14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8 was designed from the very beginning to help those suffering from various diseases, but this story showcased by Microsoft today and revealing how a teenager suffering from the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) lives every day is really moving.
If you don’t know what EDS is, imagine that you’re typing on a keyboard, and every move you make dislocates parts of your body, including shoulders, wrists, and finger. This might be hard to imagine, but EDS is a terrible disease that obviously makes it impossible to perform daily activities that some of us are too lazy to do.
Getting back to Microsoft’s world, Windows 8 could really come in handy to those suffering from EDS. The software giant showcased the story of Alexandra Tristan, a teenager who has this rare genetic disorder and who uses Windows 8’s touch capabilities to “reclaim her studies, friends, and voce.”
“She writes research papers by gently touching the on-screen keyboard and dictates notes using speech recognition software. When she works on vocabulary words, she uses digital notecards,” Microsoft explains.
Rob Sinclair, Microsoft’s chief accessibility officer, explains that accessibility features available in Windows 8 are specifically implemented to help people suffering from various diseases, and this case is living proof that the modern operating system fully reaches its purpose.
“There’s a lot of talk about natural user interfaces. But she explains clearly why it’s so important not to make assumptions about our customers and the way real people use technology in this world,” he says. “Her experience highlights the importance of multi-modal interfaces and the fact that Windows allows her to choose speech input, touch input or mouse input.”
Although it could all sound like pure marketing stuff, there’s one thing that we should all get for granted: all these accessibility features are playing a much more important role than most of us tend to believe, and it’s practically impossible to determine how vital they actually are until we really need them.
Microsoft says that Windows 8 can be used to help the entire EDS community, which could turn to technology using touchscreen as a way to interact with others and try living normally.
“Instead of being a victim of the disorder, she can now engage and educate others. With Microsoft technology supporting her, Tristan is finding her voice to speak about EDS and help others affected by it to chart their own paths beyond merely enduring the condition to realizing their dreams,” the company says.
