Know the tools, make a difference. Join me at Teamsdagen for a deep dive in accessibility in Teams.

Accessibility isn’t just a feature, it’s a mindset. It’s about ensuring that everyone can participate, contribute, and thrive no matter their abilities. In our digital workplaces this means creating spaces where tools and technology support everyone equally.

That’s why I’m especially excited to speak at Teamsdagen in Sweden on September 17th, together with my colleague Saga. We will be talking about how to build an inclusive workplace using Microsoft Teams and the broader Microsoft 365 platform. We will showcase powerful accessibility features found in both the standard and premium versions of Teams, and of course, how Microsoft 365 Copilot adds new levels of support and inclusion.
Please note that the majority of the event will be held in Swedish even though there are international speakers.

Accessibility: Good for some, essential for many!

It’s a common misconception that accessibility features are only for people with permanent disabilities. The truth is, these tools help all of us, whether temporarily, occasionally, or every day.

Imagine these scenarios:

• You are in a noisy café and can’t hear your meeting clearly – live captions help you follow along.
• You’re joining a meeting in a language you’re not fluent in – real-time translation or even interpretation helps you understand and contribute.
• You’re easily distracted and have trouble focusing on large blocks of text – Immersive Reader breaks it down and reads it aloud.

Accessibility tools aren’t just “nice to have”, they are essential for inclusion, productivity, and even for reducing stress.

Copilot – Your accessibility ally in Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 Copilot isn’t just a productivity tool, it’s a powerful ally for accessibility. By using AI to support how we consume, process, and act on information, Copilot helps everyone in the workplace. Whether you’re in a fast-paced meeting, juggling multiple tasks, that according to everyone are equaly importan, or try to solve a problem, Copilot can help reduce friction and make it easier to stay on top of what matters.

In Microsoft Teams, Copilot can help with many things. Here are a few examples:

• Summarizes conversations on the fly – If you join a meeting late or lose focus for a few minutes, Copilot can instantly bring you up to speed with a summary of what’s already been discussed. No need to ask others to repeat themselves or feel left behind.
• Highlights key decisions, action items, and follow-ups – Copilot actively tracks the flow of the meeting and pulls out the most important takeaways. This helps everyone, especially those with memory difficulties or attention disorders, to feel confident they haven’t missed something vital.
• Answers contextual questions – Need to catch up or clarify something? Just ask Copilot, for example: “What did Anna say about the budget?” or “Was there a deadline mentioned for the go-live?” This allows users to interact with information naturally, without having to scroll through transcripts or recordings.
• Creates clear, structured meeting notes – Instead of relying on someone to take notes, or having to rewatch a recording, Copilot delivers well-organized meeting summaries that are easy to read, share, and act on. This supports neurodiverse users, second-language speakers, and frankly anyone who has ever been overwhelmed after back-to-back meetings from 8 through 5.

These features don’t just make meetings more efficient, they make them more inclusive. By reducing cognitive load, increasing clarity, and giving people control over how they engage with content, Copilot empowers more people to participate fully in the flow of work. And that’s the heart of accessibility. Making sure technology supports everyone, not just the few.

Everyone can make a difference

Accessibility isn’t just the responsibility of IT or HR—it’s something we all can support every day. Even if you don’t personally rely on accessibility features, someone you work with probably does. They might not always ask for help, but your awareness and actions can make a real difference.

You don’t need to be an expert to be an ally.

Just knowing what’s available puts you in a better position to help others. For example:

• Turn on live captions in meetings without being asked. This helps not only colleagues with hearing loss, but also people in noisy environments or those working in a second language.
• Suggest translation if you notice someone is struggling with a different language, real-time subtitle translation in Teams can help bridge communication gaps.
• Show someone Immersive Reader, it can support users with dyslexia, ADHD, or anyone who prefers content in a more focused layout.
• Introduce a teammate to Copilot and explain how it can help them stay organized, remember action points, or catch up on missed content.

These actions might seem small, but for someone struggling to follow a technical conversation or process complex information, they can be huge.

When you take a moment to enable a feature, offer a tip, or just lead by example, you help create a more inclusive and understanding team culture. Others see it, learn from it, and start doing the same.

Inclusion is contagious, but it starts with awareness and a willingness to act.

Join me at Teamsdagen

If you’re curious about how Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot can help build a more inclusive workplace, don’t miss mine and Sagas session at Teamsdagen on September 17th.

Whether you’re in IT, HR, leadership, or just someone who cares about accessibility, there’s something in it for you.

Accessibility is not about helping others. It’s about making sure everyone, including ourselves, can do their best work with the tools we have. Today it might be someone else who needs support, tomorrow, it might be you.

Let’s build a workplace where everyone feels empowered to participate.

Together, we make the difference.