As a PhD student with low vision, I rely on my Outlook calendar to help me keep track of my schedule, stay organized, and attend virtual meetings and office hours with my professors and advisor. While it can be challenging for me to view an entire week’s worth of events in large print, using a daily calendar view and connecting my calendar to other applications has made it easier for me to access reminders so I can avoid being late or missing events entirely. For students with visual impairments who need to keep track of meetings or class schedules or that find themselves struggling to remember where they need to go next, here are the tips and strategies I use to keep track of my schedule with low vision.
Use booking links or scheduling links to add meetings to calendar
Instead of asking someone “what time are you free to meet?” or sending multiple back-and-forth emails trying to find a date and time that works, I strongly recommend sharing booking links or scheduling links so that others can choose a time that works for them. Tools like Microsoft Bookings and Google Calendar’s Appointment Scheduling feature allows users to set a list of dates or times they are available, so that others can choose a time/date and automatically generate a calendar invite and link. While this doesn’t work for scheduling a meeting with multiple people, it has been a game changer for scheduling meetings with my advisor or meeting with other students and faculty members in different time zones. To avoid surprise meetings, I recommend allowing users to schedule appointments at least one day in advance.
Many professors and staff members I have met will include a booking link or scheduling link in their email signature, or use links to schedule office hours either on-campus or virtually. Once a meeting is scheduled, both the host and attendee will receive a notification indicating that the meeting has been added to their calendar. Personally, I prefer to copy and paste my scheduling links and send them to specific people.
To set up a booking link with Microsoft Bookings and Microsoft Outlook Calendar:
- Sign into Microsoft Office (www.office.com) or Microsoft Outlook for the web
- Select the App Launcher, located at the top left side of the screen
- Select “More apps” and open Bookings. Alternatively, access Bookings using the following link: www.outlook.office.com/bookings
- On the home page, select “Create meeting type” for a personal booking page.
- Enter a title for the appointment schedule, which will be visible to anyone using the booking page.
- Specify the days and times that are available for appointments. Users can set recurring availability or set different time slots for different days.
- In Advanced Options, configure settings for buffer time between appointments and minimum notice required. Users can also set links to be public (anyone on booking page can view) or private.
- Select Save
- Copy the unique link for the booking page into an email or share with others.
To set up appointments and scheduling links with Google Calendar:
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Open Google Calendar
- Select the Create button in the top-left corner and select Appointment schedule
- Enter a title for the appointment schedule, which will be visible to anyone using the booking page.
- Select the duration for each appointment slot
- Specify the days and times that are available for appointments. Users can set recurring availability or set different time slots for different days.
- Configure settings for buffer time between appointments, maximum bookings per day, and minimum notice required.
- Add additional settings, such as the name of the person booking the appointment and whether others can be invited.
- Select Next, followed by Save
- Copy the unique link for the booking page into an email or share with others.
Related links
Add videoconferencing links to meeting location or description
For meetings that take place on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or similar, copy and paste the meeting link to either the event location or event description when adding a meeting to Outlook or Google Calendar. This is especially helpful if someone emails the meeting link separately, as this makes it easier to join the meeting without having to track down the email invitation first. Most of my professors use the same link for office hours and class meetings, so I can use the same link for the entire semester.
If I am meeting with someone, I will edit the meeting location and description to include my personal Zoom link so it is easier for both of us to join the call quickly. There are extensions for Google Calendar and Outlook that can automatically add meeting links to calendar invites, though I have personally had trouble getting this to work on my university email and typically add the links manually instead.
Related links
Connect calendar to Zoom to join meetings quickly
Connecting my calendar to Zoom has made it a lot easier for me to quickly join meetings or get reminders of when meetings will be starting. This is an automatic process for Google Calendar/Google Meet and Microsoft Outlook/Microsoft Teams, and Zoom users can connect their calendar by doing the following:
- Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
- Go to Profile.
- Under the Calendar and Contact Integration section, select Configure Calendar and Contacts Service.
- Select preferred calendar service (e.g., Google Calendar, Office 365, or Exchange) and select Next.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to grant Zoom access, granting permissions and authorizations if prompted. Once finished, the user will be redirected back to the Zoom web portal.
- Sign out and sign back into the Zoom desktop app to sync calendar events.
Since I have the Zoom app on my iPad and computer, I get notifications on both devices before the start of scheduled meetings, including time sensitive notifications that indicate when a meeting is about to begin.
Related links
- How I Take Notes During Video Lectures With Low Vision
- Choosing Custom Video Backgrounds For Low Vision Audiences
Create a note with frequently used meeting links
There are some people I meet with frequently that always use the same Zoom links, like my advisor, internship supervisor, and professors. When I have to schedule last-minute meetings or get invited to meetings on short notice, I have a note in my calendar with frequently used meeting links, which is added to the Notes section in Outlook and also saved in the Notes app on my devices. That way, I don’t have to search through my email to find meeting links, scroll through past events in my calendar, or go to the course website. This also makes it easier when I am scheduling meetings where I am not using my own meeting link, as I can copy/paste the links into new calendar events.
Make sure classes and standing appointments are documented
To avoid potential meeting conflicts, I add all of my classes and their meeting times to the calendar and include course websites or Zoom links so I can quickly join class or access materials if needed. I also make sure to note standing appointments or times where I will be away from my computer/phone for long periods of time to prevent meetings from being scheduled while I am away.
Related links
- How To Schedule College Classes
- College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
- Ten Questions To Ask When Choosing A Virtual Class
- How To Choose General Education Courses In College
Set reminders for meeting times
What time does that meeting start again? Adding reminders to my calendar for 1 day in advance, 30 minutes in advance, and 5 minutes in advance helps me transition between events and make sure I am at my computer before the meeting is set to begin. When I am scheduling my own meetings, I will often add buffer time before and/or after a meeting to set up or complete meeting-related tasks, but this is not always possible when I have back-to-back classes or a meeting right before class.
I set up meeting reminders to show notifications on my iPad and computer, both of which appear on my lock screen and provide auditory feedback five minutes before a meeting starts. I also have a 30-minute reminder on my phone, which is helpful if I am away from the computer.
More ideas for keeping track of schedules with low vision
- When it comes to keeping track of assignments and discussion board posts, I find it more useful to add due dates to a to-do list app like Microsoft To-Do. Learn more in How I Keep Track of Assignments With Low Vision
- Looking for tips on how to schedule classes in college and university? Read How To Schedule College Classes and College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
- For on-campus students taking online classes, I recommend reading Tips For Taking Online Classes As An On-Campus Student
Published October 12, 2025. Updated December 2025