Our Employee Resource Groups:

disAbility

Employee Resource Group

Works with Microsoft initiatives to improve products for accessibility and support experiences for customers with disabilities or who have accessibility questions.

Interesting Facts

Holds an annual Ability Summit to facilitate innovative thinking related to accessibility; last year keynoted by Microsoft’s CEO.
In 2014, part of the winning team for Microsoft's first //oneweek hackathon, where they worked on Eye Gaze technology championed by former NFL player Steve Gleason
Funds an annual scholarship known as the Microsoft Disability Scholarship for high school students looking to help realize the potential technology can have in the world.

Who we are

The disAbility Employee Resource Group (ERG) was formed in 2009 from constituents of 10 different employee networks. The ERG represents employees with conditions such as hearing loss, blindness, visual impairments, ADD, mobility disabilities, and dyslexia.

Disability is a strength. It makes us a stronger company, and by growing and involving people with disabilities at Microsoft we will make better products that help us and our customers to achieve our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. With over 1 billion people with disabilities around the world, it has never been more important to ensure that we reflect the diversity of our customers. So, we are focused on building an inclusive culture that celebrates the amazing skills, experiences, and backgrounds that all employees bring to the company. That kind of inclusion will enable us to deliver better products and solutions for customers, and better experiences for our employees – and that’s essential. To learn more about inclusive hiring at Microsoft, click here and for more information about inclusive hiring programs such as the Autism Hiring program, click here.

Areas of focus

Strategy
Partnerships

Strategy

The disAbility ERG's goal is to enable employees at Microsoft to reach their full potential through inclusion, representation, and access to accommodations and in doing so, be the employer of choice for people with disabilities globally. The ERG's four key priorities in pursuit of this goal have a direct impact on Microsoft and its employees:

Drive internal visibility to ensure that there is an awareness of disability groups and that adequate accommodations and resources are available. Provide a resource pool of people who can share a wealth of knowledge and experience on how to succeed at Microsoft.
Help Microsoft be best-in-practice with software, tools, buildings, and events that are accessible to all people with disabilities. Collaborate with our product teams to design, develop, and build accessible Microsoft products and drive accessibility improvements in the work environment.
Build external awareness of Microsoft as the employer of choice for people with disabilities. Work with community partners to share Microsoft's approach and best practices in the areas of accessibility and ergonomic accommodations.

Sponsorships and Partnerships

The ERG enters into partnerships with nationwide associations, nonprofit organizations, and special interest groups to increase disability awareness, drive joint objectives, and help organizations in need.