The following is a copy of Microsoft's press release announcing the
recipients of the company's "Exploring PC Accessibility: New Discoveries"
grant program. As you might already know, the grant program was conceived of
and funded by Microsoft to advance the quantity and quality of accessible
technologies for use by people with disabilities.  

The $10,000 and $50,000 grants will support technology exploration and
development respectively, with all results presented at next year's CSUN
Technology and Persons with Disabilities conference and thereafter made
available free-of-charge for inclusion in mainstream or
accessibility-specific products.  


Microsoft Looks to Advance PC Accessibility With One-Year Research Grants 

Research and Educational Institutions Will Focus on Improving Technology and
Tools For People With Disabilities 

REDMOND, WA - March 17, 1999 - In an effort to make computers and the
Internet easier to use for people with disabilities, Microsoft Corp. today
announced a series of grants to nonprofit research and educational
institutions for original research in the field of PC accessibility. The
international grant program, Exploring PC Accessibility: New Discoveries, was
created in December to complement and extend the work Microsoft and other
software and hardware vendors are doing to make computers easier and more
useful for people with a variety of disabilities.  

The grants are $10,000 or $50,000 for concept exploration and technology
development, respectively. They were presented at the annual California State
University Northridge Technology and Persons With Disabilities conference by
Greg Lowney, director of accessibility at Microsoft. 

"When Bill Gates talks about a computer on every desktop, he really means
it," Lowney said. "For people with disabilities, the PC can serve as enabling
technology in the workplace and the classroom, and it can provide a vital
connection to other people as a basic means of communication. In addition to
making our own products accessible, equipping and motivating the development
community to produce great accessibility solutions is one of Microsoft's top
goals in this area."  

Grant winners in the two award categories are as follows:

Accessibility Concept Research Awards 

    University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom, "ToneWeb: Using
    Sound to Enhance Access to the World Wide Web for Visually Impaired
    People," Dr. Helen Petrie, Director, Sensory Disabilities Research Unit 

    University of Glasgow, "3D Audio Windows: Enhancing PC Accessibility for
    Visually Disabled Users," Dr. Stephen Brewster and Dr. Ashley Walker,
    Multi-modal Interaction Group, Department of Computing Science 

    University of Pittsburgh, "Development of Compensatory Software for
    People With Neck Range of Motion Limitations," Dr. Jennifer Angelo,
    Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology,
    School of Health and Rehabilitation 

    New York University, "An Investigation of the Use and Potential Use of
    Accessibility Options in Operating Systems," Anita Perr, Clinical
    Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of
    Education 

    University of Washington, "Cognitive Benefits of Speech Recognition
    Technology for Persons With Learning Disabilities," Dr. Philip Bell,
    Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, College of
    Education

Accessibility Product Development Awards 

    Syracuse University, "Improving PC Accessibility With NeatTools," Edward
    Lipson, Professor, Department of Physics, and David Warner, M.D.,
    Northeast Parallel Architectures Center 

    Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom, "The BrookesTalk
    Adaptation Kit (BAK) Project," Mary Zajicek, Principal Lecturer, School
    of Computing and Mathematical Sciences 

A total of $150,000 was awarded today, and additional grants may be awarded
later this spring. Applications were accepted from nonprofit research and
educational institutions around the world, with the expectation that their
results will be made available at no charge for use in mainstream and
accessibility-specific products at the end of the one-year research period.
"More funding is needed to support research in the computer access area,"
said Dr. Angelo of the University of Pittsburgh. "Finding better access
methods for computers and other assistive technology devices will change the
lives of people with disabilities."  

As a cooperative effort between Microsoft's community affairs group and the
company's accessibility and disabilities group, the Exploring PC
Accessibility: New Discoveries grant program reflects Microsoft's focus on
extending technology access to people and communities that have not
traditionally had access to computers. The Exploring PC Accessibility: New
Discoveries grant program is one of many initiatives Microsoft is undertaking
to improve the features and usability of PC and Internet technology for
people with disabilities. For example, new and improved accessibility
features have been announced in a number of upcoming product releases,
including the Microsoft(r) Office business suite and the Windows(r) 2000
operating system. In addition, Microsoft's accessibility and disabilities
group recently hosted the company's newly formed Accessibility Advisory
Council, consisting of representatives from advocacy groups, user groups and
research organizations in the disability community. 

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products
and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of
making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full
power of personal computing every day. 

If you have any questions about the grant program, or if you would like more
information about the projects being funded, please contact Jenny Moede
(jmoede@wagged.com, 503/245-0905) or Gary Moulton at Microsoft
(garymo@microsoft.com).

