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How to use accessibility settings on an android device

Android devices feature an Accessibility menu, which you can turn on via the Settings app. This menu is a large on-screen panel designed as a shortcut both to help you access the Accessibility settings of your device and perform various actions. Through this menu, you can: take screenshots, lock your screen, open Google Assistant, open Quick Settings and Notification, turn volume up or down and turn brightness up or down, as well as access your Accessibility Settings.

Turning on the Accessibility Menu on your Device
To use this option, you will first need to to turn the Accessibility Menu on. To do so, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app. Either type Accessibility into the search bar, or scroll down to tap Additional Settings.
- Then, first tap Accessibility, then Accessibility Menu. To find the Accessibility Menu, you may need to scroll down.

• Turn Accessibility Menu on, by tapping on the grey button on the right. The button should now be blue. Your device will ask you for permission to share you actions with this app. Accept by tapping OK.

- Now, you can access this menu by swiping up with two fingers –or with three fingers if TalkBack is on.

To access the Accessibility Menu more easily in the future, you can make the buttons towards your apps larger in this menu:
- To do this when you are in Accessibility, tap Display Size.
- Then, choose the larger icon setting by sliding the button towards the right end of the screen where the magnifying glass with a + is.

Accessibility Options
The Accessibility Menu is a shortcut towards the Accessibility Settings, which we have used previously to turn this Menu on in the first place.
In Accessibility Settings, you will find :

• TalkBack, which will provide audio description of the content on your screen. Once TalkBack is on, the able will also automatically enable you move from one app to the other by swiping left or right, to open an app by tapping twice on its icon, and to scroll by swiping with two fingers.
• A screen reader is also made available to you in the Accessibility Menu. This app will read an audio description of any element you may select.
• In this menu, you will also find every screen adjustement your device offers : Display size, zoom, colour correction, large cursor, colour inversion, disabled animations, and more.

- Switch Access is also in this menu. Persons who use contact devices to control their phones can enable Switch Access in order to do so.
- This menu also provides audio adjustments : you will find there an Mono Audio option, which will enable both of your earphones to play the same mix while listening to stereo recordings. You will also find a subtitle option in these settings.

Using these options in a work environment
When providing an Android device to an employee with a disability, it is important to consider the Accessibility Settings that may be useful to them.
For instance, you may work with a employee with a sight impairment. TalkBack, as well as the screen reader, could be a helpful tool for them: this may enable them to hear e-mails and messages, as well as navigate the device. If the employee’s sight impairment allows him to see, display size options and a large cursor could also be useful.
When an employee is given their work phone, the person handing them the device should consult them about a possible need to set up any accessibility setting. Indeed, some accessibility settings (such as TalkBack, Display Size, or Switch Access) should be ready-to-use when the employee receives their device, as using the phone with basic settings first to set up the accessibility settings themselves can be frustrating at best, and impossible at worst, for your employee.
On some Android phones (Samsung, LG, HTC) you can also change the font. This will allow you, if necessary, to install a more easily readable font for visually impaired people, as well as people with a learning/neurodevelopmental disability.
The methods differ for each brand, but are quite similar. It should be sufficient to access your settings, then search for 'font' in the search bar at the top, or look for the 'Font' section in the Display settings.
Here's how to do it on a Samsung, for example:

• Go to the settings.
• Go to the Display section.
• Click on Font.
• Select the style that suits you best.
• If the suggested fonts do not suit you, press Download fonts, and import fonts previously downloaded from the Internet.