This is part three of a series of Assistive Technology (AT) tools anyone can use directly on their devices—no extra download required. In case you missed it, the last post was Assistive Technology (AT) Tools: Sticky Keys.
Imagine sitting at the back of a room, unable to hear a presenter clearly. Even sitting closer may not help if background noise makes it hard to focus. As a presenter, you may also want to make your talk easier to follow by allowing your audience to read along during. When people can engage with information in ways that work best for them, everyone benefits.
Many platforms offer live captions in presentations to make communication clearer and more inclusive in these situations.
Live captions display spoken words on the screen in real time, helping audiences follow along as you speak.
Very important note: However, it’s crucial to understand that these tools rely on Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), which often makes mistakes—up to 90% of the time. In other words, nearly every sentence may contain a mistake. As a result, live captions in presentations alone will not fully meet the needs of people who rely on hearing accommodations.
For those needing Sign Language interpreters, Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART), or hearing loops while at Swarthmore, assistance is available. Visit support.swarthmore.edu for more information.
When presenting: enabling live captions in presentations
PowerPoint
- Enter Presentation mode.
- Select Subtitle Settings.
Keyboard shortcut:
- Press J while in any Presentation mode.
See: Present with real-time, automatic captions or subtitles in PowerPoint – Microsoft Support.
Google Slides
- Start Slideshow mode.
- Select the vertical ellipses or More menu.
- Select Captions Preferences.
- Select Toggle Captions.
Keyboard shortcuts:
- Mac: Command + Shift + C.
- Windows: Control + Shift + C.
See: Present slides with captions – Google Docs Editors Help.
Zoom
- In settings, go to Accessibility,
- Then choose Always show captions.
See:
When attending: enabling live captions
On a Mac
- From the Apple menu
- Select System Settings,
- Then select Accessibility,
- Then select Live Captions,
- And toggle to On.
See: Use Live Captions on Mac – Apple Support.
On Windows
- From the Start menu
- Select All apps,
- Then select Accessibility,
- And select Live captions.
See: Use live captions to better understand audio – Microsoft Support.
On Android (10+)
- Press the volume button.
- Under the volume controls, tap Live Caption.
Alternatively:
- Open Settings,
- Tap Accessibility,
- Select Live Caption,
- And turn on Use Live Caption.
See: Live Caption: Caption media & calls on your device.
On iOS
- Open Settings.
- Select Accessibility,
- Then select Hearing,
- And select Live Captions.
- Select the caption icon that is now on your screen–which may be a box that says “Listening,” or can be a speech bubble–
- And select the microphone icon for captioning to begin.
Do you have feedback?
If there
- are other tools you use for captioning;
- are errors in the directions;
- or there aren’t directions for your software,
let us know! Please email accessibility@swarthmore.edu.
Acknowledgements
This series has been inspired by previous blog posts by Corrine Schoeb, including:
and by Swarthmore’s ITS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee’s presentation on disability inclusion and accessibility. Thanks to Mark Davis, Sean O’Donnell, Ashley Turner, and Doug Willen for the thought and collaboration you put into your presentations, which has inspired this post!