Microsoft is preparing to release an update to its bulk of office software that fixes a minor but frustrating problem.
As explained in the latest integration to Microsoft product roadmap XNUMX, the Office app's read-aloud feature will soon let Android users hear their documents when their device's screen is locked. .
The update is currently in development, but should be available for all Android users at the end of April. TechRadar Pro has asked for clarification on whether the iOS app will receive a related fix.
Microsoft Office accessibility
The text-to-speech read aloud service for Microsoft Office is useful on multiple levels. More essential still, it acts as an accessibility feature for people with visual impairments or conditions like dyslexia. More separately, it can be used well in multitasking scenarios, when someone is on the go or otherwise busy.
The inability to employ the read aloud feature when the device's screen is locked is a superfluous source of frustration that Microsoft is looking to address with the next update. The solution will let users put their device in their pocket without having to worry about occasional interactions with the screen, and it should also have a positive effect on battery life.
Text-to-speech is the latest in a series of accessibility-focused updates to the Microsoft Office suite, all of which share a common goal: level the playing field for each and every user.
Last week, for example, Microsoft published a separate roadmap entry specifying an update to Outlook that will help users ensure their emails meet accessibility standards.
"We are expanding the functionality to automatically notify you when an accessibility violation is detected when writing an email intended for a general audience or external users, for example, and help you solve the problem," the company explained.
And in the first month of the year, Microsoft announced a new add-in for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint that lets users alert colleagues to any support needs they may have. The idea was to create a non-hassle way for someone to remind their colleagues of their accessibility needs, without sending a specific email or instant message.