A few days ago, Microsoft launched a new option that offers fun content for professionals on the collaborative communication platform. As a reminder, this is called “Games for Work”.
The Redmond headquarters is back with a new feature described as a new sign language view. It is intended for people with hearing loss and should offer better adaptability to interpreters and hearing-impaired professionals, according to the multinational. It should also be noted that this functionality is accompanied by a brand new preference pane, which brings together some important buttons in the Teams application.
A tool that will be very useful for interpreters and the hearing impaired
How to make the use of an application as accessible as possible to everyone? Microsoft seems to have solved this equation with the new accessibility feature in Teams. If it is not a revolution, it is nevertheless true a significant development on the application. This feature will allow sign language users to select up to two videos from other participants.
This should give them access to the sign language interpreters’ videos throughout the meeting. To take advantage of it, Teams users simply need to enable this feature during their meetings.
But the benefits of Microsoft Teams’ new sign language display will also be significant for sign language interpreters. They can, for example, be assigned before the start of the meeting if they are part of the company. As for those developing remotely, they can be assigned during the meeting from the Accessibility tab in the application settings. Please note that Microsoft does not provide sign language interpreters on Teams.
Microsoft is also announcing a new Accessibility Preferences pane
For its online meeting platform, Microsoft thinks big. In addition to the new accessibility feature that will facilitate the work of interpreters and the experience of hearing-impaired users on Teams, the company has thought about the redesign of the accessibility preference pane.
To put it simply, Microsoft has made access to basic settings even more fluid. The new component will e.g. giving its users easy access during calls to changes such as default activation of sign language display and pre-identification of preferred interpreters. Similarly, sign language display and live subtitles can be quickly turned on or off from the new pane.
What is worth pointing out is that the sign language display will in no way affect what other participants will be able to see on the screen. This new sign language display and accessibility pane is available to try now. Hearing impaired users can then personally activate it from their mobile application and at any time during a meeting.
It would still be necessary for the company to have activated it at first glance. For web customers, commercial customers and GCC, Microsoft says the new features will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
Source: The Verge
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