You Shouldn’t Have to Ask for Captions—But I Still Do
Zoom Captions: The 30-Second Fix That Makes a Massive Difference
I start most Zoom meetings the same way.
And not by choice.
“Hey—can you turn captions on?”
“Here’s how to do it…”
Then I walk the host through a feature they didn’t even know existed.
It’s 2025. This should be default.
I shouldn’t have to ask.
But I still do—because otherwise I miss half of what they said.
And here’s the thing: I’m not the only one.
Captions don’t just help me.
They help:
People with hearing loss
People in noisy environments
People with auditory processing needs
People who retain information better by reading
People who are tired, distracted, overstimulated, or neurodivergent
People who will one day be disabled (yes, that includes you)
Captions aren’t just an accessibility “nice-to-have.” It’s a core feature that makes your business more inclusive and effective.
The 30-Second Fix: How to Turn Captions On in Zoom
If you’re hosting meetings, trainings, or workshops, do this before you send the invite.
In Your Zoom Account (Browser):
Log into your account at zoom.us
Go to Settings (left-hand menu)
Under In-Meeting (Advanced), enable:
Manual captions
Automated captions
Full transcript access
This sets it up so participants can turn on the captions on their end. If you don’t want to see them? You don’t have to. But the people who need them can.
Optional (But Recommended):
In your Zoom desktop app, go to:
Settings → Accessibility
Adjust font size, caption box placement, or colors to suit your needs
Accessibility Isn’t Hard—But It Does Have to Be Intentional
Most people don’t mean to exclude others. But if you’re not planning for access, you’re planning to leave people out.
And that’s not just a disability issue. That’s a leadership issue.
So, here’s your invitation:
Check your Zoom settings right now.
And if you’re ready to build accessibility into the systems behind your business?
Let’s stop asking—and start designing like people matter.
