The Lumia 530 is a budget low-end smartphone Microsoft sells under the Nokia brand. Although it is quite simple and easy to use, it offers limited accessibility features. In fact, Amovil can only recommend it to deaf people or to persons with moderate manual dexterity skills.

The device measures 119.7 x 62.3 x 11.7 mm and weighs 129 grams. Its display is a 4-inch TFT panel with 480x854 pixels resolution. Unlike the majority of smartphones available in the market, it comes with only one camera, a 5MP located at the back for pictures and video. It does not provide a front-side camera for videocalls.

The Nokia Lumia 530 is operated by Windows Phone 8.1. This new version of the operating system includes several new features, and some of the most interesting are the following:

• Word Flow: this feature allows users to write faster on the virtual keyboard by gliding their finger through the letters on the virtual keyboard to form words. The system, which is also available in some Android devices, is quite accurate and easy to use.
• Notifications and quick actions: this feature provides users with an easy and quick access to notifications, messages and updates by swiping one finger down from the top of the screen.
• Cortana: Cortana is Windows’ new personal assistant that has been designed to enable users to make searches and control their smartphone with their voice. The app, currently on alpha phase, will be officially launched by the month of March, 2015. Amóvil will post a detailed article on this new feature in the upcoming weeks.

Accessibility review

Vision

The Nokia Lumia 530 comes out of the box with Narrator, Windows Phone’s screen reader. Although it works quite well in its English version, we still cannot recommend it to blind users because it won’t work in other languages, such as Spanish.

People with low vision may be able to use this device albeit with some limitations. The feature to enlarge the text size, which is essential for these users, is very limited. Changes in text size only show up in email, contacts, phone app, messages and lock screen. These users will have a better experience if the changes made in the size of the text appear in every interface.

However, there are several features included in the Lumia 530 that may contribute to improve the experience of persons with low vision, such as the screen magnifier that comes built in and the high contrast theme that reverses background and foreground colors.

Hearing

Microsoft provides no information about the hearing aid compatibility rating of the Nokia Lumia 530. For this reason, we are unable to recommend this device to hearing aid or cochlear implant users. However, those wearing Bluetooth enabled hearing aid prosthetics may be able to connect to the device through this technology.

The Lumia 530 supports instant messaging and chat apps that are compatible with Windows Phone 8.1. However, Deaf users who prefer communicating in sign language will not be able to send or receive videocalls. As previously mentioned, this device lacks a front-side video camera.

Dexterity skills

This smartphone includes features that render it adequate for persons with poor dexterity skills. Although it comes with a 4-inch long display, the touch areas of icons are large enough to allow a precise touch. Additionally, physical buttons such as the volume button are both easy to press and to reach during a phone call.

However, people with very little or no manual dexterity will have serious difficulties using this device. Microsoft does not provide an option to reproduce the function of side buttons from the display using assistive devices such as mouth sticks or head wands. These users cannot turn on the device, for instance.

Microsoft’s new personal assistant, Cortana may provide a solution to most accessibility barriers these users may encounter. But as previously mentioned, because this app won’t be available until the month of May, we are unable to recommend this device to these users at the moment.

Comprehension skills

While the functions of icons and buttons are easy to identify and comply with accessibility standards, the menu lists include too many options which may cause confusion in some users with limited comprehension skills. For this reason, Amóvil cannot recommend the Nokia Lumia to these users.

For more information on accessibility features available in this device, please consult our full accessibility report.