Accessibility Options and Setup

Relational connection centers inclusivity and accessibility. When we have access to knowledge and experiences, we grow and learn. And technology can facilitate or hinder that access.

There is considerable tension at the intersection of digital privacy and accessibility. Live captions and transcription services typically work by sending audio to a server, where a third party (tech company, government agency, a hacker) could potentially access the content of your session. And no affordable, HIPAA-compliant, small tech, open source, self-hostable, AI-free platform has found a way around this.

My current setup is an attempt to center both accessibility and privacy, with a bit of frontloading to get things working. I hope you can discern what your good-enough accessibility pathways are to participate in session, while acknowledging and mitigating the limitations as best we can.

Learn more about disability justice, access intimacy (here and here), and the privileging of whiteness.

Session Platform

Nextcloud Talk — privacy-first and self-hosted. Keyboard navigation, high contrast, dyslexia font. Screen reader support: supported. No built-in captions; captions are self-managed (they work through your browser or OS, and setup is required). Read about Nextcloud's Universal Access.

All external links open in a new tab.

If you'd like to test the technology before our first session, you're welcome to schedule an Accessibility Tech Session with me. We'll set up the technology you want to test together and troubleshoot anything that isn't working. There is no financial contribution required for this meeting.

Schedule an Accessibility Tech Session →

Live Captions

for Nextcloud Talk

Desktop Browser Integrations

Google Chrome Well Supported

Chrome has built-in live captions that work with any audio playing in the browser, including Nextcloud Talk accessed via the web.

Open Chrome and go to Settings (three dots, top right)
Click Accessibility
Turn on Live Caption
The first time you enable it, Chrome will download a small language file
Captions will appear at the bottom of the browser window during any call

Captions are generated on your device. Google does not receive your audio.

Microsoft Edge Well Supported

Edge also has built-in live captions, similar to Chrome.

Open Edge and go to Settings (three dots, top right)
Click Accessibility
Turn on Live Captions
Edge will download a language file on first use
Captions appear at the bottom of the browser window

Like Chrome, captions are processed locally on your device.

Safari (macOS) Use OS Captions

Safari does not have its own live caption feature. Use macOS system captions instead — they work with Safari and any other app on your Mac.

See the macOS section below for setup instructions.

Other Browsers Use OS Captions

If your preferred browser isn't listed here, it likely doesn't have a built-in caption feature. Use your operating system's captions instead — they work system-wide regardless of which browser or app you're using.

See the Operating System section below for setup instructions.

Operating System Integrations

Windows 11 Well Supported

Windows 11 includes Live Captions system-wide. They work with any app or browser, including the Nextcloud Talk desktop app.

Press Windows + Ctrl + L to toggle Live Captions on and off
Alternatively: go to Settings → Accessibility → Captions and turn on Live Captions
On first use, Windows downloads a language file
A caption bar appears at the top or bottom of your screen

Windows processes captions on your device. Microsoft does not receive your audio when using this feature.

macOS Ventura and later Well Supported

macOS Ventura (13) and later includes Live Captions system-wide. Works with any browser or the Nextcloud Talk desktop app.

Go to System Settings → Accessibility → Live Captions
Turn on Live Captions
macOS will download a language file on first use
A caption window appears on screen during any audio

Captions are processed on your device by Apple's on-device speech recognition.

Linux Supported

Linux does not include a built-in live caption tool. The easiest path is to use Chrome or Edge on Linux, both of which support browser-level Live Captions (see browser sections above).

If you prefer to stay with Firefox or Brave, reach out before our first session and we can figure out a setup that works for you.

iOS — iPhone & iPad Limited

iOS 16 and later includes Live Captions system-wide. It works with Nextcloud Talk via the browser or its app.

Go to Settings → Accessibility → Live Captions
Turn on Live Captions
A caption overlay will appear during calls

Limitations: iOS Live Captions is less accurate than desktop, and accuracy may vary with accents or background noise. It is labeled by Apple as a beta feature and is not available in all regions.

Android Limited

Android 10 and later includes Live Captions system-wide, originally on Pixel devices but now broadly available across most Android phones.

Go to Settings → Accessibility → Live Caption
Turn on Live Caption
A caption bubble appears during any audio or call
You can also access it quickly via the volume panel — tap the caption icon when adjusting volume

Limitations: Availability and accuracy vary by device manufacturer and Android version. Some devices may not support it even on Android 10+.

Screen Readers

Nextcloud Talk Supported

Nextcloud Talk aims for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance and includes keyboard navigation and screen reader support via the web interface. It is a viable privacy-first alternative to Zoom for screen reader users.

Screen reader support is via the web interface. The mobile apps do not have declared accessibility features.

AI usage: This page was built with the assistance of claude.ai. The technical content, structure, and HTML were written by Claude. The informational and values paragraphs were a collaboration between Claude and Dr. Perri.