ACL Offers Accessible COVID Home Tests

Graphic description: On a blue background, two yellow hands hold a yellow heart with a medical cross in the middle. The text is From ACL: Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests, including more accessible options. Learn more at the Administration for Community Living (ACL) by clicking on the graphic.

ACL Offers Free Accessible COVID Test Kits for At-Home Use

The Health and Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the United States Postal Service continue their partnership to provide U.S. residents free At-Home COVID Test Kits. Each order will include four tests. There's also a more accessible test option for people with visual disabilities and those with low manual dexterity.

Based on input from people with visual disabilities and the National Federation for the Blind, the Orasure InteliSwab test is considered to be the most accessible of the available home test options because:

• The test has only three components – a swab, a tube the swab is inserted into, and a base that holds the tube. 
• No liquid must be added to a test cartridge, which means no drops to count and no dropper to squeeze.
• Components are easily distinguishable from each other by feel. 
• The components are much larger than most (important for users with low dexterity)

In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services worked with OraSure to make the test instructions fully accessible to blind users by:

• Creating digital PDF instructions with alt text for screen readers.
• Creating descriptive audio for the instructional video.
• Ensuring the website is navigable with assistive technologies such as screen readers.

How to Order Your Test

Online: 

• More accessible tests can be ordered through a special web page within COVIDtests.gov. 
• Standard tests can be ordered by using the regular form on at COVIDtests.gov. 

By Phone: 

Call 1-800-232-0233 to reach the CDC Information line

Need More Help?
Trained staff at the Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) can help. DIAL operators are available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Eastern)

• Call 888-677-1199, visit the DIAL website for chat and ASL services
• Email DIAL@usaginganddisability.org.
  
  

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has more information about the InteliSwab on its website, ACL.gov/AccessibleTests.