Zoom has become an indispensable tool in many people's lives, and now Zoom is making it more accessible Zoom has announced new features, such as multi-pinning and gallery view reordering, aimed at making its video conferencing service easier for the hearing and visually impaired .

The new multi-pinning feature allows Zoom users to keep multiple video windows in place. This allows the speaker and sign language interpreter to remain in the same place throughout the entire meeting.

The new multi-spotlight option works similarly, except that the host can designate up to nine spotlight videos for all conference participants.

Zoom has updated its popular gallery view, which displays conference participants in a grid. Users can now drag and drop the position of each video window to sort them in custom order.

Zoom has also improved existing accessibility settings such as keyboard shortcuts, closed captioning, and screen readers.

Zoom worked with A11Y and other groups that promote digital accessibility and inclusion to develop these new features. The update coincides with International Sign Language Day, September 23.

Damien Hooper-Campbell, Zoom's chief diversity officer, said the service is embarking on a social media campaign to "raise awareness" about the feature. He told USA Today that it is for the entire Zoom community, regardless of ability, "not just those who directly benefit."

Other video calling services offer accessibility options as well. With Apple's release of iOS 14 last week, FaceTime now automatically detects whether a person is using American Sign Language (ASL) and displays their video front and center; Google Meet and Skype now offer real-time closed captioning and transcription. provided.