[NFBofSC] Zoom

[Steve & Shannon Cook]

Full Speed Ahead with Modern Communication: A Review of the Zoom
Conferencing System


J.J. Meddaugh

I can remember the days of those obnoxious phone conference lines, often
used by nonprofits for meetings, or by companies to talk about a new
product. For the time, it was a great technology and made it possible to
talk to many people at the same time. But phone conferencing has its
drawbacks. Inevitably, someone will forget to mute their phone while a dog
barks loudly in the background. Poor and delayed connections and muffled
audio were largely the norm. But hey, most of these lines were free, so it
was hard to complain.

As someone who is often in front of a computer or mobile phone, I am glad to
say that modern tools have made it much easier to offer a presentation,
provide a webinar, or hold a meeting with clients. While there are a variety
of conferencing apps available,  <http://www.zoom.us/> Zoom from Zoom Video
Communications has caught the attention of many in the accessibility field
over the past couple of years for its dedication to accessible design across
its products. I like this quote from a
<https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2017/05/18/the-perfect-day-for-new-zoom-acce
ssibility-features/> 2017 Zoom blog post that sums up the company's mindset.

Zoom is creating new features for our participants with disabilities not
just so we can meet or exceed regulatory standards. We are committed to
building these accommodations because we want to ensure universal access to
our services, so that all meeting hosts and participants can have the best
experiences possible.

We'll break down this overview into two parts: Zoom for a user, and Zoom for
a host or administrator. If you are interested in joining a Zoom meeting but
are unsure on how to proceed, the first section is for you. If you wish to
host meetings of your own, then read on to the second part of the article.


Zoom for Users


Perhaps you have seen an email from a company such as Freedom Scientific or
Hadley, two major users of the Zoom platform. Their meeting announcements
include information about their regular webinars (web-based seminars), and a
link to join. While it is possible to attend these meetings using a phone
number and an access code, doing so will negate most of the benefits of
joining the meeting using the Zoom software.

Zoom is free to install and use. Zoom meetings can be joined on Windows and
Mac computers as well as iOS and Android devices. When you select a meeting
link for the first time, Zoom will download to your computer or device a
small piece of software that is used to access the meeting room. This may
come in the form of a plugin for Chrome or Firefox, or an app for your
mobile device. The host needs to be present to start a meeting, so if you
get an error that the meeting has not yet started, try waiting a couple of
minutes and then select the link again.

If successful, you should now be in the meeting. Though the screen may
appear a bit different depending on the platform you are using, you will
generally be presented with a variety of options once you have joined. The
first thing you may want to check is your microphone. If you plan on just
listening to the meeting and not speaking, then you can of course leave the
microphone off. But if you wish to speak, it is good to know where the
microphone button is located. On mobile devices, there is a button that will
say something like "Microphone disconnected," which you would select to
start speaking. From here, you can change your microphone input to a
speakerphone or headset. The text of the button will update to indicate your
currently selected status. If you plan on doing a lot of talking, it's a
good idea to use a headset with a microphone, especially if you are also
using a screen reader on your phone. This will help to prevent the screen
reader from bleeding into the chat room.

I prefer to use the  <https://zoom.us/support/download> Zoom Windows app
because it comes with a variety of keyboard shortcuts. One of these is Alt +
A for muting and unmuting audio. If using a screen reader, it will speak the
current status of the microphone. You can also press Tab to move through the
various options of the application, some of which are described below.

You can also choose to share your video, which can either be a feed from
your camera or your device's screen. While it is easy to share video, note
that there doesn't currently seem to be an accessible way for someone else
to read what is on your screen, so it will be necessary to describe what is
on the screen for users who cannot see it. You can, however, share the audio
from your screen reader on some platforms, which could be useful for
technology demos.

In addition to audio and video, Zoom includes a text chat system that can be
used by all participants, regardless of whether or not they have been
allowed to speak. This can be a great way to ask smaller questions while the
presenter is talking or send website addresses for products or features that
are being discussed. Chat messages are automatically spoken by the screen
reader, and also can be reviewed using the keyboard. On Windows, use Alt + H
to show or hide the chat window.

The Participant List will let you see who else is in the meeting room,
including whether or not their microphone or video is on. On Windows, you
can press Alt + U to show or hide the participant list.

Some meetings may be presented in a way that allows users to ask questions.
This can be accomplished by raising your hand, figuratively speaking. On the
computer, use Alt + Y to show that your hand is raised. The option is under
the More Options menu on mobile devices. The host will be alerted either
visually or through their screen reader and can then choose to take your
question via voice or text. Not all hosts use this method, and some will
prefer you type your question into the chat window.

The Settings section of the Zoom apps for the computer include a more
complete list of keyboard shortcuts, useful to meeting participants and
hosts. These can be reassigned and also made global, so they will work even
when the application is not focused.

Note that most hosts have the option to record their meetings. You will be
informed of this fact if the meeting is going to be recorded.


Zoom for Hosts


Zoom is a rather powerful meeting platform, and can fill a variety of needs
for a company or organization. Zoom's free plan allows for hosting
one-on-one meetings and group meetings up to 40 minutes long. For some,
especially those wishing to host longer webinars, the Pro plan for $14.99
per host per month may be more suitable. This allows for group meetings with
up to 100 participants that can last for up to 24 hours, the ability for
cloud-based meeting recording, and a personal meeting ID that will remain
the same for each hosted meeting if desired.

Again, I prefer to host meetings using Zoom's dedicated Windows app that
includes more features and settings. It also allows for local recording of
the meeting, including separate tracks for each user if desired. To start a
meeting, use the "Starting a New Meeting" button. My button reads "with
video off" meaning that my meetings will just include audio. This can be
changed using the New Meeting Option button. Once the meeting has been
started, other participants can join. From here, there are links to share
the meeting with others or send an invitation link. If you are on the Pro or
higher plan and use the same meeting link every time, you can easily tell
your participants the link ahead of time. Remember they can also dial in
using a telephone if they are uncomfortable using a computer or smartphone.
It is also possible to schedule meetings ahead of time and integrate Zoom
with other apps such as Google Calendar.

The commands for users discussed above work for the host as well. As a host,
you have some additional tools at your disposal. Under the Participant List
panel, you may want to enable the option to automatically mute the
microphone of everyone joining the meeting. Users can still elect to ummute
their microphones, but starting with everyone muted by default may be
helpful. You can also mute all audio from others when you are ready to start
presenting, allowing for users to chat before the meeting begins. The
participant list panel will also indicate if a user has raised their hand to
ask a question.

As mentioned above, you can choose to record audio either locally or in the
cloud. I prefer local recording since the file is saved to my computer as
soon as the meeting is done, but cloud recording may be preferred as a more
stable option for backing up the meeting. Remember, the users will be
informed when recording begins, and it is probably a good idea to also
emphasize this fact during the meeting.


Conclusion


While Zoom is not the only accessible conference solution available today,
it is one of the most popular and versatile, which is why we chose to review
it. Both mainstream and access technology companies have chosen Zoom to host
meetings and other events, and whether you are hosting a meeting or just
joining one, you will generally have a well-rounded accessibility
experience. We would love to see even further improvements to Zoom,
including more screen reader notifications and hotkeys and the ability to
read screens that are shared. We hope the developers continue their solid
commitment to equal access.

 

 

Steve Cook

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