How To Close Caption A Zoom Meeting

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by

Vector Linux
in

Recently, I was given the chance to host a Zoom meeting and my goal was to ensure that all attendees could actively participate, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. This prompted me to research how to incorporate closed captions into a Zoom meeting. In this article, I will discuss my process and provide detailed instructions on how to add closed captions to a Zoom meeting.

Step 1: Enable Closed Captions

To begin, you need to enable closed captions in your Zoom account settings. Here’s how:

  1. Open your Zoom desktop client and sign in to your account.
  2. Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner and select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
  3. In the settings window, navigate to the “Meeting” tab on the left-hand side.
  4. Scroll down to the “In Meeting (Advanced)” section and make sure the “Closed captioning” option is enabled.

Step 2: Start the Meeting with Closed Captions

Once you have enabled closed captions in your account settings, you can start a Zoom meeting and enable closed captions for that specific meeting. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the Zoom desktop client and sign in to your account.
  2. Click on the “New Meeting” button to start a new meeting.
  3. When the meeting window opens, look for the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Click on the “CC” button in the toolbar to enable closed captions for the meeting.

Step 3: Assign a Closed Captionist

Now that you have enabled closed captions for your meeting, it’s time to assign a closed captionist who will provide the captions in real-time. Here’s how:

  1. Click on the “Participants” button in the toolbar to open the participants panel.
  2. At the bottom of the participants panel, click on the “More” button (represented by three vertical dots).
  3. In the dropdown menu, select “Assign a participant to type.”
  4. A list of participants will appear. Choose a participant to be the closed captionist and click “Assign.”

Step 4: Display Closed Captions

Once you have assigned a closed captionist, you need to make sure that the closed captions are displayed for all meeting participants. Here’s how:

  1. Click on the “CC” button in the toolbar to open the closed caption settings.
  2. In the closed caption settings, make sure the option “Enable closed captions” is checked.
  3. Choose how you want the closed captions to be displayed: either by viewing full transcript or just the captions.

Step 5: Monitor Closed Captions

During the meeting, it’s important to monitor the closed captions to ensure accuracy. As the host, you can take the following actions:

  • Click on the “CC” button in the toolbar to view the closed captions in real-time.
  • If you notice any errors, you can edit or correct the closed captions by clicking on the “Edit” button next to the captions.
  • If needed, you can also pause or stop the closed captions altogether by clicking on the respective buttons in the closed caption settings.

Conclusion

Adding closed captions to a Zoom meeting is a simple and effective way to ensure accessibility and inclusivity for all participants. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily enable closed captions, assign a closed captionist, and display the captions during the meeting. Remember to monitor the closed captions for accuracy and make any necessary adjustments. With closed captions, everyone can fully engage and participate in your Zoom meetings.