One DHS People, Access and Culture · Job aid · How to do it
Send purpose and materials ahead, offer accommodation without forcing disclosure, give people several ways to take part, watch positional power, repair when harm occurs, end with clear decisions and owners, and follow up accessibly.
Before. Send the purpose, agenda, and materials at least a few working days ahead in an accessible format. Include the accommodation sentence in every invitation: tell us what you need to take part fully. Turn captions on by default. Check the room or platform for physical, sensory, and technology access.
During. Open with the purpose and how decisions will be made. Offer several ways to contribute: speaking, writing in advance, writing in chat, or following up afterward. Rotate who opens and who summarizes. Read written input aloud so it carries the same weight. Watch who is speaking and who is not, and notice positional power in the room. Slow down when interpretation or captioning is in use.
When harm occurs. Name it, pause, and make repair the responsibility of the person with more power in the room. Do not ask the person harmed to explain or to fix it. Follow up privately with the people involved.
Ending. State each decision, its owner, and its date. Say what happens to input that was not used.
After. Send accessible notes with decisions and owners in the same channels people used. Ask how the meeting worked for people and change the next one.
Notice periods, captioning accuracy claims, and accommodation instructions should follow your division's current accessibility guidance. Check with your accessibility lead.
One DHS People, Access and Culture