About the type of headphones to use with Zoom and a screen reader, I'm 
curious to hear people's thoughts on that.


At home, my usual Zoom setup is a Windows 10 desktop with a 3.5 jack 
headset. This works great 95% of the time. Every once in a while, in the 
middle of something important, of course, bad things happen, and the 
headset stops working properly. I've used different models, so I don't 
think the problem is the headset per se.


Another home setup is Zoom on an Android with a Bluetooth headset or 
with 3.5-jack headphones. This works fine about 90% of the time. 
problems are more likely to occur with the Bluetooth. Part of that is 
that Android Bluetooth is buggy in some versions. I am paranoid about 
Bluetooth batteries dying and about the connection dropping, both of 
which have happened, so Bluetooth tends to be my second choice and 
something I use mostly at home.


At work, my setup is a Windows 10 laptop with a USB headset. I tried 
several 3.5-jack and USB headsets, and after a week or so, each failed 
at some crucial moment. Finally, I broke down and bought the exact 
headset provided by my employer to colleagues on their desktop 
computers. It's the Logitech H570E, and I've never had a problem with it 
(knock on wood).

I'm still trying to figure out my work setup. When I use Zoom, I'm 
listening to a legal proceeding on Zoom, interpreting into another 
language into a telephone, and trying to control the screen reader so 
that it doesn't disrupt what's going on or block what I'm listening to. 
Until the middle of last week, Two of us were sharing an office. Now 
that we've been moved into separate spaces, I'm thinking about sending 
the screen reader to an external speaker at a low volume. I found a 
little USB computer speaker on Amazon, so I'm going to experiment.

On 3/8/2021 8:03 AM, Duane Farrar wrote:
> Thanks, Everyone, for the feedback. I have a follow-up question: Do 
> you think it is better to go with wired (3.5 MM or USB) or wireless 
> (presumably Bluetooth) headsets and microphones?
>
> Thanks,
> Duane
>
>
> On 3/7/2021 7:48 PM, Ana G wrote:
>> I've thought about ordering this external sound card to help me with 
>> my Zoom issue, but I don't think it would work for what I'm trying to 
>> do. As I understand it, I'd have to wear two sets of headphones, one 
>> to hear the screen reader coming from the sound card and another to 
>> hear and speak into Zoom on the computer.
>>
>>
>> I do think that what the host does affects how my computer behaves. 
>> For example, when I Zoom with friends, I can use a microphone without 
>> a headset, and things seem to work well. When people try doing that 
>> at work, we all hear echos and other feedback.
>>
>>
>> On 3/7/2021 2:35 PM, Steve Hoad wrote:
>>> What about this idea?
>>> It is a 2 channel device that plugs in your USB port from AT Guys.
>>>   Aluminum USB Sound Adapter for Windows/Mac + USB Extension Cabl•
>>> Model: usb-sound3
>>> • Shipping Weight: 0.45lbs
>>> • Manufactured by: generic
>>> $12.00
>>> Now packaged with a handy USB extension cable, for more flexibility.
>>> Have you ever wished you could play music or audio without the chatter
>>> of your screen reader going over the speakers? Do you want an
>>> affordable audio device to take with you while you travel? Our
>>> affordable USB sound card is easy to use and is the solution for your
>>> portable audio needs.
>>> About the size of a thumb drive, our plug and play USB audio device is
>>> compatible with both Windows (XP or later), Mac, and Linux. Simply
>>> plug the device into an available USB port and your computer will
>>> usually recognize the card and set it up in seconds. It comes with
>>> both speaker and microphone jacks and has sturdy aluminum housing.
>>> Includes a 90-day warranty against defects.
>>> Plus, we've included a 6-inch USB extension cable. Now, you can plug
>>> in our USB sound card, and not cover up any nearby ports.
>>> Features
>>> • 3D stereo USB audio adapter.
>>> • USB 2.0 Hi-Speed specification.
>>> • Compatible with USB 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0
>>> • Connectors: USB type A, 3.5MM stereo output jack, 3.5MM microphone
>>> input jack.
>>> • No external power required.
>>> • Plug & Play, no drivers needed.
>>> System requirements
>>> • Windows: XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 (Both 32-bit & 64-bit versions)
>>> • Mac OS 8.6 or above
>>> • 6-inch USB extension cable included
>>>   Web: 
>>> https://www.atguys.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=277
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 3/6/21, Ana G <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>> I think the topic of Zoom with screen readers is complicated. I use 
>>>> Zoom
>>>> at work with a headset and microphone, and other people still hear the
>>>> screen reader.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The version of Windows 10 I'm running at work is not current, so
>>>> Narrator is buggier. On that version of Narrator, I don't have the
>>>> option to send the screen reader to a different sound card.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Mostly I use NVDA with Zoom at work, and after much searching, I 
>>>> finally
>>>> found the commands for changing The soundcard for NVDA. The command is
>>>> NVDA+ctrl+s, then tab once. I'll have an opportunity to try it next 
>>>> week.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> At home, I've experimented with Jaws and the Soundcard settings, which
>>>> are located in the Jaws Utility menu. Sometimes it works, but not 
>>>> always.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The long and the short of it is that I suspect some behavior is
>>>> determined by the host.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> To make my life easier I do the following:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sometimes, I turn the screen reader off once I'm in the session. This
>>>> isn't idea, especially if I have to keep track of things like 
>>>> chats, but
>>>> sometimes it's more practicable.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sometimes I just prepare to tap the ctrl button as needed. I've found
>>>> that some screen-reader chatter is not unwelcome. For example, many
>>>> people don't mind hearing that someone came or left the meeting. But a
>>>> lot of screen reader chatter is disruptive, so I tap the ctrl key
>>>> frequently.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Most of the time, I use the headset controls to mute myself. I have a
>>>> Logitech; I think it's an H540. I hit the headset mute button as 
>>>> soon as
>>>> I know I'm in the call. Then I can explore the screen, adjust 
>>>> settings,
>>>> and listen to my screen reader all I want. When it's time for me to
>>>> speak, I unmute using the headset and immediately tap the ctrl key to
>>>> stop people from hearing that I'm unmuted.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> What I do depends on the specific situation.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 3/5/2021 10:59 PM, Albert Ruel wrote:
>>>>> Zoom meetings done with a screen reader should always have a 
>>>>> headset and
>>>>> microphone, either built-in or separate. It’s the only way to 
>>>>> isolate the
>>>>> screen reader sound from your voice input.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thx, Albert
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mar 5, 2021, at 6:40 AM, Duane Farrar <[log in to unmask]> 
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi All,
>>>>>
>>>>> I have a Windows 10 desktop PC computer running JAWS 2021 as my 
>>>>> screen
>>>>> reader. I have a USB webcam that also acts as my microphone. It is 
>>>>> mounted
>>>>> on top of my 23-inch display screen. On either side of the display 
>>>>> screen
>>>>> are my separate speakers for the computer's audio output. These are
>>>>> connected to and powered by a separate sub-woofer box underneath 
>>>>> my desk.
>>>>> These speakers connect to the computer's sound card in the back of 
>>>>> the
>>>>> desktop box via a standard 3.5 MM jack. There are also available 
>>>>> jacks for
>>>>> speakers/headphones and microphones on the front of the desktop unit.
>>>>>
>>>>> When I am connected to a Zoom session my webcam microphone will 
>>>>> pick up
>>>>> the computer speaker audio and this is often problematic when I am 
>>>>> trying
>>>>> to use JAWS to navigate around the screen or JAWS is reporting 
>>>>> things that
>>>>> are happening on the screen, such as a new user joining the 
>>>>> meeting or
>>>>> updates in the chat and Q&A areas. Everyone else connected to the 
>>>>> meeting
>>>>> can also hear this audio output so I usually have to mute my computer
>>>>> unless I need to speak, which can be a real annoyance, especially 
>>>>> in an
>>>>> animated discussion with friends.
>>>>>
>>>>> How have others solved this problem? Should I acquire a pair of 
>>>>> headphones
>>>>> with a built-in microphone, or even a separate USB microphone? Can 
>>>>> I route
>>>>> the JAWS output to the headphones and other computer audio to the 
>>>>> external
>>>>> speakers? What are your recommendations?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Duane
>>>>>
>>>>>
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