In short
Send the agenda and any names or terms in advance, turn captions on during the meeting, keep a transcript so what was missed can be checked afterwards, and name a person to write down decisions and actions. Ask the person what works for them; automatic captions and transcripts make mistakes.
Good meeting notes for someone who is hard of hearing start before the meeting and continue after it. Send the agenda, names and specialist terms in advance; turn on captions during the meeting; keep a transcript so anything missed can be checked afterwards; and name one person to write down decisions and action items. Above all, ask the person what works for them. Hearing loss varies, and so do the answers.
This guide covers each stage and the tools that help at each. Automatic captions and transcripts make mistakes; where they are not good enough, the answer is a human captioner or interpreter, and the guide says when.
Make a meeting work for someone hard of hearing
- Ask what helps. Before the first meeting, ask the person privately what they need: captions, a transcript, an interpreter, seating, cameras on, or something else.
- Send an agenda in advance. Include names of attendees, product names, acronyms and numbers that will come up. Knowing the words makes them easier to follow and to correct in captions.
- Turn on captions. Use the call app's captions or macOS Live Captions, whichever the person prefers.
- Run the meeting for listening. One speaker at a time; say your name before speaking in a large meeting; cameras on and faces lit for lip-reading; no talking while screen-sharing a video.
- Name a note-taker. Someone other than the chair writes decisions and action items as they happen.
- Keep a transcript, with everyone's knowledge, so what was missed can be read afterwards.
- Send the notes promptly, with the transcript available on request.
Before the meeting
Most of the difficulty in following a meeting comes from surprises: a name you did not catch, a term you did not know, a change of topic without warning. An agenda removes many of them.
- List the topics in order, so the change from one to the next is expected.
- List names and terms: attendees, clients, products, acronyms. Captions misrecognise names more than anything else; knowing the right name lets the reader correct it in their head.
- Share slides or documents before the meeting, not only on screen during it.
- Check the room or call setup. A good microphone for each speaker helps everyone, including the captions.
During the meeting
Captions
Live captions on screen let the person read what they cannot hear. The options on a Mac are macOS Live Captions, the call app's captions, and a notetaker's live transcript; live captions for meetings on a Mac compares them and shows how to turn each on. All three are automatic and make mistakes, mostly with names, numbers, accents and people talking over each other.
How people speak
These help the person, the captions and everyone else:
- One person at a time. Crosstalk is hard to follow and nearly impossible for automatic captions.
- Names before speaking in larger meetings, so captions and listeners know who is talking.
- Faces visible. Cameras on, light in front of people rather than behind them, hands away from mouths.
- Close microphones. In a room, one microphone far away hears the room more than the speakers.
- Pause at decisions. "So we have agreed…" gives everyone a moment to catch up.
A human captioner or interpreter
For meetings where every word matters, automatic captions are not enough. A human captioner (CART) types what is said in real time, and a sign language interpreter translates for people who use sign language. Both need booking. If the meeting is at work, arranging one can be part of a reasonable accommodation or adjustment; meeting transcripts as a workplace accommodation explains how those requests generally work.
After the meeting
Captions vanish as the meeting moves on. A transcript lets the person check what they missed, at their own pace, without asking someone to repeat it.
- A transcript is the full text of what was said. It is automatic too, with the same kinds of mistakes, but it can be read slowly, searched and checked against the recording. Why meeting transcripts get names and numbers wrong explains where it will need care.
- Notes from a named note-taker cover what must be certain: decisions, owners, dates, changes to plans. They are shorter than a transcript and checked by a person.
- A chance to ask. Invite questions about anything unclear. That is easier in writing for many people.
If the meeting is recorded to make a transcript, everyone in it should know. Say so at the start, say why, and say who will see the transcript.
What notes should contain
| Part | Why it matters here |
|---|---|
| Decisions, in full sentences | The thing most costly to miss |
| Action items: owner, task, date | So nobody relies on having heard their name |
| Changes to plans or dates | Often said once, quickly |
| Questions left open | So the person knows what is still undecided |
| Names and terms used | Corrected spellings, for reading the transcript |
How to take meeting notes covers note-taking in general.
If you are the person who is hard of hearing
Some of this you can do yourself:
- Ask for the agenda and the names in advance.
- Turn on captions on your own Mac, even if the meeting host does not; macOS Live Captions works with any call app.
- Keep your own transcript where the others agree to it, so you can check afterwards without asking.
- Ask for decisions in writing at the end of the meeting.
You do not have to explain your hearing to use any of these. At work, asking formally can bring more support, including human captioning.
Where Notey fits
Notey records your microphone and what your Mac plays as two tracks, and shows a live transcript of both sides on your screen as people speak. After the meeting the transcript stays on your Mac: every line plays from its timestamp, and ⌘K searches every meeting. For English meetings, Notey then reads the recording again on your Mac and keeps the words the recognisers agree on.
It is not a captioning service, and it is not certified as assistive technology for anyone's needs. It makes the same kinds of mistakes as other automatic transcription, and it transcribes in the Mac's language only. Use it alongside the other support in this guide, not instead of a human captioner where one is needed, and tell the people in the meeting that you are recording.
Frequently asked questions
How can I make meetings accessible for a colleague who is hard of hearing?
Ask them what helps. Common answers are an agenda in advance, captions on, one person speaking at a time, cameras on for lip-reading, a transcript afterwards and written notes of decisions. Every person's needs differ.
Are automatic captions enough for a deaf person?
Sometimes, for routine meetings, and not for meetings where every word matters. Automatic captions get names, numbers and crosstalk wrong. A human captioner or a sign language interpreter may be needed; ask the person.
Should I record the meeting to make a transcript?
If it helps and everyone in the meeting knows and agrees. Say at the start that it is recorded to produce a transcript, and who will see it.
What should notes for a hard-of-hearing colleague include?
Decisions, action items with owners and dates, and anything said that changed a plan, written by someone who was listening. A transcript fills in detail; the notes make sure the important parts are certain.
Why do speakers need to take turns?
Crosstalk is hard to follow by ear, to lip-read, and for automatic captions to transcribe. One speaker at a time, with names, helps everyone.