Even though MSAA has not turned out to be as beneficial as has been touted, Microsoft has been making significant progress. Microsoft, even though it could be doing more and better in accessibility, is doing more than almost all other technology companies. Its Accessibility personnel act as punching bags for the disability community, absorbing the anger and disappointment while staunchly defending Microsoft's point of view both publicly and privately. Make no doubt about it, Microsoft's growth is due in large part to its single-minded dedication to commercial success. Microsoft's employees are imbued with a corporate culture dedicated to this success.
Accessibility is important because it is now a requirement to continued commercial success.
If accessibility weren't a governmental requirement, it would not get the attention it is now getting. This a reasonably cynical view, but I'm sure that the majority of accessibility advocates have come to this conclusion watching Microsoft's actions over the past ten years. This point is important, because it has wide-reaching implications for the future of accessibility involving Microsoft. As a commercial company, Microsoft is always acting in Microsoft's interest, and rarely acts in the interests of disabled people when it is not to Microsoft's advantage. IBM IBM's approach to accessibility and corporate responsibility has been very different than Microsoft's.