accessibility screen reader zoom web conferencing

Choose an accessible conferencing platform And, with a few considerations, we can make virtual meetings and presentations more inclusive for people with disabilities. That’s great news, as it means we’re emerging in an era of inclusivity that we’ve never experienced before. Conferencing tools are widely used by blind and deaf people, by people who use assistive devices like eye gaze and switch controllers, and pretty much any other variation of assistive technology one can think of.

However, if you’re presenting to people with disabilities or have people with disabilities doing the presenting, you’ll want to think about accessibility as well. For most people, virtual conferencing tools are pretty intuitive and there’s really not a ton to explain. We’ve been using technology like Zoom, GoToMeeting, and WebEx for a while now, but these tools have quickly become the new standards for conducting business and–more recently– social events. Before we dive into accessible presentations, let’s take stock of some facts: twenty-five years ago, there was no video conferencing, no sharing PowerPoints in real-time with interactivity, no groceries online, and no such thing as “working from home” for an extended period of time. Let’s start by acknowledging that we are living at a time that’s kind of incredible.

Technology’s come a long way, but there are ways to make it better It’s our goal that these suggestions will help you think about accessibility the next time you’re participating in a conference call. We’ll call out which conferencing tools we believe to be the most accessible, describe common features and how accessible they are, and provide some tips for engaging your audience in an accessible, inclusive way.

In this post, we’re going to lay out the foundations for hosting and participating in an accessible conference call. However, instead of talking about the features and value of the platforms out there, my colleague Jeanine and I are going to share some personal observations and tips on how to create more accessible, inclusive virtual meetings. With more and more companies offering remote working options, more workers rely on conferencing tools in their day-to-day. How to make your next virtual meeting more accessibleįor many of us, virtual conferencing tools are a staple in the workplace.

Accessibility screen reader zoom web conferencing