How to use accessibility features on Microsoft Teams

• Use captions (from automated speech-to-text software or from a human speech-to-text reporter*)
• Connect to a wired or Bluetooth output source (e.g. Bluetooth connected hearing aids)
• Use Push to Talk shortcut
• View invited British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters in the call.

*If set up by the host.

• Create, view and save meeting transcripts
• Select between 4 levels of noise cancellation
• Record meetings to the cloud
• Have a notetaker take shared notes.

1. Select the … from the menu at the top
2. Select Language and Speech
3. Select Turn on Live Captions.

With a business account

Business users also have the option to set whether they are automatically identified in meeting captions.

This can be changed in Teams’ Settings under ‘Captions and transcripts’.

You can start transcription of a meeting by:

1. Selecting the More menu indicated by three dots
2. Selecting Record and Transcribe.

This begins both meeting recording and transcription.

To save the transcription, you must also be recording.

The transcript will be available to view in the meeting window and will be available in the Teams chat after the meeting.

With a business account

Users with a business account will be able to view the transcript during the meeting but not start, stop or download the transcript.

Guest users

Guest users cannot view the transcription. They are notified that a transcription has begun.

The host needs to:

1. Open the meeting invite
2. Select Meeting options
3. In Meeting options, turn on the Provide CART Captions switch, and then select Save to create the CART caption link
4. Provide the CART captioner with the generated link to input into their captioning software.

We recommended testing this before the meeting starts.

The host and participants can access the speech-to-text reporter’s live captions in the usual way.

1. Select the … from the menu at the top
2. Select Language and Speech
3. Select Turn on Live Captions.

In the initial window when you go to join a meeting go to:

1. Computer Audio
2. Select ‘Customised Setup’
3. Under Noise Suppression you can select from the following depending how noisy your environment is:

• Auto
• High
• Low.

1. Select the More menu
2. Select Settings
3. Under Device Settings, you can pick from the same options.

Read more about reducing background noise on the Microsoft website.

Paid users

In the initial window when you go to join a meeting go to:

1. Computer Audio
2. Select ‘Customised Setup’
3. Under Audio Settings there will be drop down menus for Microphones (input devices) and Speakers (output devices including connected hearing aids).

Guest users

Select the cog at the bottom of the video. It will bring up device settings.

If the device you want to connect to does not appear in any of these menus, you’ll need to check the device is set up correctly in your system’s settings.

The same settings can be found in the More menu under Settings then Device Settings.

To pin the interpreter so they are always visible, a participant needs to:

1. Hover over the interpreter’s video
2. Select ‘…’ after their name
3. Select ‘Pin for me’.

Only users within your organisation can start, stop or access a meeting recording. To do this go to:

1. The More menu indicated by three dots
2. Select Record and Transcribe

This begins both meeting recording and transcription.

If you want to make a recording without a transcription, you can then go back to the ‘Record and Transcribe’ menu and turn off or hide transcription.

If you have a BSL interpreter, make sure that the account recording the call has the interpreter pinned.

The downloaded audiovisual file will not have the captions embedded into the recording.

To embed the captions, you will need to use a video editor to link the audiovisuals with the VTT file (which has both the text of the captions and timing information).

Links to the recording appear in the chat for the meeting and are stored in your organisation’s agreed upon location.

If it’s saved to OneDrive, you’ll then be able to stream it and have the option to toggle captions on and off.

You will also have the option to:

• download the audiovisual recording (as .mp4)
• edit the transcript
• download the transcript (as .vtt)
• set noise suppression as default for other online viewers.