Here is a table of the potential accessibility opportunities for VoIP, with applications in the rows and disability categories in the columns.
Deaf |
Hard of Hearing |
Blind |
Low Vision |
Speech Impaired |
Dexterity Impaired |
Cognitively Impaired |
|
| Integrated, simultaneous voice, text, and video communication, wired and wireless | Sign language communication Voice carryover is easier to set up and use Video relay is easier to set up and use Captioned videoconferencing |
Speech-reading Captioned videoconferencing |
Hearing carryover is easier to set up and use Improved speech-to-speech using video |
Wireless improves ease of use | Multiple media makes communication more compelling and intelligible | ||
| Integration with IP-based TRS (relay) |
|
||||||
| Wideband audio (better audio quality) | Improved intelligibility | Improved intelligibility | |||||
| Full-featured two-way simultaneous text communication (full screen, fonts, emoticons, etc.) | Easier to use, more expressive than TTY | Easier to use, more expressive than TTY; easy to prepare utterances in advance, insert into message | |||||
| User profile automatically establishes individual preferences and network services (transcoding, relay, text macros, speech synthesis, etc.) | Easier to set up
|
Easier to set up | Easier to set up | Easier to set up | Easier to set up | Easier to set up; reduces physical effort | Easier to set up; reduces mental effort Buddy list simplifies use |
| User profile and account information can be used on multiple devices (home, work, and wireless phone) and public terminals with "follow me" service | Easier to set up; skip steps on visual terminals | Easier to set up; skip steps on visual terminals | Easier to set up; reduces physical effort | Easier to set up; reduces mental effort | |||
| Multimedia emergency service | Improved access via text | Improved access via wideband audio | Improved access via wideband audio | Improved access by using video to explain emergency |