Enabling sign language in Teams meetings

Maxime Hiez
Teams
26 Aug, 2025

Introduction

In its effort to make collaboration tools more accessible to everyone, Microsoft has announced the arrival of Sign Language mode in Microsoft Teams. This new feature aims to improve the experience of deaf or hard of hearing users by highlighting sign language interpreters during meetings.

A feature designed for inclusion

Sign language mode allows users to permanently fix the sign language interpreter in a visible position on the screen, usually in the center or in a priority area. Unlike traditional Teams dynamic display, which highlights the speakers, this mode ensures that the interpreter remains visible at all times, even if other participants are speaking.

This allows people who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow the meeting without visual interruption, which is essential for smooth and equitable communication.

How does it work ?

Sign language mode is a personal feature : each user can enable it for themselves, without impacting the display of other participants. Here’s how to use it :

Go to Teams’ Accessibility settings
Enable Sign Language mode
Add the interpreters or participants you want to see at all times
During a meeting, these people will be automatically focused and highlighted, with high-quality video and no overlay content

It is also possible to enable this mode temporarily during a meeting, via the accessibility menu in the meeting controls.

Integration with other accessibility features

Sign language mode integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft Teams accessibility tools, including :

Real-time captions
Automatic transcription
Text size control
High contrast theme

This holistic approach allows each user to tailor their work environment to their specific needs.

A step forward for digital accessibility

This feature was developed in collaboration with members of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) community and accessibility experts. It reflects Microsoft’s commitment to creating more inclusive tools, in line with Universal Design Principles and WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards.

Conclusion

With Sign language mode, Microsoft Teams takes another step toward truly inclusive meetings. By giving users the ability to customize their display to better follow interpreters, Microsoft is addressing a real need and improving the accessibility of its collaboration tools. This advancement has been welcomed by professionals, educators, and organizations committed to digital inclusion.