(2) Universal Design in Technologies: Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word:

• Equitable Use: Microsoft Word has little to no segregation. The means are the same for all students. The spell and grammar check function is a good tool to help keep any person writing correctly. Zoom functions help to make it appealing for all users, regardless of vision impairments.
• Flexibility In Use: Microsoft Word is flexible for use, accommodating and accessible for many different people
• Simple & Intuitive Use: For basic use, Microsoft Word is simple and easy to use. However, there are many “deeper” tools that need to have some instruction for understanding and use. Once again, the feedback of the spell check is effective.
• Perceptible Information: The toolbars have words and images for some tools and this is useful, however the rest of the tools are labeled simply by images. If you scroll over the tool and let your cursor hover, it brings up what each one is, but you have to know to do that. It also takes a second to bring up that text.
• Tolerance For Error:  The spell check helps to minimize errors. It does not auto-save your documents while you work on it. If the program has an error and crashes, it will attempt to do an auto-recovery of the document, but this is not always effective.
• Low Physical Effort:  The user is not really strained with this program. The main issue could be the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome due to the posture of wrists/hands and the repetitive action of typing up a document for an extended period of time.
• Size/Space For Approach:  Due to it being on a computer, this program is only as approachable and accommodating as the desk/computer is