National Federation of the Blind | 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, MD 21230 | 410 659 9314 | www.nfb.org

Ellume COVID-19 Home Test

Evaluated for accessibility on February 4, 2022. 

Summary of Findings: The Ellume COVID test uses an app to read results via a Bluetooth-enabled reader. 

The process is similar to other COVID tests that require the user to drip fluid into the reader but is nonvisually accessible by a blind user. Unfortunately, the app has some issues, including oddly labeled buttons 

on both Android and iOS platforms and duplicated text fields and focus issues on iOS. That said, the 

instructions read well on both apps, and despite the issues listed, all functions can still be used 

independently by a blind person. 

The App

After launching the app, the user is presented with an intro screen, which has the start test button, and an 

unlabeled button to bring up the menu. When the start test button is pressed, the app walks the user 

through the process of granting permissions for Bluetooth and then asks for basic information. The back 

button is unlabeled through this process, but that is the only issue on Android. The iOS app will jump focus 

randomly back up the screen after clicking past the continue button, and each test field has a phantom 

unlabeled field after it. If the user ignores the unlabeled fields and just enters the information in the 

labeled ones, the iOS process is also fairly straightforward.

The Test Kit

The Ellume kit comes with four items: a swab, a fluid capsule, a dropper, and the test reader. Each of these 

components is easily identifiable by touch. The only potential concern is that the peel tab on the swab’s 

container is positioned over the swab rather than the handle, so it’s possible for the user to accidentally 

touch the swab.

Taking the Test 

Prior to taking the test, the app requires the user to watch an info video, which describes the test. After 

this, the app prompts the user to pair the reader. The button is large and slightly recessed on one end of 

the reader. The app requests the user to press the button once to turn on the reader, then press and hold 

it for a few seconds to initiate pairing. Next, assuming the user has previously granted Bluetooth 

permissions, the app will find and connect to the reader within a couple seconds. The next step is to 

remove the triangular cap from the fluid capsule and empty it into the dropper canister. The swab has a 

rubber child adapter which can be removed by pulling it to the side when an adult is using the test. After 

collecting the sample, the swab is screwed into the dropper container. There is a plastic cap covering the 
other end of the swab, which exposes a dropper tip when opened. The last step is to drop five drops into 

the rectangular hole at the opposite end of the reader from the button. The hole is large enough that the 

dropper tip can be inserted inside it. For a blind user it might be recommended to squeeze the tube six or 

seven times to ensure there is enough liquid in the reader. After this, simply leave the phone and reader in 

close proximity, and an accessible timer will count down the fifteen-minute waiting period, then accessibly 

display the results.

Accessibility Issues with the App

The apps both have some accessibility issues, with the iOS issues being more significant than the Android 

ones. Some of the issues were mentioned earlier, but here is the full list.

• The menu button is unlabeled on the main screen.

• iOS: There is a duplicate unlabeled button which starts the test.

• iOS: Flicking past the end of the permissions screen causes focus to jump back to the previous item 

on the screen resulting in a loop.

• iOS: The patient information text fields have an unlabeled text field next to them which does 

nothing.

• The back button is unlabeled on Android, and unclear on iOS.

• The button to replay the info video has extra text.

• The next button during the test is labeled "connected." 

Fortunately, none of these issues should prevent a user who has some experience with a smartphone, or is 

made aware of them ahead of time, from successfully completing the test independently and non-visually.

National Federation of the Blind | 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, MD 21230 | 410 659 9314 | www.nfb.org