The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to require video conferencing platforms, like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex, to follow the accessibility requirements under the Communications Act and agency rules that oversee these types of services.
Why was this needed?
Millions of people use video conferencing for workplace conferences, classes, and talking with family and friends. But for many people with disabilities, video conferencing is hard.
The problems people with disabilities face include:
- Lack of—or poor—captioning
- Ineffective display of sign language interpreters
- The inability of blind or low-vision users to find and use volume controls
- Poor user control of accessibility tools
- No easy way to use telecommunications relay services on video conferencing platforms
What does the FCC action do?
To learn more about the steps required by the FCC to make sure that video conferencing is fully accessible, read the FCC news release.