Microsoft revealed a project earlier this month where it outlined a number of shortcuts to quickly enable features in Windows 11, such as widgets and emojis.
The company’s “Turn it up to 11(opens in new tab)” ad explained how simple it is to activate these new capabilities, some of which are frustratingly concealed because other features take precedence.
While useful, I also thought that Windows 11’s accessibility features weren’t being used to their full potential.
The topic of accessibility has long been tabooed as a “hidden feature you didn’t know about,” even though it makes it possible for users to use devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones just as readily as anybody else.
In light of this, TechRadar briefly spoke with Hector Minto, Microsoft’s lead for accessibility, about his personal favorite accessibility shortcuts and what to expect from Sun Valley 2, the first significant update to Windows 11.
You can use a few accessible shortcut highlights.
While the Accessibility window, where you may view all options, is launched at any time by hitting Win+N, there was one instance where a different accessibility shortcut worked well for a coworker.
“I remember someone saying she couldn’t hear a Teams call when she entered the workplace. I then brought up the Win+CTRL+N keyboard shortcut, which opens captions.”
Minto elucidates. We still need to let people know that Windows has the accessibility features they need, and they are only a few keyboard shortcuts away.
Another item Minto discussed was voice typing (opens in new tab), which enables anyone to speak aloud what they want to type in a document or an email, for instance, and Windows 11 will also remove what has already been typed.
Sun Valley 2 will undoubtedly gain more users if offline live captioning and complete programmed voice control become available.
According to Minto, “I’m enthused about what’s coming for the first major update to Windows 11 in terms of accessibility.”
Users’ capacity to operate their entire PC with their voice will change the game, but in this category, we are aware that our work is never done.
Throughout our conversation, Minto kept mentioning discoverability and how Microsoft wants Windows 11 to be helpful to as many users as possible. Alongside this, accessibility stands, particularly with its work in peripherals like the Adaptive Button and Hub.
This year, Minto announced these accessories and the upcoming accessibility improvements in Windows 11 while speaking on stage at the Ability Summit (opens in new tab).
He also reiterated his excitement for Sun Valley 2’s upcoming live captions and more realistic narrator voices. Other accessibility enhancements are also coming to Microsoft Edge and the Xbox app, so that’s only the tip of what was disclosed.
More discussion on the subject is required. Accessibility in an operating system is a technique to assist someone in need so they can play a game or participate in a Teams call as easily as anybody else, not a collection of “easter egg” features.
It’s true that Apple and Google are also advancing accessibility, but it’s remarkable how far Microsoft has brought the field in only a few short years.
The expansion of accessibility in Windows and its numerous programmers, like Microsoft 365 and OneDrive, will be intriguing to watch, but as of right now, if you use Windows 11, the future looks promising.
