Microsoft officially announced Windows 11 towards the end of June after weeks of teasing and a leaked early build. Before the update is released, Microsoft has detailed exactly what accessibility features are coming in the Windows 11 update.

Microsoft Details Accessibility Features in Windows 11

A new blog post on Microsoft's own Windows Experience Blog explains exactly what accessibility changes and features Microsoft is introducing in the Windows 11 update. The new accessibility features include a redesign Accessibility menu which makes it easier to access the features.

Related: A Brief Guide to Windows 10 Accessibility Tools

Windows 10 already includes some standard accessibility features such as Magnifier, Narrator, and Windows Speech Recognition. To give users more functionality, it also supports third-party accessibility software. All of these features have been carried forward into Windows 11, in addition to the new changes.

In the blog post, Microsoft also highlighted that Windows is used by over a billion people worldwide. The company believes it is essential that Windows 11 is accessible to more people than ever, and went through extensive inclusive design reviews to ensure so.

What Are the New Accessibility Features?

Arguably the biggest accessibility change in Windows 11 is rebranding the "Ease of Access" settings to "Accessibility". The new accessibility settings menu comes with a new icon and a redesign, making it easier than ever to find and enable accessibility features.

A screenshot of the new accessibility settings menu in Windows 11.
Image Credit: Microsoft

In Windows 11, Microsoft has included some new operating system sounds to aid blind people. One example of this is the different sounds on light mode and dark mode. Speaking of themes, Windows 11 introduces new dark, light, and customizable themes to make it easier for people who are sensitive to light to view the operating system.

Closed Captions have also been redesigned, and are now customizable to enhance the helpfulness of the feature. Also, those with mobility impairments can use the new AI-powered Windows Voice Typing, which can recognize and transcribe speech (including punctuation).

Related: The Best (Free) Speech-to-Text Software for Windows

Windows 11 has one other major accessibility upgrade, and that's making the accessibility features work more seamlessly across Windows. With the update, accessibility features “just work” natively in Windows, be it system apps, Office apps, or third-party software. This means you won't need any plug-in software or particular tweaks to the OS.

Microsoft Makes a Stronger Commitment to Accessibility

With a slew of new accessibility features in Windows 11, Microsoft is making a stronger commitment to accessibility. The combination of both new features and improvements to existing features, show the consideration put into Windows 11.

Hopefully the new accessibility features in Windows 11 prove to be more useful to those who need them, making Windows a more accessible OS for everyone.