People don’t start at the same place

Empower chairs and facilitators to manage conflict

• Encourage all members to learn active listening, empathy, and respectful disagreement before starting every meeting.
• Train chairs on how to handle conflicts, help the group agree, and run meetings in an accessible way.
• Give chairs tools and resources to run discussions, especially when power differences exist.
• Teach chairs when and how to step in if someone is dominating or others are being left out.
• Take short breaks if discussions get heated.
• Show chairs how to allow disagreement while still finding agreement where possible.
• Pay attention to whether people feel included, excluded, or uncomfortable. This will avoid conflicts from happening.
• Let people share concerns or complaints in writing or chat if they don’t want to speak out loud. Make sure these concerns are acknowledged.
• Keep records of how conflicts were handled and lessons learned from past meetings.
• Allow anonymous reporting when needed.
• Offer follow-up one-on-one conversations for sensitive issues.

• Develop clear conflict policies for meetings
  • Have written rules about professional conduct, respect, and how conflicts are handled.
  • Make these rules visible to all members and revisit them regularly.
• Train facilitators and chairs on conflict resolution.
• Update conflict resolution training as new techniques or challenges arise.
• Create a permanent mediator position to help with disputes during meetings.

• Lack of training and support for chairs and facilitators
• Communication styles default to Western norms
• Default meeting language is English
• Dominant “expert” culture
• No clear way to report problems or get help
• People don’t start at the same place

Ensure all documents are accessible

• Use plain language and avoid technical jargon when possible.
• Include infographics, diagrams, and visual explanations to break down complex concepts. Ensure that all visual items include textual descriptions and alt text where appropriate.
• Use real-world examples to ground abstract ideas.
• Maintain a living glossary of technical terms and acronyms
• Include a summary page at the beginning of each document outlining its purpose, key content, and its relevance to other work
• Ensure all documents including drafts, meeting notes and final publications are accessible from the start, and throughout the collaboration process not just at the end of the process
• Publish standards in accessible formats like properly structured Word documents and tagged PDF documents

• Train chairs and committee members in accessible document creation practices

• Inaccessible digital documents
• Inaccessible digital collaboration tools
• Inaccessible registration systems
• Too much background information for new members
• Underestimated workloads
• People don’t start at the same place

Help with information management

• Give a simple overview that shows all the important documents, where to find them (links or location) and a short summary of what each document is for.
• Highlight document sections that are most important for the current work.

• Offer orientation sessions or “office hours” where chairs or experienced members explain key documents and answer questions.

• Inaccessible digital documents
• Consultation fatigue in D/deaf and D/disabled communities
• People don’t start at the same place
• Too much background information for new members
• Underestimated workloads

Host onboarding meetings before committee work begins

Co-chairs should meet with new members individually to:

• Introduce the structure and goals of the committee
• Clarify roles, expectations, and responsibilities
• Explain workflows, working culture and norms, and decision-making processes
• Identify any initial access needs and come up with a plan to meet them

• Difficulty receiving and communicating information
• Dominant “expert” culture
• Lack of clear and accessible onboarding process
• Lack of training and support for committee members
• Lack of training and support for chairs and facilitators
• People don’t start at the same place
• Unclear participation information

Plan for regular check-ins with new members

• Schedule regular check-ins during the first few months to help build comfort, confidence, and a stronger sense of belonging.
• Use this time to:
  • Answer questions about content, roles, and responsibilities
  • Help prioritize reading or focus areas
  • Troubleshoot any challenges or barriers

• Underestimated workloads
• Too much background information for new members
• People don’t start at the same place

Provide a welcome package for new members

Welcome packages can include the following:

• Committee member list and roles (who to go to for what)
• Overview of timelines and workflows
• Tools and platforms being used
• Key documents to read first
• Contact points for accessibility supports

• Provide documents, materials and technologies based on roles and responsibilities
• Provide information in flexible, small, digestible parts by using multiple shorter orientation sessions instead of one long session. This will give new members time to process the information and ask questions

• Difficulty receiving and communicating information
• Lack of clear and accessible onboarding process
• People don’t start at the same place
• Unclear participation information
• Too much background information for new members

Provide diverse, accessible knowledge-building opportunities

• Support new members in building the skills and knowledge needed to contribute meaningfully through a variety of accessible learning formats
• Create workshops and training sessions, offer both foundational and role-specific training.
• Partner with educational institutions to co-create learning modules.
• Offer interactive tools like quizzes, videos, and step-by-step guides to cater to various learning styles.
• Ensure all content is accessible
• Provide learning content in multiple languages

• People don’t start at the same place
• Too much background information for new members

Provide guidance and ongoing support to new members

• Pair members with a mentor or buddy so they can provide contextualized advice as well as help with navigating the committee work:
  • Match new members with more experienced or returning members
  • Consider matching members with someone who has similar lived experiences
• Offer one-on-one walkthroughs
• Provide visual aids or diagrams to explain complex processes or workflows.
• Hold an initial practice session for new members or those unfamiliar with the tools, technologies and procedures.

• Encourage a culture of shared learning and open questions.
• Set up a dedicated help contact (staff or advisor) for quick questions about accessibility or committee work.

• Lack of training and support for committee members
• No clear way to report problems or get help
• People don’t start at the same place
• Too much background information for new members