. "></span><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Split video layout across multiple screens in Microsoft Teams Rooms <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Want to catch up or refresh yourself on what happened in a call? <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-teams-october-2021/ba-p/2824105#meetings" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Live Transcripts are now available in unscheduled meetings and channel meetings</span></a> in Teams, making it easier to follow along or revisit what was said in more contexts. And for those who prefer to refer to the full recording, <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-teams-december-2021/ba-p/3050099#:~:text=%20What%E2%80%99s%20New%20in%20Microsoft%20Teams%20%7C%20December,meeting%20participants%20if%20the%20room%20is...%20More%20" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>variable playback speed (0.5-2x) for Teams meeting recordings in Stream</span></a> and <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-teams-december-2021/ba-p/3050099#:~:text=%20What%E2%80%99s%20New%20in%20Microsoft%20Teams%20%7C%20December,meeting%20participants%20if%20the%20room%20is...%20More%20"><span style='color:#416ED2'>indexed recordings based on slide transitions</span></a> make it easier to listen at your own pace and quickly navigate to relevant content. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><img border=0 width=800 height=450 style='width:8.3333in;height:4.6875in' id="_x0000_i1031" src="https://blogs.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/172/2022/01/MicrosoftTeams-image-2.jpg" alt="Teams meeting window showing two participant videos alongside a live transcript of what the participants have said."></span><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Live transcript in an ad-hoc meeting <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><h1 style='mso-line-height-alt:16.8pt'><strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Note to our government customers </span></strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>We’re also pleased to share that the following accessibility features, all of which are currently available to Microsoft’s commercial customers in multi-tenant cloud environments, have now also rolled out for Microsoft 365 GCC, GCC-High, and/or Department of Defense (DoD) customers, as noted: <o:p></o:p></span></p><h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;max-width:100%'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>CART captioning for Teams Meetings (<a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/public-sector-blog/cart-captioning-now-available-in-teams-meetings-for-office-365/ba-p/3040434" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>GCC</span></a>) <o:p></o:p></span></h4><h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;max-width:100%'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>View Teams meeting recording transcripts (<a href="https://aka.ms/ViewTranscriptGCC" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>GCC</span></a>) <o:p></o:p></span></h4><h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4;max-width:100%'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Dictation in Word for the Web (<a href="https://aka.ms/WordDictationGCCH" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>GCC/GCC-H</span></a>) <o:p></o:p></span></h4><h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4;max-width:100%'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Editor in Outlook for iOS (<a href="https://aka.ms/OutlookEditorDoD" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>GCC/GCC-H/DoD</span></a>) <o:p></o:p></span></h4><h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4;max-width:100%'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Guest access in the Teams desktop client (<a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-teams-october-2021/ba-p/2824105#government" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>GCC-H</span></a>) and Teams mobile clients (<a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-teams-october-2021/ba-p/2824105#government" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>GCC-H/DoD</span></a>) <o:p></o:p></span></h4><h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4;max-width:100%'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Together Mode in Teams (<a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-teams-october-2021/ba-p/2824105#government" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>DoD</span></a>) <o:p></o:p></span></h4><h4 style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:18.0pt;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo4;max-width:100%'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;font-weight:normal'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>MacOS native notifications in Teams (<a href="https://aka.ms/MacNotificationsDoD" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>DoD</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></h4></div></div><div><div><h1 style='mso-line-height-alt:16.8pt'><strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Help shape the future of Microsoft 365 accessibility </span></strong><span style='font-size:19.5pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>Ensuring that our products empower everyone to connect, communicate, and contribute is core to Microsoft’s mission, and we are committed to continual improvement in this space. And by far our most important guide on this journey is feedback from you, our customers. The best way to reach us is right within the Microsoft 365 apps you’re already using: just go to the File menu and select “Feedback” then “Send a suggestion” and include the tag #accessibility. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:18.0pt;max-width:100%'><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"-apple-system-font",serif'>If you have a disability and need technical assistance with any Microsoft product the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Accessibility/disability-answer-desk" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Disability Answer Desk</span></a> (DAD) can assist you via phone (800-936-5900) or chat. We also have an ASL option available for our customers who are deaf or hard of hearing in the U.S. (+1 503-427-1234), as well as video support through the <a href="https://www.bemyeyes.com/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Be My Eyes</span></a> app. Enterprise customers can also reach out to the <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/enterprise-answer-desk" target="_blank"><span style='color:#416ED2'>Enterprise Disability Answer Desk</span></a> (eDAD) with questions about accessibility features, product compliance, and assistive technologies. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal> David Goldfield <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Assistive Technology Specialist<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Feel free to visit my Web site<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://WWW.DavidGoldfield.info">WWW.DavidGoldfield.info</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:white'>_._,_._,_<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal>Groups.io Links:<o:p></o:p></p><p>You receive all messages sent to this group. <o:p></o:p></p><p><a href="https://groups.io/g/tech-vi/message/1592" target="_blank">View/Reply Online (#1592)</a> | <a href="mailto:tech-vi@groups.io?subject=Re:%20%3D%3FUTF-8%3FB%3FW3RlY2gtdmkgQW5ub3VuY2UgTGlzdF0gTWFraW5nIGl0IGVhc2llciB0byBjcmVhdGUgY29udGVudCB0aGF0IGV2ZXJ5b25lIGNhbiB1c2XigJR3aGF04oCZcyBuZXcgaW4gTWljcm9zb2Z0IDM2NSBhY2Nlc3NpYmlsaXR5IGZlYXR1cmVzIGZvciBXaW50ZXIgMjAyMiAtIE1pY3Jvc29mdCBBY2Nlc3NpYmlsaXR5IEJsb2c%3D%3F%3D" target="_blank">Reply To Group</a> | <a href="mailto:david.goldfield@outlook.com?subject=Private:%20Re:%20%3D%3FUTF-8%3FB%3FW3RlY2gtdmkgQW5ub3VuY2UgTGlzdF0gTWFraW5nIGl0IGVhc2llciB0byBjcmVhdGUgY29udGVudCB0aGF0IGV2ZXJ5b25lIGNhbiB1c2XigJR3aGF04oCZcyBuZXcgaW4gTWljcm9zb2Z0IDM2NSBhY2Nlc3NpYmlsaXR5IGZlYXR1cmVzIGZvciBXaW50ZXIgMjAyMiAtIE1pY3Jvc29mdCBBY2Nlc3NpYmlsaXR5IEJsb2c%3D%3F%3D" target="_blank">Reply To Sender</a> | <a href="https://groups.io/mt/88647240/318502" target="_blank">Mute This Topic</a> | <a href="https://groups.io/g/tech-vi/post">New Topic</a><br><a href="https://groups.io/g/tech-vi/editsub/318502">Your Subscription</a> | <a href="mailto:tech-vi+owner@groups.io">Contact Group Owner</a> | <a href="https://groups.io/g/tech-vi/leave/11013341/318502/1820159643/xyzzy">Unsubscribe</a> [floza58@bellsouth.net]<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:white'>_._,_._,_<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>