Microsoft’s immediate strategy around accessibility from a SharePoint platform perspective revolves around a joint venture with HiSoftware, a specialist accessibility partner.

On Monday, March 9, 2009, HiSoftware announced the release of the Accessibility Kit for SharePoint (AKS) v2.0.  The AKS v2.0 incorporates feedback from customers and partners and follows on from the AKS v1.0 and v1.1 which have been downloaded by over 4000 organizations in 50 countries.  The AKS v2.0 provides an accessibility framework for SharePoint and is designed to significantly reduce the level of effort and knowledge needed to improve the accessibility of SharePoint based sites and applications.

“The AKS will deliver a kit that can significantly reduce the time, knowledge, and effort required to implement a SharePoint-based Web site that conforms to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 Priority 1 and 2 checkpoints, which are collectively known as WCAG 1.0 AA. The AKS can also be used to address the exceptions that have been identified in the U.S. government’s Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act’s Voluntary Product Accessibility Template or VPAT documents for MOSS 2007.”, HiSoftware website.

In addition to the release of the AKS v2.0, HiSoftware have also released the Accessible Rich Text Editor for SharePoint.

“HiSoftware aRTE™ is a lightweight text editor for SharePoint MOSS / WSS designed to help the user make more accessible Web content. It incorporates many of the common features from desktop editors like Microsoft Word and Telerik.  With aRTE™ a user can write text, format text, create tables and much more. The editor is installed on a SharePoint server and requires no changes to the browser or user agent. aRTE™ is extremely configurable and its functions are customized by the developer or system administrator. Through a licensing and support agreement with Microsoft, HiSoftware aRTE™ will be available for download at no charge for use in a SharePoint environment of MOSS and WSS.”, HiSoftware website.