Online Meetings

Use a high-quality microphone to ensure clear audio for all participants. 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.

• Mute participants in Zoom
• Mute participants in Microsoft Teams

Use a simple, virtual background to minimize distractions. A cluttered background filled with personal items can divert participants' 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. Participants 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.

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.

• Spotlight a video in Zoom
• Spotlight a video in Microsoft Teams

Roles in a Meeting

The Host or Co-Host (Zoom) [Organizer or Presenter in Teams] has the privilege of selecting who to spotlight in a meeting. 

• Roles in Zoom
• Roles in Microsoft Teams

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 participants 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 participants. This ensures that your message is clear and accessible to everyone.

For presentations or meetings lasting longer than an hour, provide regular breaks for participants. Breaks provide participants an opportunity to stretch, grab a snack, and rest their eyes. Taking time away from the screen helps improve participants' 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 participants 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 participants prior to the meeting. Providing materials in advance allows participants 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.

Most online meeting platforms support 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.

• Zoom Keyboard Shortcuts
• Teams Keyboard Shortcuts

Both Zoom and Teams provides Automatic captioning to meet on-demand captioning needs for all attendees. Many participants use captions to improve understanding, follow along in noisy environments, or out of necessity. While this feature offers flexibility, the accuracy of live captions is not guaranteed. The following factors can impact the quality of captions:

• background noise
• speaker volume and clarity
• speaker dialect
• speaker cadence and tone 

While it is possible to disable automated captioning for all attendees, this practice should be avoided.

• Automatic Captioning in Zoom
• Automatic Captioning in Teams

Hosts can opt to have someone manually caption a meeting or webinar, either through a third-party captioning service or a designated meeting attendee. Settings will need to be configured to allow for manual captioning. 

• Manual Captioning in Zoom
• Manual Captioning in Teams

Zoom meetings can include real-time closed captioning through third-party services. As a meeting host, you can enable this feature by sharing Zoom's caption URL with your chosen captioning provider. The service will then stream accurate, real-time captions directly into your meeting for all participants.