Accessible Virtual Meetings Guide

Download the Accessible Virtual Meetings Guide

This guide provides information on how you can make your virtual meetings accessible to people with disabilities.

Prep Work

As you plan your virtual meeting, you should consider the following:

Choosing an accessible platform.
Setting up accommodations.
Making your materials and advertising accessible.

Choosing A Platform

It’s important to choose a platform that supports accessibility for people that have disabilities. For example, a lot of blind people use assistive technologies such as screen readers with a keyboard to access the content on their devices. Some people with mobility disabilities use a keyboard or other assistive devices instead of the mouse. Not all platforms fully support screen reader or keyboard accessibility. The following popular platforms have varying levels of accessibility.

Note: The City of New York does not endorse any of these products. The information presented below is gathered from the product websites or from feedback from the disability community.

Zoom Meetings and Webinars

The following features are supported by the Zoom conferencing platform.

Support for screen readers and keyboard access.
Support for manual and automated captions.
Supports video and spotlight features for ASL interpretation.
Supports customizable keyboard shortcuts.
Supports multiple audio channels for language translation and Audio Description.
Provides accessible participation features such as raise hand, chat, Polls, and Q&A.

For more information, visit the Zoom Accessibility page.

Microsoft Teams

The following features are supported by the Microsoft Teams platform.

Support for screen readers and keyboard users.
Supports live automated captions and human-generated captions.
Supports video and spotlight features for ASL interpretation.
Has pre-defined keyboard shortcuts.
Has participation features.

For more information, visit the Microsoft Teams Accessibility page.

Google Meet

The following features are supported by the Google Meet platform.

Support for screen readers and keyboard users.
Support for live automated captions only.
Supports video and spotlight features for ASL interpretation.
Has pre-defined keyboard shortcuts.
Has participation features.

For more information, visit the Google Meet Accessibility page.

Providing Reasonable Accommodations

It is a legal requirement to provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities upon request. Some accommodations you might be asked for include, but are not limited to:

American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation
Live Human-Generated Captioning
Audio Description for Videos and Performances
Documents in Accessible and/or Alternate Formats

Always provide prep materials to the accessibility professionals you hire. These materials would include agendas, list of presenters with title/affiliation, slide decks, and any video/audio that will be used.

ASL Interpretation

If someone requests American Sign Language interpretation (ASL), you can hire an ASL interpreter to join the meeting who can provide sign language interpretation through the video conferencing platform. Please note that interpreting is a physically demanding profession. For this reason, meetings longer than 1 hour will require 2 interpreters, and they will switch off every 15 to 20 minutes.

The various video conferencing platforms have different features available to attendees that allow the screen of the interpreter to always remain on the screen. The features that are available will also depend on whether it is a meeting or webinar. Be sure to give instructions on how to access the ASL interpreter at the beginning of the meeting or event.

MOPD’s List of American Sign Language Interpretation Services (MOPD Website).

Captioning

Captioning is used to include people with hearing disabilities in your virtual meetings. Depending on the platform, you may have the capability for a captioning professional to provide manual live captions or use automated live captions. Both methods have pros and cons in terms of cost and efficacy. The best practice is to provide human-generated captions. Visit each platform’s accessibility page above for details on how to use automated and human-generated captions.

MOPD’s List of NYC Captioning Providers (MOPD Website).

Audio Description

For attendees that are blind or have low vision, Audio Description (AD) provides an additional audio track describing the important visual information of the video. This audio track can be either a live or pre-recorded voice that explains those important visual aspects of the video. Examples include reading text on screen, describing B-roll with no narration, and describing important visual events.

AD is recommended for virtual events that have an artistic performance or film screening aspect to them. Each platform has different capabilities around AD. For instance, Zoom’s language interpretation feature can be used to allow participants access to AD. Check the accessibility pages of each platform to explore their support for AD.

To provide Audio Description for your event, you will need to hire an audio describer first. That person would then either record the AD track for inclusion in the videos shown or attend the event and provide that description live. Be sure to explain during the Access Check how to get Audio Description during the event.

Learn mote below:

Accessible Event Materials

All your event materials need to be accessible for those with disabilities. If you are sharing electronic documents or slide decks during your virtual meeting, you should make sure they follow the best practices for accessibility. If you are promoting your meeting on social media, your posts should also be accessible.

These resources can help you produce accessible materials:

MOPD’s Creating Accessible Documents Guide
MOPD’s Word to PDF Guide
MOPD’s Indesign to PDF Guide

MOPD’s Creating Accessible Slidedecks Guide

Advertising Your Virtual Meetings

There are a lot of details that are useful to include in your advertisements, in this section, we will highlight information that you should include in all your advertisements. When creating promotional materials be sure to include:

At least two methods to join your meeting
Accessibility information

Meeting Join Info

Including a link to your meeting is convenient for those who can join using their computer or smart device. However, it is important to remember that some individuals may not have easy access to the Internet. In your advertisements and calendar events, always include a dial-in number along with the link to your virtual meeting.

Accessibility Information in Your Advertisements

For NYC agencies, including accessibility language in advertisements for public events is required by Local Law 28 of 2016. While it is not legally required for nonprofits, museums, private businesses, and community organizations, we strongly recommend that you include access language in your advertisements for your meetings and events. It is a way of specifically inviting the disability community. It also gives people with disabilities a way to request accommodations.

NYC Agencies must include the following:

Info about the accessibility of the platform you are using
Any accessibility features, such as ASL interpretation or human-generated captions, that will be provided without a request.
A point of contact to request accommodations including both a phone number and email address.
A deadline to request accommodations, typically a minimum of 72 hours before the meeting.

Accessibility Language Example

Here is an example of an accessibility statement that would be included in an advertisement.

This virtual event will be held as a Zoom Meeting which is accessible to attendees with disabilities. Automated live captions will be available by default. To request accommodations such as American Sign Language interpretation, live human captions, audio description, or materials in an accessible format, please reach out to [Name of Person] at [Phone Number] or [Email Address] no later than [Insert date that is at least 72 hours before your event].

For more information on planning accessible events and examples of accessibility language, refer to MOPD’s Planning Accessible Events Guide.

Preparing Tech and Panelists

In the final stages of planning your meeting, you should do the following to cut down on technical difficulties and troubleshooting during your event.

Test the technology and accessibility services.
Educate the presenters on what is expected of them.

Tech and Access Setup

It is always a good idea to do test runs of your meeting before the actual date of the event, especially if you are using accessibility features new to you. It is advised to do this tech check a few days before your event to give the time needed to work out any issues encountered.

Whenever possible, invite several people to the run-through to represent a presenter, the access professional(s) hired, and one person to act as an attendee.

When communicating with the presenters, cohosts, and access professionals, be sure to remind them to download or update the meeting platform software prior to the event and that they are familiar with using the virtual conferencing platform you have chosen.

Become familiar with host controls and accessibility features, such as:

How to assign cohosts.
How to turn on live transcripts, human captions, and assign a captioner. (Some of these features must be enabled within the main account settings prior to starting the meeting or webinar.)
How to use the spotlight feature to make sure the video of ASL interpreters is always visible.
In some platforms you can assign the ASL interpreters to an ASL channel, so be familiar with how to do that and how attendees would then access it.
How to set up and use the Language Interpretation feature, if providing Audio Description.
How to control attendee participation like mute all, stop incoming video, lower hands, and attendee access to chat and Q&A.
How to share screen and audio.

See the Resources Section below for links to platform specific references to keyboard shortcuts and getting started guides.

Expectations of Presenters

It is important to let your presenters know about their responsibilities regarding accessibility. Be sure to communicate the following to anyone who will present at your event.

Presenters’ Visual Description

When introducing yourself, provide a quick description of what you look like for the benefit of those in the audience who cannot see your video, such as those with a vision disability or who are joining via telephone.

Some attributes you can include are:

General age – such as mid-thirties.
Skin color, race, or ethnicity – such as white, Black, Middle Eastern, or Jewish.
Your expressed gender – such as female, male, non-binary, etc.
Hairstyle and color – such as “long dark curly hair tied up in a ponytail.”
Eye color – such as brown, blue, or green.
Attire – such as “a white button-up long sleeve shirt with blue checkers.”

Feel free to include as many of these in your description as you like. The important things are to be true to yourself and keep it concise.

Here is an example of a full image description:

I am a Middle Eastern man in my mid-thirties with hazelish eyes and long dark curly hair tied up in a ponytail, and I’m wearing a green sweater.

Describing Slides

If you are going to use slides, it is the presenters’ responsibility to make them accessible.

Be sure to describe the following:

Describe the general slide layout at the beginning of the presentation
Read the slide title whenever advancing to a new slide
Describe any important images on the slide before discussing the content of the slide

See the Resources Section below for a guide on making accessible PowerPoints.

Presentation Etiquette

For the best communication, make sure your presenters are aware of the following expectations:

Introduce yourself the first time you speak and include a visual description.
Each time you speak thereafter, state your name.
Only one person should speak at a time. This benefits interpreters, captioners, and participants with disabilities.
Speak at a normal speed and cadence so that interpreters can switch off and keep up with the presentation.

Online Disability Etiquette

Now that you have made your meeting accessible, hired access professionals, conducted tech checks, and informed presenters of their responsibilities, it’s time to run your meeting with accessibility in mind.

Use these guidelines so attendees with disabilities can fully participate:

Start with an Access Check.
Establish the ways attendees can participate and request assistance.
Describe all images and videos.
Use plain language.

Access Check

It is best practice to start every meeting with a quick Access Check. It is a way of checking in with your attendees and sharing information about the accessibility features of your event. Include the following in your access check when hosting a virtual meeting.

Volume and Speed

Start by asking your attendees “Am I speaking loud enough?” and “Am I speaking too fast?” This will give you a good idea of what speed and volume you will need to have for the rest of the meeting.

Announce Accessibility Features

You have put a lot of work into making your virtual meeting accessible. It can go by unnoticed if you don’t let attendees know what is available. If you have ASL interpreters, live captioning, or documents in accessible formats, announce these features during your access check. Also, let all attendees know how to access these services, including how to turn on closed captions, how to pin the video of an interpreter, and how to access the language interpretation feature, if available.

If you have made your documents and slide deck accessible, email them to attendees before the meeting. You can also have them downloadable on a webpage online. Some website addresses can be long and difficult to type; you can create a short URL using bit.ly or Tiny URL so that it’s easier to get to the page where your documents can be downloaded.

Establish Ways to Participate

It can be overwhelming to be in a meeting with five or more people. For that reason, it is good to establish the ways in which attendees can participate and request assistance. In your access check, be sure to include any or all the suggestions below.

Microphone Etiquette

When we leave our microphones on, it also shares our background sounds with other attendees. This could be the sound of radiators, other people in the background, pets, etc. In a meeting of 3 or more people, it can get difficult to hear one person if everyone’s microphone is on. This is especially important to ensure accurate ASL interpretation and captions. Set the expectation that all participants should have their microphones off or muted when they are not speaking. You should also let all attendees know how to mute and unmute before starting the meeting because some folks might be new to the platform you are using.

One Person at a Time

Captioners and interpreters can only caption or interpret for one person at a time. Establish the expectation for all participants that only one person should speak at a time and to state their name and affiliation before they speak.

Attendee Participation

You should establish a way for attendees to get your attention and participate in the meeting. In your access check, let your attendees know how to participate and get your attention.

Here are a few suggestions on how people can participate:

Announce yourself: Let attendees know that they can unmute and say their name. Then wait for the host to give them the floor.
Use the chat feature: Let attendees know that they can let you know of technical issues in the chat area. It is important to have someone monitoring the chat while you host.
Use the Q&A feature: Let attendees know that they can submit their questions in the Q&A area. If you use this feature, it is important to have someone else monitoring it while you host.
Raise hand feature: Some conferencing platforms include a raise hand feature. It is a button that attendees can use to let you know that they are trying to get your attention. Be sure to let attendees know how to raise their hand, including the keyboard shortcut or numbers to dial by phone.

Describe Images and Videos

While you host your virtual meeting, remember that not everyone can see the visual aids that you are using—whether because of blindness/low vision or because they are joining by phone. Below are some tips on how to be more descriptive.

Slides

If you are using slides, follow this format:

Describe the general slide layout at the beginning of your presentation
Read the slide title every time you advance to a new slide
Be sure to describe any images on the slide such as photos, graphs, charts, etc. when it is logical to do so.

Videos

If you are showing videos, please include the following:

Turn on captions if they are available, if they are not, ask the captioner in advance to continue captioning during the video.
Play an audio described version of the video.

Captions for Videos

When showing videos at your virtual event, be sure to find a version of that video that has captions. Human generated captions are preferable over AI generated captions because they generally include speaker names, are more accurate, and are spaced out in a more readable way.

Audio Description for Videos

For any videos that will be shown at your event, use an audio-described version of the video. If an audio described version is not available, you’ll need to hire a live audio describer to provide it while the video is played. For more information, refer to our Audio Description and Caption Guide.

Plain Language

You can make your virtual meeting more understandable and accessible to attendees with developmental disabilities as well as people with limited English proficiency by using plain language. The definition of plain language is text that can be understood from the first read. This also applies to hosting and presenting. Attendees should be able to understand the information you share with ease. Encourage everyone participating in your virtual meeting to use plain language when speaking.

Below are some tips to follow.

Use everyday words. If you must use technical language, define each term the first time you use it.
Omit unneeded words.
Keep your sentences short. This will help attendees digest your ideas more easily.
At the beginning of your meeting, let your audience know the run of show so they know what to expect.
When presenting, state your major points first before going into details.
Stick to one topic at a time. Jumping around between topics will confuse your audience.
Use personal pronouns such as “you” when you can.
Speak using the active voice.

You can find more guidance at designsystem.nyc.gov/standards/nyc-web-content-style-guide.html#plain-language and plainlanguage.gov.

Additional Resources

Below you will find a compilation of the resources mentioned within this guide, as well as other helpful information.