Accessibility

To set up a session inclusive of signers and sign language interpreters, here are the steps:  

1. In the Teams app, click More (…) at the top right part of the tool bar.  
2. Select Settings.  
3. Go to Accessibility.    

Under Hearing, you’ll now see three main sections:  

1. Sign language mode  
   “Enable features that provide an enhanced experience for sign language users.”  
   Turn this on if you want Teams to automatically keep signers visible and prioritized in the layout.  
2. I am a Signer  
   Check this box if you are a Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing participant who uses sign language.
   This tells Teams to always have interpreters visible.  
3. I am a Sign Language Interpreter  
   Check this box if you are providing ASL (or another sign language) interpretation.
   This helps Teams label and prioritize your video feed correctly for participants using Sign Language Mode. 

To set up live captioning, here are the steps:

1. In the Teams app, click More (…) at the top right part of the tool bar.
2. Select Settings.
3. Go to Accessibility.

Under Hearing, at the bottom you will see:

• Always show captions in my meetings. Toggle this on if you always want captions active when you join a meeting.
• Filter profane words in Live Captions. Toggle on or off depending on your audience (off for accuracy, on for public sessions).

• Many people use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. If you or someone in your class uses a screen reader, here is more information and support for screen reader users.
• For screen reader optimization, share your slides directly in Teams. Standard screen sharing streams a video feed of your screen, which most screen readers cannot effectively interpret. PowerPoint Live, however, shares the presentation data directly, allowing participants to use their own accessibility tools and settings.

Steps to Share with PowerPoint Live:

• Join the meeting in Microsoft Teams.
• In the meeting controls (usually at the top or bottom of the screen), select the Share button (an upward arrow inside a rectangle).
• In the sharing options pane, look for the PowerPoint Live section. This lists your most recent PowerPoint files. Select the desired PowerPoint file from the list.
• If the file is not listed, select Browse OneDrive or Browse my computer to locate and upload it.
• Once selected, the presentation will load directly within the Teams meeting window, optimized for all participants.

• Using an external keyboard with keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams can help you work more efficiently. For those who have mobility or vision disabilities, keyboard shortcuts can be easier than a touchscreen and are an essential alternative to a mouse:  Keyboard shortcuts in MS Teams.

• Read chat messages aloud or adjust text spacing, colour, and font: Immersive Reader Functions in MS Teams.

• Identify yourself before speaking and encourage participants to do the same. Describe yourself.
• Turn on live captions.
• Record live sessions for review after the session.
• Turn on captions when sharing videos or audio.
• Give learners options for how they can participate and share their ideas: using their microphones and/or cameras, using a chat, using private messages, or through other Edtech tools that allow for anonymous/private participation.
• You may encourage learners to engage in collaborative note taking. A few learners might volunteer in each class to take notes which can be shared with the whole class.
• Reduce background noises as much as possible.
• Plan for ASL interpretation when needed.
  • Booking ASL interpreters for staff and college events
• Describe images, illustrations, graphs, and any other visuals in your slides or materials. You may ask learners to support you in this process.
• Read out loud chat messages.
• Make sure you have good lighting and look straight at your camera. Avoid covering your mouth or looking away from the camera. When a speaker covers their mouth, it obstructs lip movement, which is important for clear communication and might be crucial for D/deaf or Hard of hearing learners. Students rely on visual cues to understand speech, especially in virtual settings.
• Wear a headset or earbuds to reduce or eliminate background noise such as computer fan, room sounds, and to have better voice reception.