Zoom is making its platform more accessible by adding a sign language interpretation view for Zoom Meetings and Webinars.
The company is designing the feature to be deployed in most environments, focusing on remote education.
Zoom Meeting and Webinar hosts will be able to arrange for a sign language interpreter in advance, which enables those who need the interpreter to choose one in their preferred language.
Johann Zimmern, Global Education Marketing Lead, Zoom, commented: “Remote learning offers myriad benefits and conveniences, but it can also bring challenges for those with visual, hearing, and other impairments.
“To minimise these barriers, we designed the Zoom platform with several inclusive tools that streamline connections between students, educators, and administrators.
“And now, we’re excited to announce our latest feature that continues our dedication to accessibility: the sign language interpretation view for Zoom Meetings and Webinars.”
Meeting hosts can designate up to 20 different live sign language translation professionals to appear in a dedicated, participant-activated view during one meeting.
According to Zoom, the interpreter can be isolated and independent from gallery views, screen shares, and spotlights, but it is still part of the meeting itself.
This has been designed to enable translators to swap duties or come and go from the meeting without disrupting other participants, Zoom said.
Zoom has also added a “allow to talk” feature, which enables the interpreter to interact verbally with an instructor or the meeting.
The feature allows the host to bring the interpreter into the main session and enable their microphone for a discussion.
Zoom wants users to spend more time communicating and less time worrying about obstacles that prevent things such as learning.
In addition to the sign language interpretation feature, Zoom’s live transcription tool can help the hearing impaired communicate in ways that may have been challenging in the past.
Zoom Phone’s voicemail transcription service also enables voice messages to be transcribed and read at the user’s convenience, which can read the message for pertinent information and choose when and how to respond.
Zoom has recently partnered with Google for embedded bi-directional interoperability between Meet and Rooms devices.
It means that Zoom Rooms users will be able to join Google Meet meetings, and Google Meet devices will be able to join Zoom Meetings.
According to Google, this will be possible directly from a Zoom Room or a Google Meet device calendar “with the touch of a single button” or by entering a meeting code.
As a way of making Zoom more accessible for everyone, the company launched an add-on for accounts in August to help remove language barriers and promote inclusivity through translated captions.
The feature reduces the need for interpreters and third-party integrations in meetings and webinars.
Translated captions allow users to translate the source language into English captions or translate English into another preferred language.
The feature was already included in the Zoom One Business Plus and Zoom One Enterprise Plus plans, which were released in June 2022.
