Ensuring full access to learning & collaboration: key best practices for every Central Rivers AEA meeting

At Central Rivers AEA, our commitment to equity, inclusion, and accessibility guides everything we do. To ensure that every single colleague and partner can fully participate, engage, and access information during our gatherings, we want to remind all staff of essential accessibility best practices for district, discipline and IEP meetings.

By consistently embedding these practices into our daily routines, we eliminate barriers and foster a culture where everyone can thrive. Please keep the following key standards in mind when planning and facilitating meetings:

Consistent Microphone Use is Mandatory

While microphone use is an established expectation across the agency, we frequently hear facilitators ask, “Is everyone okay if I don’t use the microphone?”

Please refrain from asking this question. Many individuals rely on microphones for essential auditory access, and asking the room to “opt out” puts colleagues in the uncomfortable position of having to disclose an accessibility need publicly. Microphones should always be used during all district and discipline meetings—no exceptions.

Enable Closed Captioning Across All Settings

Closed captioning is vital for clear communication and comprehension:

• Virtual Meetings: Ensure closed captioning is enabled at the start of every virtual meeting.
• Screen Sharing (Achieve): When presenting information or sharing screen content (such as Achieve), ensure captioning remains active and visible so participants do not lose access to spoken dialogue.
• In-Person IEP Meetings: Utilize available real-time captioning tools to support participants during in-person IEP meetings.

Maintain Adequate Lighting & Visual Access

Visual cues are essential to supporting auditory comprehension. Speakers’ faces and expressions provide crucial context:

• Arrange meeting spaces so participants can clearly see the speaker’s face without obstructions.
• Ensure rooms are well-lit and avoid standing directly in front of bright backlights or dark shadows that conceal facial movements.

Ensure Access to All Audience Contributions

Accessibility doesn’t stop with the primary presenter—it extends to every participant in the room:

• Pass a microphone to audience members before they contribute to discussions or ask questions.
• If a handheld microphone is unavailable, the meeting facilitator or primary speaker must repeat or rephrase the contribution clearly into the microphone before responding.

Creating an accessible environment requires intentional effort from all of us. Thank you for your continued dedication to making Central Rivers AEA an inclusive workplace where every voice is heard and every colleague is supported.