Accessibility
Digital accessibility
Always consider digital accessibility for communications (internal and external) and webpages. Here are some useful areas to investigate:
- can dictate software be used on your documents and web pages?– can colouring and contrast changes be applied?
- are you using a clear font in a size that’s accessible?
- are your internal and external webpages clear to navigate and concise?
You’ll find more information in our Inclusive Communications Guide.
Accessible meetings
- In virtual meetings, allow colleagues to choose if they use their camera. Although cameras can be helpful, in some instances they may cause distraction or anxiety. There may however be occasions where cameras are essential, and this should be communicated ahead of the meeting.
- Ensure there are opportunities to move around. Some participants may prefer to fidget, stim or do a task that occupies their hands. This can aid concentration for some individuals, so aim to allow this when possible.
- In virtual meetings, it can be harder to know when someone has finished speaking, thus making it easier to interrupt others. Make use of features on your call platform that help reduce this, such as the ‘raise hand’ feature on Microsoft Teams.
- Some neurodivergent colleagues may find it harder to speak up during a meeting. It’s best practice to offer multiple routes to contribute, for example, verbally and via chat function in virtual meetings. It’s also a good idea to end a meeting by asking each participant if they have anything to add, so everyone has an opportunity to share.