Why is this a problem?
Committee work often takes more time than people think. This can become too much for people to manage, leading to fatigue and distress. It can be especially hard for people with disabilities, who may have changing energy levels, caregiving responsibilities, or need more time because of access needs.
Many members experience:
- Too many meetings
- Tasks that take longer than planned, like reading, writing, or editing
- Pressure to do both technical work and advocate for underrepresented communities
Ways to address the barrier
Ensure all documents are accessible
Quick Actions
- 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
Long-term Actions
- Train chairs and committee members in accessible document creation practices
Barriers these actions address
- 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
Quick Actions
- 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.
Long-term Actions
- Offer orientation sessions or “office hours” where chairs or experienced members explain key documents and answer questions.
Barriers these actions address
- 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
Plan for regular check-ins with new members
Quick Actions
- 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
Barriers these actions address
- Underestimated workloads
- Too much background information for new members
- People don’t start at the same place
Set clear and realistic timelines for reviews, drafts, or revisions
Quick Actions
- Plan extra time (20-30%) more than you think is needed.
- Share clear timelines and documents upfront and update them with member input.
- Break big tasks or decisions into smaller steps with clear deadlines.
- Remind members of deadlines in advance.
- Build in buffer time for submitting deadlines, especially for people with access needs, and people in different time zones or languages.
- Adjust timelines if more time is needed for accessibility, translation, or review.
- Allocate enough time for members to review especially long documents at a manageable pace.
- Where possible, break large reading loads into prioritized chunks.
Barriers these actions address
- Consultation fatigue in D/deaf and D/disabled communities
- Underestimated workloads