My Account
Closed captioning icons repeated throughout the image
Closed captioning icons repeated throughout the image

How to Use Live Captions When Teaching

I recently taught the faith elective at the adult day program at my church First Christian Day Services. When I got set up with my PowerPoint and started teaching a worker at the day program stopped me and asked, “How are you using live closed captions?” She did not know this was even possible and […]

I recently taught the faith elective at the adult day program at my church First Christian Day Services. When I got set up with my PowerPoint and started teaching a worker at the day program stopped me and asked, “How are you using live closed captions?” She did not know this was even possible and I am guessing many of you don’t either.

This feature is an incredibly helpful accessibility feature for individuals with hearing impairments.

Let me teach you how it works in PowerPoint.

After you create a presentation. Select “Slide Show” and click “From Beginning”. You will see a row of icons at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. Click on the icon that is to the right of the search icon. It looks like a mini laptop with a keyboard. Once you do that your live captioning will show up on the bottom of your presentation screen if you are connected to Wi-Fi. If you are not connected to Wi-Fi this option will not work.

Screenshot from a PowerPoint presentation on using live closed captioning.

If you do not routinely use PowerPoint no worries! There are other options for live closed captioning. See below.

You can use live closed captioning in a classroom to assist individuals with hearing impairments by utilizing various tools and technologies, such as:

  1. Microsoft PowerPoint Live Captions – PowerPoint offers built-in live captioning that transcribes speech in real-time during presentations. Learn more.
  2. Google Slides Live Captions – Google Slides provides automatic captions during presentations, displaying spoken words as text at the bottom of the screen. Learn more.
  3. Otter.ai – This app provides live transcription and can be used on a computer or mobile device to display captions in real time. Learn more.
  4. Ava – A real-time captioning app that helps transcribe speech for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Learn more.
  5. Web Captioner – A free browser-based tool that provides live captions using a microphone. Learn more.
  6. Zoom or Google Meet Live Captions – If teaching remotely or using video conferencing, both platforms offer built-in live captioning features. Learn more.
  7. Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) Devices – Some classrooms use ASR technology to provide real-time captions on a screen for students. Learn more.

These tools help ensure accessibility and enhance the learning experience for individuals with hearing impairments.

Originally posted February 19, 2025

About Ryan Wolfe:

It is Ryan's passion to equip and empower churches, organizations, and individuals to reach their disability communities for Jesus. Ryan comes to Ability Ministry with 15+ years of ministry experience. He previously worked at First Christian Church in Canton, Ohio as their full-time Disability Pastor. He also worked as a Church Consultant for Key Ministry. Micah 6:8 and Proverbs 31:8 best describe Ryan's commitment to life and ministry.
Read more by Ryan Wolfe

Was this helpful to you?
Help provide more content like this to churches, ministry leaders, and parents.

Because Jesus' table is accessible for everyone...

We desire to see the Church make room for all people affected by disability. To fully participate. To fully partner. To fully lead.

We exist to equip and empower the 25% of the population with a disability, their families, and their churches to become who God has created them to be.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get our latest news, articles, and resources delivered to your inbox.
Subscription Form

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

You can unsubscribe any time. We will never send spam.
Ability Ministry is an EFCA Accredited nonprofit
© 2025 Ability Ministry. All rights reserved.
crosschevron-down