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Surface Adaptive Kit
Overview
Small hardware labels and ports are hard to navigate for low-vision users and can be error-prone for anyone relying on touch. The kit includes keycap labels with raised features and port labels where “each pair is a different color and has a different tactile design” so cables and ports can be matched by touch (guide). Microsoft describes it as a way to “make small adjustments to improve finding, opening, and using” devices (store page). Lesson: low-cost physical affordances can unlock independence across existing device fleets.
Why it matters
If physical discoverability fails, software accessibility wins don’t matter because users can’t reliably connect devices, find keys, or orient themselves. Tactile cues reduce cognitive load and error rates in everyday use, especially in time-sensitive contexts (work, school, travel). Product teams can replicate this approach: pair visual + tactile signals, provide clear mapping documentation, and design accessories that retrofit rather than forcing a full replacement cycle that many users can’t afford.
Learn more
- Surface Adaptive Kit guide - Microsoft Support - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/surface-adaptive-kit-guide-cfd6dd86-ea74-4eed-b5b7-3c6baecbc828
- https://news.microsoft.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/617/2021/09/Surface-Adaptive-Kit-Fact-Sheet.pdf
- https://www.perkins.org/resource/tactile-tech-labels-microsofts-surface-adaptive-kit/
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/surface-adaptive-kit/8rdmhd3kfc3r
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