Microsoft has announced a number of significant accessibility improvements to its upcoming Windows 8 operating system. This is further reassurance that the software giant has considered the needs of people with a disability in the development of its latest product.

A yet-to-be-released iPhone app called Deaftel will let people who are Deaf, hearing or speech impaired make phone calls to hearing people without a third person acting as a relay operator. By providing a service where a person’s voice is converted to and sent as text, the Deaftel app will improve the ability for Deaf and hearing impaired users to communicate on iOS devices.

The AbleGamers Foundation has named Star Wars: The Old Republic the 2011 Accessible Mainstream Game of the Year, rewarding its publishers for considering the needs of players with disabilities in the game’s design. The AbleGamers Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that works to increase access to digital entertainment for people with a disability.