Many of our Information sessions and groups are held online. This guide is designed to help you with using Zoom:
How to use Zoom for the first time
Zoom is a website or application that enables you to connect with people over the internet. You are able to see and hear others in the same session as you and interact in a normal conversation with them.
What do I need?
- You will need a device that is connected to the internet
- The device can be a smartphone, tablet or computer
- You will need the Zoom app. You can either download the app before you start your first session or you will be prompted to download the app a little further on in the steps.
To download the app before you start go to the place on your device where you normally download apps. For Apple devices, ie iPhone or iPad this is the App Store and the logo looks like this
For all other devices you download apps from the Google Play Store and the logo looks like this
Search for the word Zoom in your store and a few options will come up. You need to select the Zoom cloud meetings option which looks like this
Download the app and complete any prompts that your store asks, you should now have the Zoom app on your device
What happens now?
The organiser of the Zoom session will send a link to you. This link will give you access to the session. The link will look something like this: https://zoom.us/j/99473238003?pwd=c0xCMWVtQkxOU2FOaEJBaVhpQXQwQT09
They will also send you a Meeting ID which will look something like this Meeting ID: 994 7323 8113
And a meeting a meeting Password which will look something like this Password: 8BEfyX
A few minutes before the meeting is due to start click on the link you have been provided with. The next screen should show an option to Launch Meeting which you then click on.
If it says Join a Meeting you need to click it. You may then be asked to type in the Meeting ID and then the Password which you will have been given by the session organiser.
You are nearly there now! You might be placed in a waiting room so that the host of the meeting can let you in when they are ready and it may look like this:
The next screen will ask if you want to join with video this will allow you to see others in the session and for them to see you, this can be turned on and off during the session if you wish.
You will then be asked if you want to join with audio this will allow you to hear others in the session and for them to hear you, again this can be turned on an off during the session if you wish.
You should now have gained access to your session
During the session
At the bottom of the screen there are some icons of a video camera and a speaker, by clicking those you can turn the video or sound on or off.
If more than one person is talking at once or there is background noise this can make the conversation break up and be a little frustrating. Try and take it in turns to talk rather than all at once.
There are some other controls that you can explore the more you use Zoom but for now enjoy connecting with people.
Problem solving
If you have not downloaded the Zoom app first and just click the link the session host has provided you may be prompted to download the Zoom app. Follow the instructions on your screen to do this. If this does not happen follow the instructions at the start of this sheet to download the Zoom app.
If you can’t see or hear the other people in the session your video and/or your microphone is switched off. Find the video camera icon and/or microphone icon at the bottom of the screen and turn the relevant one on.
If you are still unable to hear and/or see the people in the session there may be an issue with your settings. Here you will need to come off the session and open up the settings on your device. Find the apps option and find Zoom in the list of apps. Open this up and look for permission and ensure that camera and microphone are selected.
Accessibility Options
Closed Captioning
Transcripts and automated or manual captioning offer access to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and can be helpful to people with other disabilities. Zoom can automatically generate real-time captions, displaying spoken words as text on the screen. It’s like having a silent interpreter at every conversation.
Screen Reader Support
Zoom is compatible with screen readers and provides customized information through them. Screen readers convert text and interface elements into speech, offering richer context and significantly improving the user experience for people who are blind or who have low vision or cognitive difficulties with visual reading.
Zoom integrates with popular screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver to provide audio descriptions of interface elements and ongoing actions, and to narrate information about the currently focused element, such as button labels, participant names, and chat messages.
Braille Devices
Zoom offers a thorough set of accessibility options for visually impaired and blind users. Some Braille note-taking devices can be connected to a computer and used to take notes during a Zoom meeting. The notes can then be transferred back to the device for later reading.
If you have an autistic loved one of any age and are struggling, you can book onto our free information sessions on the Autism Central Website here. Or use this link to arrange a free 1-2-1 support call with us.
