Zoom - Accessibility & Usability Information

Zoom is a web conferencing software that (like all web conferencing software) requires download of a local app to connect to meetings.

Get help

• UW–Madison Accessibility Assistance:
  • Contact the DoIT Help Desk for general assistance or to report an accessibility or usability barrier.
  • See the UW–Madison Zoom Knowledgebase for additional information regarding how to use the tool.
  • See Zoom's accessibility information for additional information regarding Zoom features.
• UW System accessibility assistance:
  • Users should contact the Zoom Help Center or their campus Help Desk for general assistance or to report an accessibility or usability barrier. Campus Zoom administrators can contact the UWSA Digital Learning Environment Team for assistance.
  • For general documentation on how to use this tool, see the Zoom – Service Overview guide.

Student accessibility & usability barriers 

The following information is provided to help people with disabilities know what potential barriers may exist when navigating web conferencing options. 

Zoom’s user experience is divided into four interfaces, the:

• Web app
• Desktop app
• Mobile app

Zoom accessibility workaround

If you are experiencing barriers using the web app, consider trying the mobile app experience, which is more accessible for users with disabilities.

Zoom Web App barriers

• Some Zoom functionality online has low contrast which may make it difficult for users who are colorblind or have low vision to operate Zoom web conferencing.
• Magnification barriers may make it difficult for users with low vision to navigate and operate Zoom online.

Zoom signup (website) barriers

• The focus styling, which shows users navigating via keyboard where they are navigating to, is sometimes not visible or hard to see making it difficult for users to operate Zoom online via keyboard navigation. This may impact users who have a motor disability and so can not navigate via mouse or trackpad.
• Some heading levels are missing in the Zoom online interface making it difficult for users navigating via a screen reader to use Zoom online.

Zoom session setup (website) barriers

• The meeting status tag is unclear for users navigating via a screen reader, impacting low vision or blind users trying to set up a zoom session.

Zoom Desktop app barriers

• The Desktop app has significant keyboard accessibility barriers which make it difficult for users navigating via tabbing without a screen reader on often due to a motor disability.
• The Chat menu options are not reachable via keyboard with and without a screen reader on which often impacts users with a motor disability, low vision, or blindness who do not use a trackpad or mouse.
• Entering your password while using a screen reader appears to be malfunctioning requiring the screen reader to be turned off to enter the password.

Zoom Mobile app

The mobile app is the most accessible user experience for Zoom.

• Some pages do not provide sufficient contextual new page content auditory alerts for users navigating via screen reader which typically impacts users who are blind or low vision.
• The “Meeting room information” popup is a keyboard trap and doesn’t allow the user to easily exist if they are navigating via keyboard impacting mostly users with motor disabilities.

Avoid using virtual backgrounds 

Avoid using virtual backgrounds during a web conferencing event as the effects are visually less accessible to users. Virtual backgrounds can also cause increased CPU workload for the user running the background, which can disrupt their participation in the meeting.