Portland Trail Blazers offering device from Seattle startup to help vision-impaired fans track action The Portland Trail Blazers will offer technology from a Seattle startup to help blind and low-vision fans better follow the… Read More
Seattle startup wants to bring vision-impaired sports fans closer to the action with tactile device Athletes might possess the right touch to execute a perfect pass or shot. A Seattle startup’s touch is bringing blind… Read More
How the Univ. of Washington aims to make online systems and content more accessible Taking small steps to make digital content more accessible can make a big difference. That was one takeaway from the… Read More
Microsoft’s accessibility chief on Bing’s chatbot, the disability divide, and more Microsoft’s Ability Summit has come a long way since its inaugural event 13 years ago. What began as a meeting… Read More
Starbucks implements tech for blind and low-vision customers to aid in-store navigation and more Starbucks is turning to technology to help blind and low-vision customers navigate its U.S. stores. The Seattle-based coffee giant is… Read More
With 25 years at Microsoft, Mike Tholfsen is old school — and a champion of education accessibility Long before COVID-19 thrust how we teach and learn using technology into an uncomfortable spotlight, Mike Tholfsen was imagining the… Read More
Microsoft invests $2.5M in CREATE, a new center for accessible tech at the University of Washington The University of Washington is launching a new Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) and… Read More
Microsoft equips veterans in rehab with accessible Xbox controllers Microsoft is making gaming more accessible for patients at 22 Veterans Affairs rehab centers by supplying them with its Xbox… Read More
GeekWire Calendar Picks: Science fiction literature, biases in AI, and helping businesses go global — “We earth men have a talent for ruining big, beautiful things.” That statement seems eerily on point for what’s… Read More
Glasses give sight to the legally blind, opening eyes to the broader potential of making tech accessible LAS VEGAS ― More than 180,000 people attended CES to see the latest in consumer technology. From autonomous suitcases to a… Read More
Working Geek: UW computer scientist Jennifer Mankoff channeled adversity into a career path Jennifer Mankoff faced a slate of challenges that could have derailed her academic aspirations. It started with a repetitive stress… Read More
Quadriplegic man keeps on riding, using tech to enable 475-mile trip across state Ian Mackay was 26 years old when a bicycle accident left him with a life-changing spinal cord injury. Ten years… Read More
As thousands set out to hack for Microsoft, book chronicles two defining projects for accessibility The idea of a hackathon at any company is to harness the energy and creativity of employees to find new… Read More
From AI to inclusive hiring, Satya Nadella seeks further inspiration at Microsoft’s Ability Summit Microsoft’s mission to create technology that can empower every person doesn’t just begin and end with the products it is… Read More
Microsoft and Apple collaborate to help visually impaired people use braille displays across operating systems Microsoft, Apple, and other tech companies are working together to make it easier for people with impaired vision to use… Read More
Tech helped Cyrus Habib get to Washington’s second-highest office — and new innovations hold even more promise for the blind Cyrus Habib presides over Washington state’s Senate in his capacity as lieutenant governor — a task that would have been… Read More
AbiliTrek is building hotel database for travelers with disabilities, aims to fill information void in $17B market Daman Wandke was explicit in explaining what he needed in his San Francisco hotel room: he had to have a… Read More
Special Olympics makes technological leaps and bounds with help from Microsoft Each year, Special Olympics International and its 220 chapters worldwide organize some 108,000 events. The games give athletes with intellectual… Read More
Amazon debuts accessory to help visually impaired users read on the Kindle Amazon is making it easier for visually impaired users to benefit from the improvements of digital books by bringing VoiceView… Read More
Seattle Art Museum tests rolling telepresence devices to let disabled guests tour exhibits When you can’t leave your bed, you can’t explore the world. But what if you could? The Seattle Art Museum… Read More
