Body
Questions
- How do I make my Zoom meeting more accessible?
- What can I do to help attendees with hearing difficulties in Zoom?
- Should I record my Zoom class or meeting for accessibility?
- How do I use Zoom chat to improve participation?
- How do I make screen sharing accessible in Zoom?
- How do I use Zoom polling in an accessible way?
- How do captions and transcripts work with Zoom cloud recordings?
- What are best practices for hosting an accessible online class in Zoom?
Environment
This article applies to Bowdoin faculty, staff, and students who host Zoom meetings or classes. These are best-practice recommendations — they do not require any special Zoom license or IT configuration beyond a standard Bowdoin Zoom account.
Resolution
Audio Quality
Good audio is essential for all participants, and especially important for those who are hard of hearing or rely on live captions.
- Reduce background noise before the meeting starts. Fans, heaters, and nearby conversations are all picked up by a microphone and can be distracting.
- Stay close to your microphone so your voice is captured clearly.
- Mute participants who are not speaking, particularly in large groups. Use one of these options in the Participants panel: Mute Participants on Entry, Mute All, or mute individuals as needed.
Presenter tip: Let participants know they have been muted on entry and explain how and when they should unmute to participate.
Recording
Recording your Zoom session helps participants who could not attend, those with limited internet bandwidth who may have experienced interruptions, and those who benefit from reviewing material a second time.
- Use Record to Cloud during the meeting. Cloud recordings are automatically transferred to Panopto, where they are captioned. Captions are machine-generated and not perfectly accurate, but they provide a useful transcript for most content.
In-Meeting Chat
Chat is a non-intrusive way for participants to contribute without interrupting the speaker, and can be especially helpful for those in noisy environments or who prefer written communication.
- At the start of the meeting, describe how you plan to use chat — for example, whether you will pause to read messages aloud, or address them at the end of sections.
- Read relevant chat comments aloud so they become part of the shared record for everyone, including those relying on audio only.
- Save the chat transcript at the end of the session to share with participants afterward.
Screen Sharing
Participants who are blind or have low vision, or those joining by phone, may not be able to see your shared screen.
- Verbalize what is on the screen as you go — describe images, read text aloud, and narrate the actions you are taking.
- Share any materials you plan to display through screen sharing in advance, via email or a shared folder. This allows participants to follow along in their own window even if they cannot see the screen share.
Polling
Zoom polling is compatible with most assistive technologies. To make polling accessible to all participants:
- Verify that all participants can use polls — polling is not accessible to participants joining by phone. Offer an alternative response method (such as typing in chat) for anyone who cannot use the poll interface.
- Announce verbally when you are launching a poll. Some participants may not notice the poll window appear, particularly assistive technology users and those not looking at their screen.
- Allow enough time for participants to find and respond to the poll before closing it.
Captions and Transcripts for Recordings
Zoom cloud recordings sent to Panopto are automatically captioned. Panopto generates both captions and an interactive transcript alongside the video. Captions are machine-generated and improve over time — you can edit them in Panopto after processing is complete if accuracy matters for your content.
For live captions during a meeting, see Turning on Live Captions in Zoom in the Related Articles section.
Additional Help
If you need further assistance, you have several options:
- Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
- Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
- In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
- Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.