By Microsoft Accessibility Blog
Publication Date: 2025-12-03 17:01:00
By Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer, Microsoft
Back in 2003, Microsoft commissioned some groundbreaking research from Forrester Consulting. The study, The Wide Range of Abilities and Its Impact on Computer Technology, explored how people were using assistive technology (AT) and found that 57% of U.S. computer users were likely or very likely to benefit from accessible technology. This study, based on a survey of over 15,000 US adults and conducted before the smartphone in the middle of Windows XP era, shaped the understanding of accessibility as a catalyst for innovation, productivity, and independence.
Fast forward 22 years: Microsoft has commissioned Forrester to revisit that research, and the landscape looks very different. Today, technology is everywhere – computers, tablets, smart devices and phones are part of daily life – and the need for accessibility has only grown. More than 70% of the U.S. population now…