Microsoft Corp. launched a new online resource and released two new open-source accessibility testing tools for developers who want to create accessible and assistive technology products that make it easier for everyone - including people with impairments and disabilities - to see, hear and use computers and other devices. AccChecker comes in three modes: a graphical user interface tool for the initial investigations of UIs; a set of simple application programming interfaces for easily creating automatic test cases; and a command-line tool for batch processing.

    As the demand for accessibility increases, driven by a rapidly aging work force and an increasing number of people who use accessible technology to customize their computers for greater comfort and productivity, so does the need for more developer resources and better testing tools that have the capacity to evolve. Using the GUI tool, testers can easily scan a UI and review a list of errors and warnings. Then, using the per-issue documentation, testers can determine why each issue has occurred, assess the implications for users with impairments or disabilities, and decide how to fix the problem.

    "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," commented Norm Hodne, Windows Accessibility lead at Microsoft. "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."

    The new Web site, Microsoft Accessibility Labs, is integrated into the Microsoft Accessibility Developer Center in the Microsoft Developer Network. The site is designed to provide developer resources, from technical content to prototypes, and to foster dynamic communication among people who develop accessible technology, conduct accessibility research or rely on AT products.

    The two new tools, UI Accessibility Checker and UI Automation Verify, enable developers to test accessibility implementations and functionality in applications that use either Microsoft Active Accessibility or Microsoft User Interface Automation. Both tools were released through CodePlex, a Web site that Microsoft created to host open-source projects and to better serve the developer community.

    AccChecker, which enables testers without previous MSAA experience to easily discover and correct problems in MSAA user interface implementations, was designed to fill a gap. Existing tools provided in-depth details about MSAA implementations, but no information about whether an implementation was correct. Once all issues have been addressed, testers can use the APIs to create regression tests. If testers are not skilled enough to use the APIs, they can employ the command-line mode to create tests in a batch file. UIA Verify is a test automation framework that facilitates ad-hoc and automated testing for Microsoft UI Automation implementations. The framework provides the basis for tools such as the UI Automation Test Library and Visual UIA Verify, a graphical user interface for the test framework.

    Herbi Writer 2.0 is an interactive program for students learning handwriting. The student watches a sample letter being written and then uses a stylus (or other input device) to write the letter. A friendly dragon character provides immediate feedback on whether the student's strokes correctly mimiced the sample letter. The intention is for the students to feel like they are playing a game, seeking positive feedback as their handwriting improves.