The Zoom virtual conferencing solution is widely used for webinars, meetings, and classes. You can access Zoom features and navigate the application window using keyboard commands. The basic scripts included in JAWS provide greater control of the Zoom interface.
When hosting a meeting, the controls and settings are also accessible using the keyboard. This post answers four common questions about hosting a meeting in Zoom and provides tips to enhance your hosting experience when using JAWS.
How Do You Schedule a Meeting in Zoom?
From anywhere in the Zoom Desktop App, press CTRL+TAB until focus is on the Meetings tab. Press to navigate to the Schedule Meeting button and press ENTER.
A context menu opens and provides you with three choices:
- Schedule a Meeting
- Schedule from Outlook
- Schedule from Google Calendar
Press the DOWN ARROW to navigate through the choices, then press ENTER to activate the one you want. The Schedule a Meeting option opens a dialog for scheduling within the Zoom Desktop App. Schedule from Outlook opens a New Meeting dialog in the Outlook Calendar, and Schedule in Google Calendar opens your default web browser and directs you to Google Calendar. Follow the prompts to schedule your meeting.
How Do You Open and Navigate the Participant List in Zoom?
Press ALT+U to open the Participants Panel. In the panel, select the More Options to Manage All Participants button and press ENTER to activate a context menu that includes:
- Mute
- Rename
- Play Sound When Someone Joins
- Enable Waiting Room
- Lock Meeting
- Merge to Meeting Window
Press the TAB key to navigate to the Participants List and use your arrow keys to navigate to a participant. Press the TAB key to select the More Options button by a participant, then press ENTER to activate it. Options include admitting a participant to the meeting from the waiting room and making the participant a host or co‑host.
Press ALT+U to close the Participants Panel.
How Do You Start/Stop Screen Share?
Press ALT+S to start screen sharing. Press the TAB key to navigate through the Share Screen dialog box where you can make choices about how you want to share your screen. For example, check the box to share computer audio if you want participants to hear your computer’s sound, which includes:
- Audio files
- Audio that is part of a video
- JAWS (e.g., during a live demonstration)
To stop screen sharing, press ALT+S.
How Do You Open Accessibility Settings?
Zoom accessibility settings are found in both the Home tab and Meetings tab. On the Home tab, press the TAB key until you select Setting, then press ENTER. From the Meetings tab:
- Press the TAB key until the focus is on your account name.
- Press ENTER to activate it.
- Press the DOWN ARROW key until you select Settings.
- Press ENTER.
- Press the TAB key until you select General.
- Press the DOWN ARROW key until you select Accessibility.
- Press ENTER to choose this category.
To navigate through the Accessibility dialog box, press the TAB key. Navigate combo boxes and list boxes using the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys. Press the SPACEBAR to activate buttons or select or deselect check boxes.
How Do You Access the Screen Reader Alert Settings?
Settings for screen reader alerts are found in the accessibility settings. Press the TAB key to move through the Accessibility dialog box until the focus is on the Screen Reader Alerts list box. Navigate the items in this box using the DOWN ARROW key. Press the SPACEBAR to select or deselect the checkbox for each option. Some of the options include:
- Participant Has Joined/Left Meeting (Host Only)
- Participant Has Joined/Left Waiting Room
- Audio Muted by Host
- Screen Sharing Started/Stopped by a Participant
Ask a Question
This Q&A blog post is part of a monthly series. If you have questions about the applications you use at home, school, or work, leave a comment on this post or send an email to training@vispero.com. We look forward to answering your questions.
Access our training webinar on hosting a Zoom meeting with JAWS for additional information on this topic.