Provide translation and interpretation for everyone

Inaccessible hybrid meetings

During hybrid meetings, where some people are physically in the room and others are online, people in the room often have an advantage. If the meeting is not set up well, remote and disabled participants can miss important information or have their input overlooked.

Common problems include:

• Poor sound, background noise, or people speaking without microphones.
• Cameras not showing who is speaking.
• Slides or visuals not described out loud, which is also a problem for blind and low vision people who are in the room.
• Captions missing or incorrect.
• People providing sign language/interpretation not visible to everyone.
• Documents and tools that do not work with screen readers or other assistive technologies.
• Materials shared only during the meeting, not in advance.
• No clear system for taking turns.
• Facilitators focusing mostly on people in the room.
• Online contributions being missed or ignored.
• Side conversations happening in the room that remote participants are left out of.
• Technology delays or platform problems.

• Choose accessible meeting spaces
• Make remote/virtual/online meetings accessible
• Plan meetings so people worldwide can join
• Provide translation and interpretation for everyone
• Set meeting language captions correctly
• Use accessible hybrid meeting practices

Inaccessible in-person meetings

In-person meetings often take place in spaces that are not accessible to everyone. This can make it hard for some people to attend, participate, or feel included.

Common problems include:

• Travel that is long, costly, or hard to access
• Fatigue from travel, especially for people with chronic pain or low energy
• Buildings without ramps, elevators, or accessible restrooms
• Not enough space for wheelchairs or assistive devices
• No power outlets for assistive devices
• No captions or sign language interpreters
• Poor lighting or uncomfortable seating
• People speaking over each other or no microphones used
• No quiet space or flexible breaks
• Networking in informal spaces that aren’t accessible

• Build in travel funding
• Choose accessible meeting spaces
• Help with travel planning
• Provide translation and interpretation for everyone

Lack of training and support for chairs and facilitators

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.

• 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

Lack of training and support for committee members

Committee members often require mentoring and training in order to participate effectively. Challenges include:

• Long, confusing, or overwhelming getting started guides.
• No guidance for navigating the volume of information and resources.
• Lack of mentoring and peer support for committee work.
• Little or no training on collaboration, teamwork, or technical processes.
• Limited awareness or guidance on accessibility, equity, and inclusive participation.
• No clear pathway to develop skills for becoming a chair or leading working groups.

• Host onboarding meetings before committee work begins
• Provide guidance and ongoing support to new members
• Provide ongoing accessibility and inclusion training
• Provide translation and interpretation for everyone

Difficulty receiving and communicating information

When access needs are not considered, many people will have trouble getting or understanding information. Some things to consider include:

• Language is often too technical and full of jargon.
• Documents and materials are often not shared early enough to allow people to prepare.
• PDFs, videos, or online content are not always accessible (e.g., screen-reader friendly, captioned, or transcribed).
• In fast or large group discussions, many people get left behind, especially when they are new to the subject matter. This is magnified for D/deaf and Hard of Hearing people who rely on sign language/interpretation.
• Blind or low-vision people often can’t see body language, facial expressions, or visual cues that clarifies information being communicated.
• Visual content like slides, diagrams, or infographics are often not described clearly.
• Using multiple channels at once, such as chat, email and verbal discussion, can be confusing and often does not work well for people using screen readers.

People may also have trouble sharing their thoughts or participating. Some things to consider include:

• Meetings that lack structured ways to take turns or contribute often leave out neurodiverse people who require clear structures. This can also be a disadvantage for people who depend on sign language/interpretation, such as D/deaf and Hard of Hearing people.
• Without clear cues, new members often worry about interrupting and miss opportunities to contribute.
• Lack of quiet or low-stimulation options can make participation harder for people with sensory sensitivities.
• Poor audio, video, or caption quality in remote meetings can prevent people from fully participating.
• People are less likely to continue sharing when they don’t get feedback on whether their contributions were received or understood.

• Host onboarding meetings before committee work begins
• Make communications multi-modal and consistent
• Plan what to do if goals aren’t met
• Provide a welcome package for new members
• Provide translation and interpretation for everyone