Tech Talk – Zoom meetings for Deafblind braille users
Health advice during the Covid-19 pandemic includes keeping physical distance from others. This can be challenging for Deafblind people who rely on touch for communication. Some DBV members have been exploring if the popular Zoom videoconferencing service can offer anything to Deafblind people.
Although Zoom is mainly for live video and audio, it also supports live text chat, which can be accessed on a braille display. A live captioning service can be paired with Zoom, so words spoken in a meeting can also appear as text. Note that live captions require fast braille reading – the average speed of spoken English is about 150 words per minute. However, if a meeting is moderated well, we found it to be a good option for some.
DBV’s Michelle Stevens has drafted a document for braille users who want to try Zoom – click here to download it. Please get in touch with DBV to give feedback, or to discuss details about how we used Zoom, live captions and braille.
Deafblind Victoria 