Zoom is a web conferencing system that enables UMD faculty, staff, and students to host, participate, and record meetings and webinars and use a variety of interactive features to collaborate and connect online. It is important that both hosts and attendees are familiar with the many accessibility features within Zoom, as well as the process for working with third-party service providers. Download the UMD-Zoom-Accessibility-Guide file in the Attachments section to learn more about accessible best practices when using Zoom, as well as integrating CART services and enabling auto transcription. The attached document covers accessibility considerations when using the following Zoom features:

• Basic navigation
• Waiting rooms
• Meeting vs webinar
• Breakout rooms
• Virtual backgrounds
• Chat
• Using CART services with Zoom
• Auto transcription 
• Live automatic transcription service 
• Enabling auto transcription for a meeting (Host)
• Displaying live transcription for a meeting (Attendees)

Accessibility considerations before implementing Zoom Online Whiteboard 

• Zoom whiteboard should not be used as a required tool in meetings or classrooms if you know that you have participants with disabilities that use a screen reader, magnifier, dragon dictation, and other reading software such as Kurzweil.
• When the activity using the whiteboard requires the use of post-its, drag and drop content, adding images, making drawings using a mouse, device pen, finger, etc., some participants may not be able to independently engage and contribute to content by entering their ideas and/or reading the content posted by others.
• Participants who rely on adaptive technology or who experience psychological or cognitive disabilities may not be able to follow multiple directions, and track all the simultaneous changes in the content happening in real-time.