Empower Everyone: How the Microsoft Power Apps Team Continuously Improves Software Accessibility

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, accessibility has become a crucial aspect of software development. Ensuring that digital products are usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities, is not just about meeting regulatory requirements but also about fostering innovation and inclusivity.

This blog shares highlights from a recent webinar hosted by Bob Farrell, VP Solution Delivery and Accessibility, Applause, and three experts from Microsoft who discussed their experiences and strategies for advancing software accessibility:

• Ryan Shugart, Senior Program Manager, Central Cloud and AI Accessibility
• Nir Baligar, Principal Engineer, Power Apps Accessibility Lead, and UX Architect
• Lucas Sanford, Software Engineer, Power Apps Studio

Setting the stage

The webinar kicked off with Farrell emphasizing the need to move beyond mere compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to focus on usability that can significantly enhance the user experience for everyone.

Farrell shared findings from Applause’s fourth annual survey on digital accessibility (here’s a blog summarizing the survey) of more than 3,500 participants which revealed positive trends. Notably, over 85% of respondents indicated that digital accessibility is a higher priority this year compared to last year (69%). Despite this progress, there are still significant gaps, with 34% of respondents reporting no processes in place to prevent the release of inaccessible features. In addition, the survey suggests a disconnect between making accessibility a priority and investments in internal resources. When asked how well equipped they are to test for accessibility on an ongoing basis, only 19% of the respondents said they have adequate internal resources and just 7% reported having plenty of resources.

It’s clear that organizations must commit to making changes.

Microsoft’s commitment to accessibility

Nir Baligar introduced Microsoft Power Apps, a low-code platform enabling users to create complex enterprise applications with ease. He highlighted Microsoft's mission to empower every person and organization to achieve more, with Power Apps playing a pivotal role in this vision. Baligar emphasized that accessibility is integral to the design and development of Power Apps, ensuring that these tools are usable by everyone, including individuals with disabilities.

Ryan Shugart elaborated on his role overseeing approximately 1,000 products within the Cloud and AI organization at Microsoft. These products range from development tools to consumer-facing applications that are all on a path to greater accessibility, illustrating the extensive scope of Microsoft's commitment to accessibility.

Beyond compliance: The importance of usability testing

The discussion moved to the distinction between compliance and usability. Both Baligar and Shugart underscored that while compliance with standards like WCAG is essential, that is merely a starting point. Usability testing involving real users with disabilities provides deeper insights into how accessible and practical a product truly is.

Baligar, with 15 years of experience in driving accessibility at Microsoft, stressed that compliance testing alone is insufficient. He believes that usability testing is the gold standard. He likens compliance testing to forensic testing, where you use a variety of tools to take a snapshot of the product to understand and test it for its current accessibility state. Usability testing is scientific and innovative testing that goes beyond accessibility conformance and challenges the design and functionality of the product to ensure it meets real users’ needs.

Shugart agreed, adding that though compliance is a legal requirement, it often represents a low bar. To move beyond compliance, you must involve users with disabilities. This ensures that products also provide a frictionless and effective user experience. He highlighted the need for continuous feedback and the integration of accessibility into every stage of product development.

To illustrate a compliance-only mindset, he gave the example of building a wheelchair ramp to enter a building. The regulations just state that you have to have it, but they don’t say where it has to be or even elaborate all on thoughtful considerations in determining where to put it. As a result, builders might put it at a back entrance, tucked out of the way so that people have to go around the building to find it. Having the ramp at the front door, where all others enter, is better placement and a more equitable experience for people who need to use it.

True accessibility means ensuring that products are not only compliant but also genuinely usable for people with disabilities, and in the workplace, enables them to be competitive and keep up with co-workers’ productivity.

Success stories and measuring progress

Baligar shared a success story from the State Bank of India, where an employee who is legally blind – and without a technical background – used Power Apps to create an application that significantly enhanced his organization’s operations. The low-code platform enabled him to develop a solution using minimal formulas and coding. This example illustrates the transformative impact of focusing on usability.

To measure progress, both Baligar and Shugart stress the importance of tracking previously determined core scenarios – the primary actions users take while using the product – and use internal systems to monitor and report accessibility improvements around the scenarios. These metrics help ensure that products are continuously improving in terms of both usability and accessibility.

Advice for developers and teams

Baligar brought his colleague, Lucan Sanford, into the conversation as they both offered advice for developers and teams looking to enhance their focus on accessibility:

1. Integrate accessibility into design - Make accessibility a fundamental part of the design phase to prevent significant and costly issues later on.
2. Involve users early and often - Engage users with disabilities throughout the development process to gain insights and feedback.
3. Leverage tools and resources - Use assistive technologies (like screen readers and keyboard navigation) and testing tools and services, such as Applause, to ensure robust testing.
4. Foster a culture of accessibility and usability - Support a ubiquitous culture where accessibility and usability are forefront in employees’ minds in all they do. Enable teams by offering regular education, office hours and other forms of information sharing.

Promoting a shift toward usability

The webinar wrapped up by addressing how organizations can start to move beyond just WCAG conformance to a mindset of constantly improving usability. The speakers emphasized the need to highlight the real-world impact of accessibility and to demonstrate the benefits of inclusive design. For example, show teams involved in your SDLC a video of a user with low vision struggling to use your app. Making the struggle real for your organizations can be very impactful, as many people lack the direct exposure to people with disabilities. The experts also recommended leveraging both qualitative and quantitative data to build a compelling business case for accessibility.

Usability champions innovation

The webinar highlights how Microsoft is leading the way in digital accessibility. By moving beyond compliance to focus on usability, it not only meets regulatory requirements but also creates more innovative and inclusive products that benefit everyone. The experiences and advice Shugart, Baligar, and Sanford shared offer a valuable roadmap for other organizations looking to enhance their accessibility efforts.

Access the full webinar for more details and practical insights.