Windows 11 accessibility features
In Windows 11, Microsoft’s accessibility features have been integrated even more thoroughly into the operating system. The Windows 11 operating system now includes the a comprehensive suite of built-in assistive technology tools for learning, vision, hearing, and mobility differences.
The features work across all Microsoft products—in the Windows operating system, in the Edge browser, and in all the familiar Microsoft apps like Microsoft Word, Excel, and OneNote.
These accessibility features are built in means IT departments don’t have to evaluate and purchase extra third-party software. Plus, it means one-stop personalized set-up, for IT staff or teachers, to support students with specific learning needs.
Assistive technology offers multiple benefits for students and educators, at work or at home. It:
- Enables educators of all abilities to participate fully in communicating, teaching, and collaborating.
- Supports values of inclusion and diversity for students of all abilities and learning styles.
- Gives students agency to access their own learning materials with minimal teacher interaction.
- Frees teachers up during class time by offering simplified devices that students can access independently.
- Helps teachers deliver personalized learning to students of all abilities.
A recent Forrester study showed that reading and writing improved 20% when collaborative tools go to students with special needs. When the entire class got them, the improvement was 30-40%.
Explore inclusive learning and accessibility best practices in the Learn course .
The following tools can help teachers and others get the most from this built-in assistive technology.
Users can easily record ideas or dictate papers using Voice Typing to quickly jot down notes or search online.
Voice Command Screencast
- Users can access files on their computers and on the web using voice commands.
- For learners who need help with staying focused and on task, it’s possible to reduce clutter and minimize distraction with a single click to change a setting.
- Students and teachers can also magnify the cursor, activate real-time closed captions, and use a science-based Immersive Reader across Windows, Edge, and all Microsoft apps, to help learners break down words and develop their reading skills. All of these controls are easily accessible, right from the action center (which can be reached from the taskbar).