Skype introduces live captioning feature on one-to-one calls

Skype has introduced live captions and subtitles to the platform. — Microsoft

In honour of the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec 3, Skype launched a live call captioning feature to make the platform more accessible to more people. 

Just as digital platforms are reimagining their platforms to be more inclusive of a wider community, Skype, too, is joining the movement of bettering application accessibility with the introduction of a live captioning feature that launched Dec 3. 

As of this week, this new feature can be found within Skype's settings. When activated, the platform will automatically create live, scrolling captions and subtitles for one-on-one calls. Microsoft promises that soon, users will have the ability to scroll through the captions in a side window, instead of the text disappearing as the conversation continues. Additionally, over the next couple of weeks, Skype will be rolling out translations for over 20 languages within the platform. 

Just last week, Facebook-owned Instagram also improved the accessibility of the photo-sharing application by adding AI-developed or manually programmed alternative text for captions to assist those with visual impairments. 

This accessibility enhancement comes just two months after Microsoft's Windows 10 October update, which was incredibly heavy in Ease of Access updates; as of late, the company has a strong focus in improving accessibility and inclusivity on their products which is a necessity in these digital times. – AFP Relaxnews