Accessibility Litmus Test

The accessibility litmus test for individuals with a vision impairment:

1. Can you tell immediately who is calling?
2. Can you toggle back and forth between calls?
3. Can you set up an impromptu conference call?
4. Can you put a call on hold and answer another call, and then switch back to the other call?
5. If you were briefly interrupted while dialing a telephone number, would you be able to return to the process and complete it without starting over?
6. With one or more calls on hold, can you determine instantly who is on hold and on what line?
7. Can you readily review your recent call history?
8. Upon arrival in your office, without touching any equipment, can you determine if you have a message waiting?
9. Are you able to set your own user settings – for speed dials, call forwarding, etc.
10. Are you informed at all times as to the status of your telephone, i.e., if your phone is active or inactive, etc.

The accessibility litmus test for individuals with a mobility disability:

1. Are you able to perform a call cycle - call someone, after they answer you hold, unhold, and then end the call?
2. Do you frequently miss calls because you can’t answer them fast enough?
3. Does your telephone frequently “time out” while you are trying to dial a call, requiring you to start over?
4. Can you perform every function offered by your telephone using only four total buttons and only one finger or a standard computer mouse?
5. Have you ever managed multiple calls and used advanced call management features such as conference calling without ever lifting your fingers or stylus from your keyboard?

The accessibility litmus test for individuals with a cognitive (memory or learning) disability:

1. Are you able to quickly access the powerful functionality offered by your telephone without consulting hard-to-read manuals and technical documents?
2. Does your phone offer a multi-sensory user experience that minimizes audio distractions and makes managing your calls intuitive and fun?
3. Can you manage calls and activate advanced call features such as the call log and conference calling using a powerful, one-step process?
4. Are you able to store commonly dialed numbers for easy, convenient speed dialing?
5. Does your phone access your Microsoft® Outlook Address Book to make calling your Contacts a simple, straightforward process?
6. Do you have a hard time managing multiple calls due to your phones complicated menu systems?
7. Can you call up comprehensive help resources that use speech to aid you in using your phone whenever you become confused or cannot recall how to use some powerful feature?