An IDRC Project An Inclusive Design Research Centre Project

Long-term Actions

  • Give specific staff the job of supporting other staff and chairs with accessibility needs, so they don’t have to figure it out alone.
  • Provide templates for chairs, such as accessible agenda formats, email invitations, and meeting scripts.
  • Collect feedback after meetings about what worked and what didn’t for accessibility, and act on it.
  • Offer expert support, like an accessibility advisor or help desk, that chairs can contact quickly during meetings.
  • Pair new chairs with experienced chairs from other committees as a mentorship system.

Barriers these actions address

Lack of organizational support

Why is this a problem?

A major barrier to inclusive recruitment is whether the standards organization is committed to including D/deaf and D/disabled people and whether it has the systems to support that inclusion. Participation is not guaranteed. When political or social priorities change, diverse communities can be pushed aside or left out completely.

This lack of support often shows up as:

  • No clear policies for including and supporting people with disabilities in standards work
  • No dedicated staff or funding for outreach to diverse communities
  • Little or no support for inclusive recruitment practices

Ways to address the barrier

  • Be transparent in the application process
  • Create a shared support system
  • Organizational and operational commitment
  • Provide chairs with practical support and tools for accessibility

Lack of training and support for chairs and facilitators

Why is this a problem?

Chairs and facilitators often need help to run inclusive and accessible meetings, but support is limited. Common problems include:

  • Few resources are available on how to lead inclusively and accessibly to ensure everyone, including D/deaf and D/disabled people, can participate.
  • Little guidance is provided on managing diverse or cross-cultural groups.
  • Time and resources to manage both technical and accessibility tasks are limited.
  • Handling conflict resolution without enough training and support.
  • Knowledge of accessible technology for virtual meetings and document sharing is not common.

Ways to address the barrier

  • Choose accessible meeting spaces
  • Empower chairs and facilitators to manage conflict
  • Host onboarding meetings before committee work begins
  • Make remote/virtual/online meetings accessible
  • Provide chairs with practical support and tools for accessibility
  • Provide ongoing accessibility and inclusion training
  • Provide translation and interpretation for everyone
  • Use inclusive approaches for decision-making