For individuals with mobility or vision disabilities, keyboard shortcuts can be easier than using the touchscreen and are an essential alternative to using a mouse.
Here are a few common keyboard shorts to use with Microsoft Teams
| Accept video call | Ctrl+Shift+A |
| Accept audio call | Ctrl+Shift+S |
| Decline call | Ctrl+Shift+D |
| Raise or lower your hand | Ctrl+Shift+K |
| Toggle video | Ctrl+Shift+O |
| Toggle mute | Ctrl+Shift+M |
Finding multiple keys difficult to press
For people who find pressing multiple keys at the same time challenging, Autohotkey allows you to remap a keyboard shortcut to just one key. So for example you could remap the function key F2 to Ctrl+Shift+A and so answer an incoming video call by pressing the F2 key instead.
Another alternative is to have a dedicated switch to send the shortcut.
Switch interface
A wireless Bluetooth option is the Puck.js. This is a microcontroller which can be programmed as a Bluetooth Keyboard. Keyboard shortcuts can then be setup to activate when the switch is pressed. This video below shows a Puck.js that has been setup for a short press to send a Ctrl+Shift+K (that is: a short press raises or lowers the speaker’s hand on a Teams call) while a long press will send a Ctrl+Shift+M (turns on/off the individual’s microphone)
Or another alterative using the eneso enCore is a neat little USB switch interface that can be configured to work in various different modes. Simple setup software allows you to programme the device to appear to the PC as a mouse, keyboard or joystick.
Although there are some differences with the shortcuts used between the In the Teams Desktop app and the Web app, most are the same. A full list of the shortcuts is available here.
The good: Microsoft Teams shortcuts provide a way for peoples with mobility or vision disabilities to easily access all the Microsoft Teams features
The not so good: There are some differences with the shortcuts used between the Teams Desktop App and the Web app.
The verdict: To fully benefit using Microsoft Teams, being able to access all the features is important. Use of Autohotkey or a switch interface can make accessing these features even easier for users with mobility or vision disabilities.
Have a look here how to command Microsoft Teams Client with global hotkeys or a launcher: https://tdalon.github.io/ahk/Teams-PowerTools
Hi Thierry,
Thanks for leaving a comment. Apologies for the delay replying. I’ve looked into your PowerTools before and thought they had great potential for people with physical access difficulties. I’ve dabbled a little with AutoHotKey in the past and it’s a powerful tool but a little too technical for many people who work to support people with disabilities. We’d love if you had time to write a blog post for us here an ATandMe about how PowerTools can help with access?
Kind regards,
Karl