An AI-powered tool that helps you find accessibility gaps in Windows 11 features. You describe a feature, and it identifies 28+ ways that feature might exclude people with disabilities.
This is a custom agent for GitHub Copilot CLI — a terminal-based AI assistant made by GitHub. When you run this agent, it becomes a specialist in inclusive design, helping you think through how a Windows 11 feature might unintentionally exclude people who use assistive technologies, have limited motor control, are blind or deaf, or experience cognitive differences.
You have a conversation with the agent. It works in 3 steps:
- You describe a feature — for example, "the Windows 11 Snap Layouts feature"
- It asks clarifying questions — up to 3 questions to understand the feature better
- It produces a structured report — at least 28 specific exclusions, each explaining who is excluded, what they're trying to do, and why the feature fails them
Each exclusion looks like this:
Pattern: Hover-triggered layout grid
User action: Trying to choose a window layout
Exclusion type: Operable
Explanation: Someone using eye-gaze input cannot reliably hover over a small target long enough to trigger the layout options, because the hover zone is too small and the dwell time too short.
Before you can use this agent, you need three things:
You need a GitHub Copilot subscription. If your organization provides Copilot, ask your admin to confirm that CLI access is turned on for your account.
This is a program you install once. Here's how:
On Windows — Open PowerShell or Terminal and run:
winget install GitHub.Copilot
On macOS or Linux — Open Terminal and run:
brew install copilot-cli
If neither works — You can also install it with npm (requires Node.js):
npm install -g @github/copilot
💡 Not sure if it worked? After installing, type
copilot --versionin your terminal. If you see a version number, you're good.
You need Git to download this agent. Most computers have it already. To check, type git --version in your terminal. If you see a version number, you have it. If not:
- Windows: Download from git-scm.com or run
winget install Git.Git - macOS: It's included with Xcode Command Line Tools. Run
xcode-select --install - Linux: Run
sudo apt install git(Ubuntu/Debian) orsudo dnf install git(Fedora)
You only need to do these steps once.
Open a terminal and run these two commands:
git clone https://github.com/InclusiveTechLab/recognize-exclusion-windows-agent.git
cd recognize-exclusion-windows-agent
The first command downloads the agent files. The second command moves you into the agent's folder.
💡 Where does it go? It creates a folder called
recognize-exclusion-windows-agentwherever your terminal is currently pointing (usually your home directory or Documents).
Launch the CLI and log in:
copilot
If this is your first time, it will ask you to run /login. Type that command and follow the on-screen instructions — it will open a browser window where you authenticate with your GitHub account.
Navigate to where you downloaded the agent:
cd recognize-exclusion-windows-agent
💡 Why do I need to be in this folder? The agent's instructions and knowledge base are stored here. Copilot CLI reads them automatically when you're in this folder.
copilot
Type this command inside the CLI:
/agent
Use your arrow keys to highlight recognize-exclusion and press Enter.
💡 Shortcut: You can skip steps 2-3 by running
copilot --agent=recognize-exclusiondirectly from your terminal.
Type this command inside the CLI:
/model
Use your arrow keys to select claude-opus-4.6 and press Enter. This model produces the best results for this agent. If it's not available, any Claude model will work.
Type a message describing the Windows 11 feature you want to analyze:
I want to analyze the Windows 11 Start Menu
The agent will guide you through the rest — asking questions, then producing the exclusion report.
- Say "start over" at any time to analyze a different feature
- You must be in the agent's folder for it to work — if you get generic Copilot responses instead of inclusive design analysis, you're probably in the wrong directory
- Use
/helpinside the CLI to see all available commands - Copy the output — the exclusion report is designed to be pasted into documents, tickets, or design reviews
You don't need to understand this to use the agent, but if you're curious:
recognize-exclusion-windows-agent/
├── CLAUDE.md ← The agent's core instructions
├── README.md ← This file
├── .github/
│ ├── copilot-instructions.md ← Tells the CLI which model to use
│ └── agents/
│ └── recognize-exclusion.agent.md ← Agent profile (makes it show up in /agent)
└── reference/
├── windows-exclusions.md ← 144 exclusion patterns by Windows feature
└── icf-exclusions-windows.md ← 153 exclusion patterns by disability category
The reference/ files are the agent's knowledge base — curated exclusion patterns from the Inclusive Tech Lab that it draws on when generating your report.
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
copilot command not found |
Reinstall Copilot CLI (see installation steps above) |
| Agent gives generic responses, not exclusion analysis | Make sure you're in the recognize-exclusion-windows-agent folder |
/agent doesn't show "recognize-exclusion" |
Make sure you're in the agent folder, not a parent directory |
| "Not logged in" error | Run /login inside the CLI and follow the prompts |
| Model not available | Use /model and pick any available Claude model |
This agent is part of the Inclusive Tech Lab's inclusive design toolkit. It puts the "Recognize Exclusion" principle from Microsoft Inclusive Design into practice for Windows product teams.
Want to improve the exclusion patterns? Edit the files in reference/, keep the existing heading structure, and submit a pull request.