Preparing for Accessible Meetings

Take these steps to make your meetings inclusive to all.

Meeting Type

Different meeting types present different accessibility challenges. Before defaulting to a video conference, consider the following.

Email Instead of Meeting

Email is the most accessible option when you need to:

• Get specific answers
• Gather feedback
• Disseminate information
• Avoid unnecessary meetings

Phone Call Instead of Meeting

Phone bridges (many listeners, few speakers) work for quick meetings, but require:

Accommodations for the Deaf

• Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS)
• Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART)

Accommodations for the Hard of Hearing

• Clear, concise speech from all participants
• Live interpreters​​

Note: accommodations for the hard of hearing are limited.

Video Meeting

Video meetings are today's standard format.

Best For:

• Remote attendance
• Multiple communication modalities
• Non-verbal communication

Hybrid Meeting

Combining in-person and online attendance is the most challenging format for inclusion.

Points to Consider:

• Don't ignore virtual attendees
• Prioritize virtual needs over in-person (especially audio quality - laptop microphones may be insufficient)
• Repeat / rephrase questions asked in the room for the virtual audience
• Use online polling for both audiences
• Keep chat available
• Assign a facilitator 
• Test microphone and video in advance; replace equipment if necessary ​