{"id":39230,"date":"2025-03-17T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azure.microsoft.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=39230"},"modified":"2025-04-18T10:28:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T17:28:53","slug":"cutting-digital-curbs-how-azure-ai-foundry-is-building-a-more-accessible-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azure.microsoft.com\/en-us\/blog\/cutting-digital-curbs-how-azure-ai-foundry-is-building-a-more-accessible-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Cutting digital curbs: How Azure AI Foundry is building a more accessible world"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When my wife and I had our first child, I started seeing the world differently. Pushing a stroller through our neighborhood, I quickly realized how much I had taken for granted\u2014sidewalks that suddenly ended, intersections without curb cuts, pathways that were technically walkable but not built for wheels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t just a minor inconvenience. It made me think about my elderly grandmother, who relied on a walker. And my parents, who are active now but won\u2019t always move as easily as they do today. Mobility and accessibility are deeply connected, and for the first time, I saw how infrastructure shapes our daily experiences\u2014whether we notice it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But physical mobility is only part of the equation. In the digital world, there are just as many curbs that need cutting. Websites that don\u2019t work with screen readers. Captions that lag behind real-time speech. AI models that fail to understand diverse voices. These barriers may be invisible to many, but they create real limitations for millions of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just like curb cuts in sidewalks, digital accessibility doesn\u2019t just benefit one group\u2014it makes technology better for everyone. That\u2019s where Azure AI Foundry<\/a>, Azure OpenAI Service<\/a>, and the latest innovations in multimodal AI<\/a> and Responsible AI (RAI)<\/a> come in\u2014helping organizations cut digital curbs and build a world that works for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Inclusive<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As we recognize the impact of accessibility innovation at Microsoft\u2019s Ability Summit 2025<\/a>, we encourage you to explore how AI can drive greater inclusion in your products and services.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal isn\u2019t just to eliminate obstacles\u2014it\u2019s to design a world where everyone moves forward together. Here are some of my favorite real-world examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Build with Azure AI Foundry today<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Real-world impact: How Azure AI is cutting digital curbs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The curb cuts of digital accessibility didn\u2019t start with generative AI\u2014Microsoft has been building inclusive technologies for decades. From early screen readers to speech-to-text innovations, AI has long played a pivotal role in expanding access. But now, we\u2019re going even bigger.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bridging the mental health gap with AI-powered conversations\u202f<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Technology: Azure AI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mental health support is a growing necessity worldwide, but in Kenya, where there are only about 100 psychiatrists for a population of 50 million, access to professional care is extremely limited. Financial and cultural barriers often keep people from seeking the help they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kenya Red Cross<\/a> saw an opportunity to bridge this gap using Azure AI-powered chatbots. In partnership with Pathways Technologies, they developed Chat Care, an AI-based mental health assistant that provides guidance, emotional support, and referrals\u2014all in English and Swahili.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t just a chatbot; it\u2019s a lifeline for people who may otherwise suffer in silence. Chat Care allows users to start conversations about their mental health in a low-pressure, anonymous way, reducing stigma and offering resources that are accessible 24\/7. It can suggest breathing exercises, gratitude practices, and in-person services, all tailored to the user\u2019s responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or unable to speak on the phone, Chat Care offers text-based support, ensuring mental health services are available to everyone, regardless of ability or circumstance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improving AI speech recognition for non-standard speech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Technology: Azure AI Speech x UIUC Partnership<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Voice recognition technology often struggles to understand people with non-standard speech patterns, making it harder for individuals with conditions like cerebral palsy or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to interact with AI-powered experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To solve this, Microsoft partnered with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and fellow tech leaders to build the Speech Accessibility Project<\/a>\u2014a research initiative to train AI models that recognize diverse speech patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By integrating this breakthrough into Azure AI Speech<\/a>, Microsoft is ensuring that AI-powered voice technology works for everyone, making digital experiences more inclusive across industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making AI more accessible from the ground up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Technology: Azure AI Foundry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Azure AI Foundry, Microsoft has embedded accessibility into the AI development lifecycle itself. By partnering with EY<\/a>, the Azure AI Foundry now empowers neurodivergent customers, and features improved usability, reducing cognitive overload and improving navigation for all people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, Azure AI Foundry<\/a> reached a milestone for usability, reflecting feedback from people with disabilities that helped improve the platform. The updates included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n