Adding interpreters and captioners to your Teams meeting

Please note that interpreters and captioners currently do not have full access to Microsoft Office 365. This means that even though they can access your Blackboard course, they cannot use the Microsoft Education dashboard in your course.

Giving interpreters or captioners access to your meeting

Method 1:

1. In your meeting list, select the three dots to the right of the meeting name and choose Copy join link from the dropdown menu.

2. Send the link to the interpreter/captioner.

Method 2:

1. When creating or editing your meeting, add the interpreter or captioner’s email directly in the invited attendee field.

2. The interpreter or captioner will receive an email with the join link.

If you have already created your meeting and invited your students and you add the captioner or interpreter by editing your meeting, your students will get an additional email notification.

Finding your interpreter or captioner’s email address

1. In the Details & Actions menu on the right, click Roster.

2. All course participants will display in this list.

3. Find their name and click the three dots (…) on the right.

 4. Select Edit member information.

5. Click the down arrow beside Account Information.

6. Copy the email address.

Joining the Teams meeting

When interpreters and captioners click on the Teams meeting link, they will be prompted to choose to join via the browser or the app. We recommend that if they do not have Douglas College credentials, they should join Teams meetings via the browser without signing in to Teams.

Once they open the meeting in a browser, they can enter their name and click Join now.

If your settings do not allow the interpreter or captioner to bypass the lobby, click on People on your top navigation and click the checkmark to the right of their name to allow them to join the meeting. They will appear as “Unverified”.

Limitations with Microsoft Whiteboard: Attendees who enter meetings via the browser are not able to see or access a Microsoft Whiteboard. If it’s necessary for the interpreter or captioner to see the Microsoft Whiteboard, ask them to re-enter the meeting. The Whiteboard must be shared before they enter the meeting.

Ensuring your interpreters can access Breakout Rooms: Please communicate to your interpreters and captioners without DC credentials that they should enter a Teams meeting via the browser using the link emailed to them (they should NOT sign into Teams). In this way you will be able to add them to breakout rooms with their students.

Pinning interpreters and captioners

Students can pin their interpreter or captioner by navigating to Participants, clicking on the three dots to the right of their name and selecting Pin for me. This pins the individual just for that student, so that they are always visible.