Office 365

As we observe World Autism Month this April, I want to highlight several improvements across Microsoft 365 that help users focus on their work and support ...

Leveraging voice and audio tools rather than relying on written text can help a broad range of users to work more effectively: for those with dyslexia, speaking rather than typing can help to avoid errors; for those with ADHD, voice inputs can help to capture thoughts in the moment and stay in the flow. If you have a disability and need technical assistance with any Microsoft product the Disability Answer Desk (DAD) can assist you via phone (800-936-5900) or chat. Enterprise customers can also reach out to the Enterprise Disability Answer Desk (eDAD) with questions about accessibility features, product compliance, and assistive technologies. And in Excel, we’ve added the ability to use AutoComplete for dropdown lists to make data entry and validation faster and easier. 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 those interested in the focus and alternative input options highlighted here should be sure to check out the new Focus, system-wide Live Captions, and Voice Access features recently announced for Windows 11. And last month we added the option to mute notifications during meetings – for all meetings or on a per-meeting basis. A few months ago, we rolled out the option to configure your activity feed notifications by right-clicking on an individual item in the feed. However, as the Office apps have expanded their accessibility features, I have found myself becoming a power user of features like Immersive Reader, Editor, and Thesaurus, allowing me to stop relying on my own internal hacks and leverage technology to overcome these challenges. Let’s take a closer look at how recent features in Microsoft 365 can support focus and productivity for neurodiverse and neurotypical workers alike. As much as I tried to escape it, I eventually realized that reading and writing were going to be part of my life and I needed to develop tools to navigate. As we observe World Autism Month this April, I want to highlight several improvements across Microsoft 365 that help users focus on their work and support effective reading and writing.