Video Conferencing Accommodations

Please note that relevant pieces of this information can be added to the assignment instructions for students if appropriate.

Lectures and Presentations

These are tips for considering a diverse audience when managing video conferencing sessions. They take into account those who are blind or have low vision, those who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as non-native English speakers, those using mobile devices, and people with slow internet connections.

Before the Session

During the Session

  • Take steps to maximize audio quality, such as participating from a quiet room with the door closed and using a headset with a built-in microphone.
  • Let participants know the session is being recorded. (If the recording will be provided to those outside the class, their permission is needed.) 
  • Set expectations about the sequence of the lecture and activities and preferred methods of response such as using the "Raise Hand" feature or posting in chat.
  • Use as few concurrent tools as you can. 
  • Only one person should speak at a time; take the time to slow down and speak clearly.
  • Verbally repeat chat comments before responding to them.
  • Verbally describe all relevant visuals and refer to items by their name or label. For example, "This is the World Campus Students with Disability Statistics Chart" rather than "as you can see here."
  • Pin the video of someone you need to pay attention to (e.g. remote captioner, sign language interpreter).
  • Be flexible and receptive to feedback.
  • Ask students to inform you if they are unable to access course instructions or participate in communications.

Group Meetings

For group meetings, refer to the guidelines above and also consider the following:

  • Provide an agenda to team members in advance of the meeting.
  • Have team members take turns facilitating the meetings.
  • Restate any pertinent outcomes or action items at the end of each meeting.

 

Captioning Processes

Setting up Captions as an Accommodation

If there is an official accommodation need, then a live captioner need to be hired for synchronous web conferencing sessions. Please read the Penn State Knowledge Base article on setting up closed captioning for a Zoom meeting Links to an external site.. 

Contact the World Campus HelpDesk by phone (814-865-HELP (4357)) or email (ITServiceDesk@psu.edu) and provide the following information to get a captioner appointed to your meeting:

  • Name of the event
  • Name of the meeting host
  • The host’s contact information (be sure to include a phone number)
  • The URL for the session
  • Event date
  • Event start and end times
  • Name of the student who needs captioning

Setting up Automated Captions for All

Closed captions are useful to everyone. In addition to helping viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, captions can help students: 

  • maintain focus 
  • retain more information 
  • overcome poor audio 
  • watch in noisy or sensitive environments (e.g., library, public transportation) 
  • understand speakers with accents 
  • understand difficult vocabulary 
  • who are not native English speakers    

Penn State Knowledge Base article on setting up closed captioning for a Zoom meeting Links to an external site. will provide instructions for meeting set up.

Recordings

All recordings in Zoom or uploaded to Kaltura are captioned automatically. If a student requires accommodations, please ensure the recording is sent to a professional captioning service to produce captions that meet ADA accuracy standards.

Resources Links to an external site.

 

Updated October, 2024