About Us

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Morphic draws on half a century of research and development at major research institutions that focuses on how to make computers and technology easier and more accessible for everyone and – perhaps most importantly – promotes digital inclusion.

1 billion people with disabilities worldwide

%

1 in 5 people with disabilities

 

 

%

people with disabilities employed

    vs

%

w/out disability

%

students with a disability

 

 

%

of seniors aged 65 and older say they need help using new devices

Morphic grew out of research that changes lives. Morphic grew out of work by an internation consortium of organizations (industry, universities and NGOs) led by Raising the Floor, the Trace Center (U of Wisconsin and U of Maryland), and the Inclusive Design Research Center at OCAD University – all of which are focused on universal design of information and communication technologies. Access features developed by these leaders over the past 40 years can be found globally on most computers and mobile devices (Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android).

As computer interfaces and design have become more complex, and more embedded in all aspects of everyday life, researchers and educators realized that there was a need to make computers simpler to use so that they were within the reach of everyone. Morphic, an open-source software tool, was created to help address that need.

Morphic builds on the work of these leaders and their robust partnerships with organizations, institutions, corporations, and government agencies across the nation and the world working on solutions that help address digital equity issues.  

Now transferred to non-profit Raising the Floor, Morphic continues this tradition of excellence and innovation. Raising the Floor- US is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2012. With its national and international partners, Raising the Floor is deeply committed to the advancement of social equity through digital inclusion. Raising the Floor now oversees the development and operation of Morphic – from software development to community building, growth, and sustainability.

Who’s Using Morphic?

A partial list of places now using Morphic includes

  • Easter Seals Greater Houston – BridgingApps
  • Olympic College – Washington
  • ServiceSource – with programs in 32 States
  • University at Albany
  • University of Illinois
  • University of Maryland
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Wisconsin
  • Virginia Career Works – Prince William Center and Cherokee Avenue Center
  • And more…

Our Funders

The current version of Morphic is the result of the following grants to the Trace Center, University of Maryland:

  • Grant # H421A150006 from the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S. Dept. of Education
  • Grant # 90RE5027 from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research, Administration for Community Living, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services

Morphic also draws from many earlier research projects at the Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) at Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) University in Toronto, at the Trace Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a multitude of European partners that were funded by:

  • The U.S. Dept of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, grants H133E080022 & H133E130028
  • The European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013), grant 289016 (Cloud4all) and grant 610510 (Prosperity4All).
  • The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
  • The Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation
  • The Canadian Foundation for Innovation
  • The Adobe Foundation
  • The Consumer Electronics Association Foundation

Note: Funding agencies do not endorse any results or products of their funding and no endorsement of Morphic or the research leading up to it by the funding agencies should be assumed.