Tech Tips for Accessibility

Enhancing Your iPhone and Virtual Meeting Experience with Siri and Zoom

Siri: A Powerful Tool for Accessibility on iPhone

For iPhone users, Siri can assist with many common phone actions such as making calls, answering calls, hanging up, and reading out text messages, emails, and your calendar! Here are some useful Siri tips for iOS 17.5.1:

1. Use Siri to Hang Up Calls (iOS 17.5.1)

Siri now has the ability to hang up phone and FaceTime calls.

• How to Set It Up:
  1. Go to Settings > Siri & Search
  2. Toggle on Call Hang Up
• To Use: After a call or FaceTime, say, “Hey Siri, Hang Up.”

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2. Answer Calls Using Siri (iOS 17.5.1)

If you’re unable to reach your phone when someone calls, Siri can help you answer the call hands-free.

• How to Answer: Just say, “Hey Siri, Answer Call.”
• Important:
  If your phone is locked, ensure you allow Siri access when the phone is locked:
  • Settings > Siri & Search > Allow Siri When Locked (Toggle On)

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3. Make a Phone Call on Speaker (iOS 17.5.1)

You can easily ask Siri to place a phone call using the speakerphone function.

• To Call on Speaker: Say, “Hey Siri, Call [Name] on speaker.”

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4. Have Siri Read Your Schedule (Non-VoiceOver Users) (iOS 17.5.1)

If you don’t use VoiceOver, Siri will only tell you the number of events in your schedule, not the specifics.

• To Hear Your Full Schedule: Be specific and say, “Hey Siri, Read me my schedule” or “Hey Siri, Read me my schedule for today.”
• Note:
  If you use VoiceOver, Siri will always read your full schedule automatically.

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5. Use Speak Screen (iOS 17.5.1)

Having trouble using Siri to read emails, text messages, or voicemails? Siri’s Speak Screen feature can help.

• To Activate Speak Screen: Say, “Hey Siri, Speak Screen.”
  Siri will read aloud all visible text on the screen.

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Zoom Keyboard Shortcuts: Enhance Your Virtual Meetings

Zoom is an essential tool for virtual meetings and webinars. Knowing a few keyboard shortcuts can make your experience more efficient. Here are some useful commands:

1. Mute/Unmute Your Microphone

One of the most frequently used shortcuts! Quickly toggle your microphone on or off with:

• Windows: Press Alt + A
• Mac: Press Command + Shift + A
• Temporary Unmute (Windows & Mac): Press and hold the Spacebar to unmute, and release it to go back on mute. This is great for quick comments or when you forget other key commands.

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2. Toggle Video On/Off

Need privacy for a few moments or prefer not to be on video? Toggle your camera easily:

• Windows: Press Alt + V
• Mac: Press Command + Shift + V

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3. Raise/Lower Your Hand

If you want to ask a question or signal that you want to speak, use the Raise Hand feature:

• Windows: Press Alt + Y
• Mac: Press Option + Y
• Note:
  Press once to raise your hand, and again to lower it.
• Gesture Recognition:
  If enabled by the meeting organizer, you can raise your hand or give a thumbs-up using gestures visible to your camera. This feature works if the organizer has enabled it and the device is compatible.

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4. Increase Font in Chat

Make chat messages more readable by increasing the font size:

• Windows: Press Control + Plus (+)
• Mac: Press Command + Plus (+)

You can increase the font up to 200% for better visibility.

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Conclusion

With these tips for using Siri and Zoom shortcuts, you can improve accessibility, productivity, and efficiency while navigating your iPhone or participating in virtual meetings. Make sure to explore your Settings > Accessibility for even more tools to enhance your experience.