37th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference Has Concluded

Practicing Inclusive Meetings

Date & Time

Friday, March 18, 2022 - 1:20 PM PST

Location

Grand GHJK

Description

This presentation will share a three-stage roadmap to inclusive meetings – from pre-meeting planning and communication, to in meeting strategies, to post-meeting communication and follow-up.

Stage #1 – Before the Meeting

• What kind of meeting do you want to have?

o Your Purpose. Ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish.

o To Meet or Not to Meet. Could you communicate via email, slack message, phone, or work independently then share ideas later?

o Short and Sweet. Consider how much time you really need to accomplish the objective.

• The meeting invitation.

o Consider time zones. Be sensitive to time zone differences for scheduling the meeting.

o Schedule in advance, if possible. Send the meeting invitation out as early as possible which allows for any needed accommodations to be arranged.

o Review your list of attendees. Are you missing people who represent diverse or differing points of view?

• Meeting materials.

o Accessible Materials. Ensure all materials are accessible before distributing to attendees in advance of the meeting.

o Send materials in advance. Digital materials that will be presented at the meeting, including any PowerPoint presentations, should be provided in advance so participants can prepare.

• Meeting roles.

o Every meeting should have (at minimum) a Leader/Facilitator and a Note Taker. For larger meetings consider appointing a Co-Host, Presenter, Chat Monitor, and/or Technology Trouble Shooter.

Stage #2 - During the Meeting

• Getting Started

o Make Everyone Feel Welcome. Dial in early, greet people warmly, ask for self-introductions so all participants are aware of who is in the meeting.

o Leverage Technology. Mute all attendees, include captioning, encourage attendees to share questions and thoughts in the appropriate chat to get input on ideas from everyone.

• Video Norms

o Cameras-On Preferences. We strongly encourage all participants to enable video during the meeting if technically possible.

o Why Cameras-On? There is something unique and compelling about connecting with a person live on video. It adds a layer of meaning that mirrors meeting in-person all together.

• When You Meet

o Kick off with the Meeting Objective. Remind people of the agenda and shared expectations for inclusivity.

o Mediate and Facilitate. Ask for everyone’s thoughts, avoid allowing one or two persons to dominate or derail the discussion, take intentional pauses to allow attendees with cognitive disabilities time to interpret and give less vocal participants time to gather their thoughts.

o Be Inquisitive. Posing a question can be just as valuable as making an assertion, and sometimes feels a little more natural.

o Use Participation Tools. Use “raise hand” to ask to be recognized when you want to add a comment. Use chat tools (Slack or Teams) to add resources that you wish to share with the group.

o Be Respectful. Give your full attention to the meeting—avoid the temptation to multitask. Keep comments succinct and to the point, to allow others to participate.

• Wrap it up

o Review Key Points and Decisions. The note taker can repeat key points and decisions back to the group to make sure everyone is on the same page. Clarify (or reiterate) the next steps and directly responsible individuals

o End the Meeting on Time. Respect participants’ schedules and manage the agenda so that the meeting ends on time, or suggest a follow-up meeting.

Stage #3 - After the Meeting

• Build On the Meeting with Proper Communication and Follow-Up

o Ensure the meeting recording is captioned and the host should share the recording and transcript with attendees either on the Teams channel or in Microsoft Stream.

o The note taker should ensure the action items captured in the meeting notes/summary and the accessible meeting materials are circulated as soon as practical after the meeting.

This Presentation Link is provided by the Presenter(s) and not hosted by the Center on Disabilities at CSUN. The Center on Disabilities has confirmed, as of March 17, 2022, content linked is relevant to the presentation, but has not been reviewed for accessibility nor will the Center on Disabilities attempt to remediate any accessibility issues in the linked content. Please contact the Presenter(s) with any accessibility concerns.

Audience

Employment & Human Resources
Administration & Business Support

Audience Level

Beginning

Session Summary (Abstract)

Learn practical strategies for pre-meeting prep and communication, meeting organization and flow, and post-meeting follow-up to ensure everyone gets a chance to contribute, and all voices have equal weight.

Session Type