When an organization or municipality is tasked with a project that will affect the public, public participation is crucial to its success. Hosting public involvement meetings is a typical approach to engaging stakeholders.
With that said, during these meetings, it’s important to approach it through a lens of inclusivity. Here are nine ways to improve inclusivity at your next public involvement meeting:
- Broaden your outreach methods. Some populations may not receive information regarding the public involvement meeting through traditional electronic outreach. Therefore, try other involvement methods, including developing relationships with trusted community partners, handing out information door-to-door and posting meeting notices in locations like libraries and food pantries.
- Have (an) interpreter(s) at the meeting. To encourage feedback from a diverse population, it’s important to provide an interpreter, typically for Spanish speakers and often also for Hmong speakers. Make it clear ahead of time that you will have (an) interpreter(s) at the meeting, and create signs (in all languages) that inform participants when they arrive that interpreters are available.
- Make sure your materials are translated. Similar to the previous point, create materials that are accessible to people who speak different languages. This can include online/paper surveys, project websites, comment forms, meeting exhibits, etc.
- Find a meeting location that is on a bus stop. For certain people, transportation to the meeting can be difficult, which can prevent or discourage public participation at the meeting. For this reason, do your best to find a gathering place that is located on or near a bus stop.
- Use a facility that is accessible. Choose a building that is accessible and does not pose physical barriers to individuals with disabilities.
Offer virtual options. In addition to the in-person meetings, you also should offer virtual meetings. Tools such as Zoom and Webex have webinar modes that provide you more control over the presentation and allow you to moderate the Q&A. You also can have a live interpreter during the online meeting [see image].- Provide childcare or children’s activities. For people with jobs or for parents and caregivers, traditional public meeting times can be inconvenient. Providing free childcare or even children’s activities on-premises can help lessen this barrier.
- Include opportunities to give feedback through technology (e.g., phones and tablets). Not everyone feels comfortable speaking publically, so giving participants the option to give feedback through technology can combat this.
- Increase accessibility for the deaf and blind. Be sure that images on project websites have alt text, and videos include either descriptive audio and/or closed captioning.