Accessibility Best Practices in Microsoft Teams

Use a high-quality microphone to ensure clear audio for all attendees. This is crucial for individuals with hearing impairments and those working in noisy environments. 

To reduce background noise, you may choose to disable or mute attendee's microphones. Disabling attendees' microphones prevents attendees from speaking or unmuting themselves; they may request to be unmuted.  This is best used when managing a large audience. Alternatively, presenters may choose to mute all attendees in the More Actions section. Muting attendees turns all microphones off. If an attendee needs to speak, they can manually unmute their mic when ready. 

Use a simple, virtual background to minimize distractions. A cluttered background filled with personal items can divert attendees' attention from your message. An uncluttered, clear background with high contrast not only helps maintain focus but also enhances visibility for individuals with visual impairments.

Encourage the use of video, but avoid making it mandatory. Attendees may choose to keep their cameras off for various reasons, such as maintaining privacy about a medical condition, managing anxiety, or reducing distractions that could shift focus away from the speaker. Making video optional fosters inclusivity and ensures a more comfortable environment for everyone.

Organizer, Co-Organizer, and Presenter

Organizers and Presenters retain the privilege of selecting who to spotlight during a Teams meeting. Organizers can assign co-organizers to help manage "spotlighting;" this is particularly useful if the organizer is the main presenter and needs to focus on their presentation rather than meeting logistics. Microsoft Teams allows up to ten co-organizers, providing flexibility in managing the meeting experience.

Spotlight Speakers

Spotlighting a speaker ensures that all attendees see the speaker's video. This is particularly helpful in meetings where there are too many participants to display on one screen. Organizers or Presenters can spotlight up to seven individuals simultaneously. Additionally, individual attendees have the option to pin specific videos to their own screen. Pinning these videos only affects the attendee's view; it does not impact what others see.

As a presenter, it’s important to control the pace of your speech. Nervousness or excitement often causes people to speak more quickly than they intended. By slowing your speech down, you ensure all attendees can follow your presentation. This is especially important for individuals who rely on closed captioning or lip reading, as they may need additional time to process and follow along. Speaking at a measured pace creates a more inclusive and equitable environment for everyone.

Use plain language when speaking or presenting. Avoid complex terms and technical jargon that may only be familiar to a subset of attendees. This ensures that your message is clear and accessible to everyone.

For presentations or meetings lasting longer than an hour, provide regular breaks for attendees. Breaks provide participants an opportunity to stretch, grab a snack, and rest their eyes. Taking time away from the screen helps improve attendees' overall engagement and comprehension.

Presenters should choose content thoughtfully. While digital media elements have the potential to boost attendee engagement and interest, they also have the potential to trigger unexpected responses in some attendees- such as epileptic seizures. Avoid content that flashes or flickers rapidly. 

Presenters should verbalize all content displayed on the screen. This practice supports diverse learners who benefit from auditory input, as well as individuals with visual or cognitive impairments. Additionally, it ensures accessibility for attendees who may have difficulty viewing the screen due to poor internet connections or those joining via phone.

All referenced or displayed materials should be shared with attendees prior to the meeting. Providing materials in advance allows attendees to review them ahead of time and ensures accessibility for those who might experience poor internet connections during the meeting or who need to join by phone. Always send these materials via email, as the chat feature may not be accessible to all users.

Teams supports keyboard navigation and screen reader integration for all major functions, enhancing accessibility for everyone. Share keyboard and screen reader shortcuts with all attendees alongside any referenced or displayed materials. By providing this information to everyone, you avoid singling out individuals with disabilities and acknowledge that disabilities, including invisible ones, may not always be apparent.

Manually Create Breakout Rooms

Breakout Rooms allow organizers to divide attendees into smaller Teams sessions, making them ideal for fostering small group collaboration and discussion. When using Breakout Rooms, consider manually assigning attendees rather than relying on automatic assignment. This ensures attendees who need to stay together, such as interpreters and their clients, remain connected. Manual assignment also helps reduce participant anxiety by creating intentional groupings.

Be Flexible

Not everyone may feel comfortable joining a small group, especially individuals with Social Anxiety Disorders. Be flexible and considerate if attendees prefer not to join a breakout session. Instead, allow them to use this time for personal reflection. You could offer guided questions or prompts to help them engage with the material independently, ensuring they still benefit from the session in a way that feels comfortable for them.

Enable Recording

When attendees move into Breakout Rooms, only the room where the organizer is present will be recorded. To ensure Breakout Room discussions are captured, enable the option for attendees to record their breakout sessions.

Chat messages exchanged during meetings are saved in your channel messages. When sending chats in a meeting, ensure that you are crafting accessible messages.

Add Message Subjects

Always include a descriptive subject line for your messages. This helps screen reader users quickly identify the content and understand its relevance.

Create Accessible Headings

Use structured heading levels (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2) to organize your document clearly. Descriptive headings help users navigate content efficiently, especially those relying on assistive technologies.

Use Pre-Set List Functions

Utilize Microsoft Teams’ built-in list styles to create numbered or bulleted lists, rather than manually formatting with numbers or symbols. Avoid excessive bullet levels, as each level is read aloud by screen readers (e.g., “list level 1, list level 2”) and may overwhelm users.

Avoid Using Tables

It's best to avoid using tables in chat messages. Instead, restructure the data in a more accessible format to ensure users can read and navigate the information easily.

Add Alternative Text

Provide concise and meaningful alternative text for images. This ensures users who rely on screen readers can understand the content of visual elements, even if they can’t see them.

Consider Font Size, Style, and Color

When styling text, ensure that your text formatting doesn't exclude or slow down anyone reading your text. Some general best practices in Teams include: 

• Use the Large font size in Teams to improve readability.
• Use Automatic settings for font color
• Avoid relying solely on color for emphasis; use bold, italics, or hyperlinks instead.
• Avoid using all capital letters. 

Utilize Descriptive Hyperlinks

Write link text that clearly describes the link's purpose (e.g., "Download the accessibility checklist" rather than "Click here"). This ensures all users can easily understand the destination of the link.

Limit Use of Team's Polling Feature

The Team's polling tool has accessibility limitations that make it a challenge to both presenters and attendees with certain disabilities. 

Reactions in Teams allow attendees to provide feedback and engage non-verbally. While they are an effective tool for communication, they require time. Attendees may experience delays in seeing others' reactions, especially if there is lag. Additionally, it might take time for some users to send reactions—particularly those using screen readers or other assistive technologies.