The people behind Windows 11: Working with communities to improve input and accessibility

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John Porter is an input and accessibility designer who is unable to use what so many take for granted: a keyboard and mouse. Porter relies almost entirely on his voice and speech recognition technology, in addition to switches (a series of buttons with pre-defined actions to cover a small range of motion) to interact with his PC. Working on Windows 11 as part of the Modern Input & Accessibility team, he’s been creating solutions to help others who use their PCs in different ways. “My role on the team is to think about how we can create new and more inherently inclusive input modalities that will not only address the needs of customers with disabilities, but have mainstream value as well,” says Porter, who joined Microsoft three years ago while in a doctorate program at the University of Washington in the department of Human Centered Design and Engineering. In Windows 11, you’ll now see Accessibility in Settings, new contrast themes and an ongoing commitment to engage with the disability community in doing even more with their feedback. “Having someone on the team like me who didn't grow up entrenched in a traditional notion of what it means to interact with a computer allows me to think outside the box,” says Porter, who has a neuro-muscular condition called spinal muscular atrophy. When he was a young child – about 5 – he had enough manual dexterity to use a keyboard and mouse on his first computer. But as his condition evolved, he had to adapt, using a pencil to “hunt and peck” on the keyboard, and a stylus instead of a mouse. “When I think back to my own childhood, being in the classroom or computer class, my most vivid memories include using alternate input devices and the way all the kids crowded around to witness this novelty. For me, I was incredibly fortunate, that manifested as a pretty positive experience, but I also recognize that is far from typical,” Porter says. “Often, for people with disabilities – sensory, physical or cognitive – accessibility features and assistive technologies you rely on to mediate your interaction with the world around you may as well be a flashing neon sign that says 'I'm different.' So with Windows 11, that was one of our real commitments and priorities. Regardless of whether you’re using Windows with mouse, touch or voice typing, using a default color theme, etc. – all of it had to feel like you were using Windows in the way it was meant to be used. “It was critical to recognize that no two people with disabilities are alike. One person who’s blind or low vision can’t act as a proxy for an entire community. What I try to communicate to my team and all of our partner teams is that we’re off to a good start, but how do we push this further? I’ve broken down that door, so to speak, so how do I use that privilege in the world of Windows to find more seats to that table, bring more people into that conversation? The only way we’re going to be able to move forward to represent the full spectrum of human diversity is by being understood and represented in the things we create,” Porter says. [caption id=attachment_176274" align="aligncenter" width="600]https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2021/09/48-DSC07538-Silva-Story-e1632339308550.jpg Natassia Silva[/caption] “I found myself learning about the customers, learning their habits, the menu and trying to find ways to improve the menu. I helped build it. I did things that were outside expectations,” she says. “But I was really passionate about not just making a business successful, but also making the people that come to it happy and have a memorable experience. I have a deep empathy for folks and learning and listening to feedback.” Born and raised in Hawaii, Silva took some time to figure out what she wanted to do. She was always very creative. She loved computers, drawing and fashion. She even made her own zines. But she also knew she wanted to do something that helped people. Silva went to The Academy of Art University and worked in the men’s fashion industry – doing a little bit of everything – before a chance meeting changed her life. “I was at a point when I was considering going back to school for graphic design. I met someone at the restaurant that I was managing who was a UX [user experience] designer and he asked me, have you thought about UX design? He shared all these resources that sparked my curiosity. Long story short, I decided to move to Seattle just to switch it up, try a new city,” says Silva, whose cousin urged her to join a design program there. “On the very last day of my interaction design classes, my instructor was showing us portfolios of designers to look up to and one of them was the same designer I met in San Francisco who told me I should go into UX design.” For Windows 11, Silva worked on the pen menu, the handwriting panel, the language switcher and the input method editor (IME) for East Asian languages. She also worked on accessibility settings such as text size, visual effects and color filters. But the bulk of her focus was on high contrast themes, something she wasn’t familiar with when she started.We’re really trying to create meaningful, intentional and thoughtful solutions.She relied heavily on past research as well as talking directly to customers, especially those who have experience with needing/using such themes. The team worked with a low vision advisory board, made up of external customers who identify within the spectrum of low vision, whether it's color blindness or light sensitivity. “I didn't realize how difficult it can be for them,” Silva says. “There are so many problems I wasn’t aware of.” For instance, some folks had a hard time distinguishing where the borders of one window met the other when they had many windows open. Others would use the magnifier tool because they would have difficulty being able to view their display, so they would use that accessibility tool to zoom in. But when they zoomed in closely, it could be even harder to differentiate between various elements in the user interface. These insights helped Silva create more aesthetically pleasing contrast themes that give people more choices in what works for them. “When it comes to human-centered design, it’s people at the root of it all and being able to empathize with our customers,” Silva says, of her approach to solving these pain points for users. “I was also very fortunate to work with a product manager who did identify as someone with low vision. It was helpful to have multiple perspectives and it's those multiple perspectives and listening to those with lived experiences that helped shape and drive the design.” Find out more about Windows 11 and check out previous stories about the people bringing Windows 11 to you that focus on widgets and the taskbar/Start.

 

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