In today's digital landscape, video conferencing has become an indispensable tool for communication, enabling seamless interactions across the globe. However, to ensure inclusivity, it's imperative that these platforms are accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. Accessible video conferencing not only aligns with ethical standards but also complies with legal requirements, enhancing user experience and broadening audience reach.
Table of contents
- Understanding video conferencing accessibility
- Legal framework and standards governing accessible video conferencing
- Best practices for developing accessible video conferencing platforms
- Role of hosts and participants in promoting accessibility
- Conclusion
Understanding video conferencing accessibility
Video conferencing accessibility ensures that virtual communication platforms are inclusive and usable by individuals with various disabilities. This goes beyond compliance with legal standards—it fosters inclusivity, expands audience reach, and enhances user engagement. An accessible platform enables individuals with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments to participate in meetings, online classes, and virtual events without barriers.
Why accessibility matters in video Conferencing
Making video conferencing accessible is not just about meeting regulations—it’s about inclusivity, user engagement, and ensuring seamless communication for everyone. Here’s why businesses should prioritise accessibility:
- Expanding audience reach: By ensuring accessibility, organisations can cater to a wider demographic, including people with disabilities.
- Enhancing user experience: Features like live captions, sign language interpreters, and keyboard navigation improve usability for all participants.
- Legal compliance: Companies risk legal action and fines if they fail to meet accessibility standards such as WCAG, CVAA, and EN 301 549.
- Corporate social responsibility (CSR): Prioritising accessibility reflects a commitment to inclusivity, improving brand reputation.
To remain competitive and compliant, businesses must integrate accessibility best practices in their video conferencing solutions.
Legal framework and standards governing accessible video conferencing
The global push for digital accessibility is reinforced by various laws and guidelines, ensuring that video conferencing solutions meet inclusivity standards. Here are some of the most relevant regulations and frameworks:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), provide a structured framework for ensuring web accessibility. WCAG is built around four core principles—Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR):
- Perceivable: Information and UI components must be presented in ways that users can perceive (e.g., alternative text for images, captions for videos).
- Operable: Interfaces must be navigable via multiple input methods, including keyboard-only access.
- Understandable: Content must be readable and predictable, avoiding unnecessarily complex interfaces.
- Robust: The platform must be compatible with a range of assistive technologies, such as screen readers and magnifiers.
WCAG conformance is measured across three levels:
- Level A: Basic accessibility features (e.g., text alternatives for non-text content).
- Level AA: More advanced compliance (e.g., real-time captions for live content, minimum colour contrast ratios of 4.5:1 for readability).
- Level AAA: The highest standard, including features such as sign language interpretation for all video content.
Most accessibility regulations, including those in Europe and North America, are based on WCAG Level AA compliance.
Twenty-first century communications and video accessibility act (CVAA)
The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) was passed in the United States in 2010 to improve accessibility in modern communication technologies. It mandates that all advanced communication services—including video conferencing—must be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Key provisions of the CVAA include:
- Video conferencing platforms must offer built-in captioning support for users with hearing impairments.
- Services must be compatible with assistive technologies such as screen readers and alternative input devices.
- Real-time text (RTT) functionality must be supported alongside voice communication.
Failure to comply with CVAA regulations can result in penalties imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
EN 301 549 (European accessibility standard)
The EN 301 549 standard is the European accessibility benchmark for ICT products and services, including video conferencing platforms. It aligns with WCAG and applies to digital services procured by public sector organisations in the European Union.
EN 301 549 establishes key accessibility requirements, including:
- Compatibility with assistive technologies, such as screen readers and alternative input devices.
- Implementation of real-time captions and transcripts for live and pre-recorded content.
- Ensuring keyboard accessibility, with fully navigable interfaces.
- Maintaining colour contrast ratios and scalable text for readability.
For companies looking to operate in the EU, compliance with EN 301 549 is critical to ensuring accessibility and avoiding legal issues in government and enterprise contracts.
Best practices for developing accessible video conferencing platforms
Creating an accessible video conferencing experience requires a combination of technical design, user interface adjustments, and assistive technology integration. The goal is to ensure that individuals with diverse abilities—including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments—can fully participate in virtual meetings, classes, and events. Below are key best practices that developers should implement to enhance accessibility.
1. Live captions and transcripts
Providing real-time captions and transcripts is essential for users who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as for non-native speakers and individuals in noisy environments.
- Automated captions: AI-powered speech-to-text solutions offer a baseline level of accessibility. While not always 100% accurate, they provide a valuable starting point.
- Professional captioning (CART services): Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) provides human-generated captions with higher accuracy, particularly useful for educational and professional settings.
- Transcripts: Offering post-meeting transcripts allows users to review discussions, reference meeting notes, and search for specific information.
- Speaker identification: Captions should distinguish between speakers to improve clarity, especially in group meetings.
- Multiple language support: Where possible, real-time captioning should support multiple languages to make meetings more inclusive.
2. Keyboard navigation
For individuals with motor impairments who cannot use a mouse or touchpad, full keyboard accessibility is critical.
- Logical tab order: Ensure that users can navigate through interface elements in a logical and predictable order using the Tab key.
- Keyboard shortcuts: Provide shortcuts for muting/unmuting, raising hands, starting/stopping video, and navigating menus.
- Focus indicators: Visible focus indicators (e.g., a highlighted border around selected elements) help users understand where they are in the interface.
- ARIA roles & attributes: Use Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) attributes to improve keyboard interactivity for buttons, forms, and dropdowns.
3. Screen reader compatibility
Screen readers enable visually impaired users to navigate and interact with video conferencing platforms via audio output.
- Use semantic HTML: Ensure proper use of h1-h6 headings, button elements (instead of div or span), and label elements for form fields.
- Provide alternative text (Alt Text): Describe non-text content such as images, buttons, and icons so screen readers can convey this information to users.
- Announce dynamic content: Use ARIA live regions (aria-live) to announce real-time changes, such as incoming chat messages, raised hands, and participant status updates.
- Accessible pop-ups and alerts: Ensure that pop-ups, error messages, and alerts are announced correctly to screen readers.
4. Customisable interfaces
Accessibility needs vary from user to user, so platforms must offer flexible UI settings to accommodate different preferences.
- Resize and reposition windows: Allow users to adjust the size and placement of video feeds, chat boxes, and caption displays.
- High-contrast mode: Enable a dark mode or high-contrast option for individuals with low vision or light sensitivity.
- Font adjustments: Provide text size adjustments to improve readability.
- Sign language interpreter support: Ensure that interpreter video feeds can be resized and pinned, allowing users who rely on sign language to see the interpreter clearly.
5. Avoid reliance on colour alone
For users with colour blindness (deuteranopia, protanopia, or tritanopia) or low vision, colour should not be the only means of conveying important information.
- Use text labels: Instead of relying solely on coloured buttons (e.g., red for "end call"), include text labels.
- Patterns & icons: Differentiate elements using patterns, borders, or shapes in addition to colours.
- Contrast compliance: Ensure text meets WCAG’s minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for readability.
6. Provide accessible documentation
Even the most accessible platform can be difficult to use without clear, accessible documentation.
- Plain language guides: Use simple, jargon-free instructions to help users navigate accessibility features.
- Screen reader-friendly PDFs: Ensure that guides are formatted properly for text-to-speech software.
- Video tutorials with captions & transcripts: Provide captioned video walkthroughs to explain key platform features.
Role of hosts and participants in promoting accessibility
While the technical design of a video conferencing platform plays a crucial role in accessibility, the actions of hosts and participants are equally important in creating an inclusive and welcoming virtual environment. Accessibility is not just about features—it is about how meetings are conducted to ensure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully participate. Below are key best practices that hosts and participants should follow to promote accessibility in virtual meetings.
1. Pre-meeting preparations
Proper preparation is key to ensuring accessibility before a meeting even begins. By making information available in advance, hosts allow participants—especially those who rely on assistive technologies—time to process, prepare, and engage effectively.
Best practices for pre-meeting accessibility
-
Distribute meeting materials in advance
- Share agendas, slides, and documents in accessible formats such as screen-reader-friendly PDFs, plain text, or structured HTML documents.
- Provide materials in multiple formats, including text, audio, and video with captions.
-
Ensure platform accessibility for participants
- Test the platform’s keyboard navigation, captions, screen reader compatibility, and chat functions before the meeting.
- Enable accessibility features in advance, such as live captions or sign language interpretation.
-
Offer multiple ways to join and participate
- Some participants may require dial-in options or alternative participation methods. Ensure audio-only access for those who cannot use video.
- Consider providing a pre-meeting tutorial on how to enable accessibility features.
Many platforms allow organisers to send accessible meeting invites and enable live captions before the meeting starts.
2. Inclusive communication practices
Effective communication is key to making virtual meetings understandable for all attendees, especially those with disabilities, non-native speakers, or individuals in noisy environments.
Best practices for inclusive communication
-
Introduce yourself clearly before speaking
- State your name and role before contributing. For example: "This is Jane from HR. I’d like to add to the discussion about training accessibility."
- This helps visually impaired attendees and those using captions or interpreters to track who is speaking.
-
Speak at a moderate pace and articulate clearly
- Speak clearly and at a moderate speed to ensure live captions and interpreters can keep up.
- Pause between key points to allow attendees time to process and respond.
-
Avoid jargon, acronyms, and complex language
- Use plain language whenever possible to ensure clarity.
- If technical terms must be used, briefly explain them to enhance understanding for all participants.
-
Minimise background noise and ensure good lighting
- Mute your microphone when not speaking to reduce distractions and improve audio clarity.
- Ensure proper lighting and a clear video feed to support lip readers and sign language interpreters.
-
Encourage verbal and non-verbal participation
- Not all participants feel comfortable speaking up. Allow contributions through chat, reactions, or the "raise hand" feature.
- Acknowledge and respond to text-based questions with the same level of attention as verbal ones.
3. Utilising accessibility features
Hosts and participants should actively use and promote built-in accessibility features, ensuring that everyone can interact comfortably.
Key accessibility features and how to use them
-
Turn on live captions and transcripts
- Enable real-time captions for attendees who are deaf, hard of hearing, or non-native speakers.
- Many platforms offer automatic transcripts that allow participants to review discussions after the meeting.
-
Use keyboard shortcuts for easier navigation
- Share keyboard shortcuts with participants for key actions such as muting/unmuting, raising hands, and opening the chat.
- These shortcuts are especially useful for individuals with motor impairments who rely on keyboard-only navigation.
-
Pin sign language interpreters or speaker videos
- Hosts should ensure that sign language interpreters remain visible throughout the meeting by allowing participants to pin their video.
- Participants should be able to customise layouts to prioritise the interpreter or captions according to their needs.
- Encourage the use of chat and alternative participation methods
- Some participants may find it difficult to speak verbally. Encourage them to engage using chat, reactions, or Q&A tools.
- Assign a chat moderator to monitor and read out important text-based contributions so that they receive equal attention.
- Offer Breaks in longer meetings
- Longer meetings can be challenging for participants with disabilities, cognitive impairments, or sensory sensitivities.
- Provide regular breaks to ensure that all attendees can remain focused and engaged throughout the session.
Conclusion
Developing an accessible video conferencing platform is a responsibility that goes beyond legal compliance—it ensures equal participation, better user engagement, and improved inclusivity. By implementing best practices such as live captions, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and customisable UI elements, developers can create a truly inclusive virtual meeting experience.
Why choose Digital Samba?
Digital Samba offers a fully accessible video conferencing API and SDK, allowing businesses to integrate WCAG-compliant features into their platforms. With live captioning, custom UI settings, and assistive technology support, Digital Samba empowers organisations to deliver seamless, inclusive virtual communication.
Interested in making your video conferencing platform more accessible? Contact our sales team today!