Inclusive Resolution #1: I will make my virtual meetings and events more inclusive.

Online events are HARD. There’s so much to think about – links, internet connection, devices being charged and managing silences…

I’ve had a lot of experience of facilitating groups and running events, but by goodness, even I find online events exhausting.

But, right now, it’s all we have, and it is practical in many ways, it’s cheap and can be accessible for a lot of people. We all know the future is blended. How many times have you thought in 2020, ‘why did we not do this online before?!’.

This week we are going to be thinking about how to make virtual get-togethers more inclusive.

Note: there is loads of guidance out there for working with groups with specific needs. I’m going to be thinking about inclusion in the widest sense. Remember to be guided by groups and individuals on their preferred ways of working.

Let’s just clarify: What do we mean by inclusive / accessible online events and meetings?

• People know about the event, are invited, can turn up and can participate in a way that meets their needs and is meaningful for them.

• They reach the target audience at the appropriate time and involve them in a supportive way.

In the email coming out on Friday, I’m going to be sharing some guiding questions on how to choose what is most appropriate and proportionate for any adaptations you might need to consider - for example, inclusion considerations for a 30 minute catch-up with an internal colleague will be different to adaptations to public-facing events.

A key thing to highlight is the difference between universal design and responding to specific needs. The former approach considers a wide variety of needs from the beginning of a process; whereas the latter involves reactive specific adjustments. Universal design moves us from a place of ‘one-size-fits-all’ thinking to proactively anticipating different experiences. There are loads of great articles about this online if you fancy popping it into your search bar.

Remember to sign up to get the email to make sure your events and meetings are more inclusive in 2021.

Some more info if you are really keen.

Recorded webinars looking at running inclusive online events:

·       Glasgow Disability Alliance – How to be as Inclusive as Possible When Running Online Events.

·       AbilityNet – How to Run Accessible Online Meetings.

Further training and information on inclusive events:   

·       Microsoft Youtube Channel: Accessibility at a Glance is a series of short videos built to help you learn how to create an inclusive digital experience for people with disabilities.

·       Microsoft has an Accessible Events Guide which covers both virtual and in-person events.

·       This is a handy checklist for running accessible online events.

·       There’s a great table in the ‘Inclusions Insights’ guidance on online meetings which gives an overview of disabilities and accommodations.

·       If you are looking for comprehensive disability guidance, look no further than the NYC Mayor’s Office guide which includes information on what you should do before the meeting, using an accessible virtual conferencing platform, providing accommodations as well as online disability etiquette.

·       To pick your virtual platform, refer to ‘Best video conferencing apps and software for accessibility’, By The Big Hack and Business Disability Forum.