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Retired Microsoft employee and member of early Accessibility Team...

Microsoft’s efforts to make its own products accessible go back to the era of MSDOS. AbleDOS was the result of a collaboration with the Trace Research & Development Center and introduced a number of the features in the Windows today. Latch Keys, Sticky Keys, Mouse Keys. With Window95 and more so with Windows 2000, there was more of a focus on providing access to an offscreen model for screen readers, Windows XP and Vista more support for single switch devices for input. Programs that use the common controls in the OS are generally able to ride on the improvements as the OS continues to mature.

This might have changed, since I left, but programs like the Office Suite have had to build accessibility in to since they don’t use the OS common controls for things like their off-screen model and file pickers. But they seem to be making progress.

BillG won’t read this comment I’m sure, but efforts for accessibility really picked up steam with the challenged rollout of Internet Explorer 3.02 and how the .02 release – in part – was required to add back in the frame work ActiveAccessibiltiy so the browser met the accessibility needs of the US Gov. so IE could be used (vs. being locked out for not being accessible).

Once that rollout was done a Senior Vice President was tasked with accessibility for the first time. Back then where were only about fifteen VPs in the company, and to get an SVP to have it was pretty cool. Over time executive sponsorship bounces between different VPs and the most impactful times for accessibility in the company when the VP had a family member who benefited from accessibility efforts. Things took a big shift funding wise when Sayta became CEO and he funded the current structure in place that /u/jenmsft points at.

Even prior to Sayta’s sponsorship, there were a reasonable number of groups that explored improvements. Loads of them never saw the light of day when they didn’t test out to be as useful as it might seem they would be. Others, like the 'Inverted' pointers have been in Windows going back to Windows 2000 and at a smaller scope allow the mouse pointer to stand out regardless of the color of the background (well gray is hard to invert but...) have been helpful when people are giving PowerPoint-style presentations and want the mouse pointer to be easy to see on screen. The Color Filters are way more advanced and address much more than just the on screen pointer. Really great to see close 30 years after the introduction of AbleDOS that the company is continuing to make things better.

Do you suggest tipping housekeeping as you go or at the end of the stay?

Thanks - I've been doing it as I go, thinking the person who has worked my room might not be there when I check out and someone else gets the tip and (am guessing,) doesn't share it.

Colorado has had a great windfall from marijuana taxes, but as other states continue to legalize the drug, how would you plan for a lower tax revenues, or do you feel the income will stay the same?

Thanks for the answer - best of luck on the road to Governor!