Google Meet Accessibility

Google Meet is very accessible for screen reader users on both desktop and mobile and most tasks can be performed by screen readers.

Mobile: iOS

One known issue on mobile: the screen reader focus jumps around, making it difficult to read captions.

Logging In

Meet falls under the Google suite of mobile apps, so if you have signed into an app already, you will be signed in when launching the app.

If you have not yet launched any Google app, the only option will be a Sign In button. When this is selected, you are presented with a web area where you fill in your username and password, which will sign you into Meets as well as any future Google apps you install.

Main Screen

Once you are logged in, there are buttons on the screen to create a new meeting, join a meeting with a code, and view all upcoming meetings on Google Calendar. You can also adjust audio options from this screen.

In a Meeting

Once you are in a meeting, the screen is divided into thirds:

  • The top third of the screen presents the options for audio and video, leaving the meeting, and a More options button that allows you to present your screen.
  • The middle third of the screen contains three tabs: People, Chat, and Details. The tab order is set up properly in Meet.
  • The bottom third of the screen includes information based on which of the tabs is selected. A list of people in the meeting is displayed by default.

If you select the Chat tab, a list of messages is displayed below the tab group.

If you select Details, information is displayed on how to join the meeting, including a phone number and a link.

If you touch the top left corner of the app, you can use the VoiceOver gesture (flick right) to move through the items in the top third of the screen, followed by the tab group, followed by the items available on the selected tab.

Desktop: Windows or Mac

Logging In

On desktop, one option is to Join as a guest, at which point you can enter a meeting code. Alternatively, you can select Sign In and log in with your uniqname and UMICH password.

Main Screen

Once you are signed in, you can create a meeting, join a meeting, or adjust settings.

If you select Settings, you are taken into a multipage dialog with an Audio tab and a Video tab. This functions like a standard dialog: you can use (Tab) and (Shift + Tab) to navigate through controls and use (Left Arrow) and (Right Arrow) when on the tab group to switch tabs.

You can enter a meeting by selecting the Join Now button on Windows.

In a Meeting

Once you have selected a meeting, entered a code, or started creating a meeting, you have the options to turn off and on the camera and microphone, present your screen, or join by phone. All these controls are standard buttons or buttons which bring up menus. These menus can be navigated with the (Up Arrow) and (Down Arrow) keys.

Once you are in the call, there are buttons to show participant options, chat with other users, turn the camera and microphone on and off, turn captions on and off, and leave the meeting.

If you open Chat or Show participant options, you are taken into a new section of the window that contains a tab panel. In both cases, it is the same tab panel with two tabs; however, each button opens the panel with the matching tab selected initially. To close this panel, you may need to press (Escape) twice to exit due to Windows screen readers being in forms mode: one press of the (Tab) key exits forms mode, and the second closes the panel.

There are also buttons that open menus to present your screen and adjust settings. Press (Enter) on these to navigate the menus with the arrow keys.

One item that is helpful in the More Options menu is Record Meeting, which allows you to record a meeting and save it to Google Drive.

  • If you select Record meeting from the menu, a dialog is displayed where you must accept a message verifying that you received consent from everyone in the meeting to record. Once accepted, the recording begins and this is verified by a sound.
  • You can stop recording from the More Options menu. A sound will be played afterward verifying that you want to stop recording in the resulting dialog.
  • The More Options menu also contains the option to open help for Meets. This will open in a new tab when selected.