Saturday, March 6, 2021

Making my mobile work for me – activating the right accessibility features

Today’s mobile phones are amongst the most accessible ICT devices. However, many users either do not know about the many helpful features they have already included in their device or they are not sure how to activate them. The MWF has started a series of short videos to help. 

Over 100 accessibility features in my phone – how do I know what helps me?

Most smartphones and even a good number of feature phones have an impressive number of accessibility features included. These range from features like the zoom function – being able to magnify the displayed content – to specialized applications such as the screen reader which need some knowledge on how to use them successfully. 

To give people an overview of the available features, the MWF provides a feature guide which explains what kind of features can help for different needs, ranging from mild hearing or vision loss to deaf-blindness, reduced mobility, dexterity or cognition. 

You can find a table giving you a brief but comprehensive overview here: http://www.mwfai.org/docs/eng/MWF_GARI_FeaturesAtaGlance.pdf 

Or a more detailed feature guide here: http://www.mwfai.org/docs/eng/MWF_GARI_FeatureGuide2.pdf 

How do you I activate the accessibility feature? 

Once people have selected the accessibility features that they would like to test or that are most likely to support their use of the device, they sometimes struggle to find the feature in their device, how to activate and fine-tune the feature to their needs. 

For this reason, the MWF has started a series of short videos, guiding users through the settings and accessibility menus for particular features, explaining how to switch them on and how to find the right option (for example the degree of magnification or amplification needed). 

Videos already published include: 


Videos for Android will be added shortly and we will be expanding the range throughout the year. 

If you would like to be notified about new publications, subscribe to the MWF’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvwTMEqvWD3BWx2tmxYGDUA 

If you are looking for an accessible device or would like to learn more about the accessibility features in your current device, we invite you to explore the GARI database: www.gari.info