Zoom is the preferred video conferencing platform for ASL interpreter services. The software makes it easy for the host to add interpreters to their video conference calls. The host can designate individual guests as interpreters during a Zoom session. This activates an interpretation feature so that participants can see the language associated with each interpreter on the call.
Deaf participants benefit from the software too. Zoom allows the participants to increase the ASL interpreter video feed size to see the picture more clearly. This comes in handy for deaf people who need to see the ASL interpreter’s hands better as they do their signing.
When you’re ready to add remote ASL interpreters to your Zoom conference meeting, please follow the five steps below to get started.
1) Setup the Language Interpretation Session
There are some prerequisites to adding language interpreters to a Zoom call. You need either a Business, Pro, Enterprise, or Education account, along with the Webinar add-on feature as part of your plan. You’ll also need to download the Zoom mobile app onto your iOS or Android device. If you have Windows or macOS, you can download the Zoom desktop version for it.
Sign in to your Zoom account and choose “Settings.” Below the “In Meeting (Advanced)” heading, click the digital switch next to “Language Interpretation” to activate it. Some people might not see this feature if they have a different version of Zoom. In that case, contact customer support for assistance.
2) Add the ASL Language
Zoom gives you nine languages by default on your language interpretation setup. Click the + sign to add the ASL language. You’ll have to type in the name manually. After it’s added, select the name of the language from the drop-down menu. Click “Add.” Now you should see the language listed amongst the default languages.
3) Add the Email Address
You can add your language service provider’s email address for the ASL language when scheduling the meeting. If you have many participants and you have more than one interpreter, you’ll need the ASL interpreters’ email addresses who will participate in your Zoom conference meeting. It will then generate a separate URL address for each interpreter to use for their scheduled meetup on the Zoom call.
4) Add the Interpreters
Click on “Schedule a Meeting” underneath the Meetings heading. You will see a Meeting ID number. Click on the button “Generate Automatically” that is next to it. Zoom requires you to use this setting for language interpretation calls. Now click on the box next to the words “Enable Language Interpretation.”
You should see an email address box with a default email address inside it. Next to the box are two drop-down boxes. The first drop-down box states “English” by default. That is the language being interpreted. The second drop-down box is for the interpretation language, which will be ASL in this case. Choose ASL from that drop-down box.
Now add the email address of the ASL interpreter in the email address box. If you have a second ASL interpreter to add, click the “+ Add Interpreter” to add a new row of boxes to fill out for the next interpreter. Typically, these create separate audio channels for the stream, so you don’t need to see the interpreter’s video. But because this is ASL, you’ll need to have the interpreter’s video activated to see the signing.
5) End the Meeting
When you’re done with the interpretation session, go to the meeting controls area and click on “Interpretation.” It will cause the Language Interpretation Window to pop up on the screen. Now click the word “End” to end all the activate video sessions immediately. Choose “Manage Language Interpretation” to modify the interpreter settings as you see fit. Experiment with the controls to make the experience work better for your needs.