Microsoft Goes Open-Source with New User Interface Tools

Microsoft's sinuous relationship with open source continues with the release of new user interface tools designed for accessibility testing. While the Redmond company is careful to stay clear of open source with its proprietary software products such as Windows and Office, in parallel, it is also building and delivering open source solutions. The new accessibility tools and resources aimed at developers are an illustrative example of this strategy.

"We are helping to create a developer community that is focused on accessibility, and to improve the ability of developers around the world to share their experiences and build more accessible desktop, server and Web applications," said Norm Hodne, Windows Accessibility lead at Microsoft.

The new products set up to enable software builders to put together accessible and assistive technology offerings are just one example of the efforts Microsoft has poured into the evolution of accessibility solutions. The end beneficiaries are of course users with impairments and disabilities, which find it extremely difficult, if not even impossible, to interact with technology.

"Microsoft has been a leader in accessibility for over 20 years, making our products more accessible and providing resources that other companies can use to develop their own accessible technology products. Today's announcement is another example of our long-standing commitment to accessibility," Hodne added.

Via the Microsoft Accessibility Developer Center in the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), developers will be able to access the new Microsoft Accessibility Labs website, a space dedicated to delivering a comprehensive collection of accessibility resources. The two new tools, the UI Accessibility Checker (AccChecker) and UI Automation Verify (UIA Verify), are both available for free as downloads from the Redmond company's CodePlex website hosting open-source projects.

"By releasing AccChecker and UIA Verify as open-source tools," Hodne added. "Microsoft enables the developer community to improve and extend the tools so that they keep pace with developers' changing needs and requirements. We created these new tools to help developers throughout the industry test their implementations and create better access for all users. We want developers to have the tools they need to create the very best accessible technology. We also want them to have the opportunity to modify the tools as their needs evolve."