One DHS People, Access and Culture · Toolkit Studio

Toolkit Studio guardrails

Cross-cultural guardrails for walked decisions.

Name the process

Briefs help you ask better questions. They do not tell you what an individual believes, needs, or prefers.
Name the process, not the people.
Confirm preferences with the person. Involve partners when the decision affects communities.
Anti-racism beat: Does this continue a race-neutral process that has already produced unequal access or outcomes? What alternative redistributes burden?

Featured work moments

Reminder channel change: On your own decision: keep channel mix open until preference + access are known. No case names in notes.
Assessment scheduling (MnCHOICES / HCBS): Schedule design is service design. List assisted options before removing them.
Eligibility notice rewrite: Success = people could act. “Notices sent” is not an equity metric.

Do not

Explain people by culture.
Treat briefs as individual instructions.
Replace Formal doors with Step 8.
Submit typed notes to this program.

One DHS People, Access and Culture