On Microsoft's sprawling campus in Redmond, Washington state, an unassuming laboratory plays an important role by bringing people with disabilities into product design.
Launched in 2017, the lab quickly made an impact after it helped to launch the Xbox Adaptive Controller for its popular gaming console. The controller has since won design awards for giving people with limited mobility an easier way to use Xbox. It has also been lauded for its customisation options, making it versatile for various disabilities.
“When everybody plays, we all win. It's not just an empty slogan,” said Solomon Romney, Microsoft's accessibility programme manager. “We bring together our design and engineering teams with our disability community with relevant experience to the product they’re designing.”
The lab is not limited only to consumer products, and has broadened its focus to include other parts of the user experience such as packaging boxes and labels.
“This is [made] of sustainable materials,” said Mr Romney, holding one of the minimalist packages designed to ship Microsoft products.
“There are loops built in to make it easy to grab, slide things in and out, and we've included Braille and QR codes to lead you to a quick-start guide,” he explained, emphasising the importance of looking at markets such as the Middle East, China, India and elsewhere to enhance inclusion offerings.
“We're starting the learn the cultural differences in some respects, because when we talk about designing for disability, we can't just be doing it for America – we have to make sure we are creating products that will serve all of our customers.”
And the lab's efforts expand well beyond gaming controllers. Mr Romney says the team is constantly at work on input devices such as modular computer mice, stylus pens and keyboards to enrich the computing experience for those with disabilities.
“This mouse is very simple,” he said, demonstrating one of the lightest wireless devices. “You can get full use of it if you have limited muscle strength, it's perfect.”
Mr Romney said that listening to feedback has proved to be one of the most valuable ingredients to keeping innovation flowing from the lab.
“We’ll do interviews with people with disabilities, asking how they use technology, what delights them, where to they run into barriers and where does it let them down,” he said.
“Then we compensate them, we send them on their way, and then our designers and engineers take all that feedback and we have conversations about where we see themes and commonalities. We don’t ask the community to solve it, we ask them to tell us what the problems are and then we go and figure out the solutions.”
The inclusive technology lab has hosted more than 8,000 visitors to help collaborate with engineering teams and designers. The lab is designed to be as inclusive as possible, complete with sound-dampening materials, assisted listening systems and special chairs.
Mr Romney said that the team is always looking to improve offerings, inside and eventually outside the lab.
“If we design for the most extreme disability scenario, it will automatically benefit all of us,” he said.
The lab works with organisations such as the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Able Gamers Charity, Makers Making Change, Special Effect and Warfighter Engaged to enhance inclusion, Microsoft says.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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More on Quran memorisation:
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms
Sundar Pichai
Chief executive, Google and Alphabet
Satya Nadella
Chief executive, Microsoft
Ajaypal Singh Banga
President and chief executive, Mastercard
Shantanu Narayen
Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe
Indra Nooyi
Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo
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Brave CF 27 fight card
Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)
Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)
Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)
Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)
Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
Stats at a glance:
Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
Top speed: over 32 knots
Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles
Length 152.4 m
Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
Beam: 21.2 m
Draught: 7.4 m
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
