STAGE 6: DELIVERING YOUR ENGAGEMENT
How to create accessible and inclusive public engagement
This guide explores common barriers to participation, principles for inclusion, and actionable steps to reduce exclusion and build processes that work for all.
Why?
To build trust and achieve meaningful public engagement, everyone must be able to take part. That means planning for accessibility and inclusion from the start—not as an add-on, but as a core design principle.
Inclusive engagement avoids:
- Excluding people who want to take part but face barriers
- Reinforcing existing inequalities or marginalising certain communities
- Making decisions based only on partial perspectives
- Missing out on the creativity and knowledge in diverse groups
- Sending the message—intentional or not—that public engagement is only for some people
This guide explores common barriers to participation, principles for inclusion, and actionable steps to reduce exclusion and build processes that work for all.
People face different barriers to participation, which often intersect and compound. You may already be familiar with some of these:
- Financial and resource barriers
- Disability barriers
- Attitudinal barriers
- Methodological barriers
- Time barriers
- Participation fatigue barriers
Inclusive engagement is not about doing everything for everyone—it’s about designing thoughtfully, flexibly, and transparently, removing barriers where you can and adapting where you must.
Accessibility and inclusion are vital to consider in all stages of planning and delivering your engagement process, especially in the planning, recruiting and supporting your participants, and delivering your engagement phases.
Principles for accessible engagement
We recommend approaching engagement with these principles in mind:
Everybody is different
Whilst there are certain ‘standardised’ adjustments suggested in this page, it’s important to be open to and prepared to adjust your approach according to different needs.
Ask people what they need
The participant you’re working with knows their needs best. Asking them what they need ensures you meet the right requirements and gives the participants’ agency.
Offer multiple ways to contribute as standard
Different access requirements require different mediums to contribute. This includes pre-engagement preparation such as forms being available to complete in the post or on the phone, recognising form fatigue and engagement activities which can be planned to consider how different people favour different ways to communicate.
Allow time in planning
Putting accessibility support in place takes time. Factor extra time and money into planning and preparation.
Allow enough time at events
Most people find it hard to sit still and stay focused for more than an hour. For some, even that’s too long—especially if they live with pain, fatigue, sensory overload, or struggle to follow fast-moving discussion. Build in plenty of breaks. Keep activities varied and engaging to help everyone take part comfortably.
Keep iterating
Ask for feedback on how well your accessibility measures are working—and who they’re working for. If something isn’t helping people take part, change it. Even if your event is a one-off, try to capture what worked and what didn’t so you can do better next time.
Training
Make sure any staff working with people have basic training in accessibility. Where people are working with people with specific access needs they should have training in the area.
Pause and think exercise
Once you’ve read through this page, revisit this box and answer the following questions:
What barriers do you usually account for and which do you often overlook?
Who might be unintentionally excluded by your current engagement approach?
What can you easily implement? What needs more time or resource?
Who can you partner with to strengthen accessibility and inclusion in your engagement processes?
Overcoming financial and resource barriers
Key Principle: No one should be out of pocket for participating in your engagement.
Ask yourself:
- Can we cover travel, food, or care costs for participants?
- Have you considered pre-booking travel or paying providers directly to ensure no one is out of pocket?
- Have we clearly explained how to claim expenses?
- For online activities, can we provide data, devices, or support for those without internet?
- Have we planned for childcare or respite care? You cover these costs?
- Will food and refreshments be provided, and do they meet dietary needs?
If you’re unable to provide this support, consider who might be excluded and how that could affect the fairness and outcomes of your engagement—especially for those who are already furthest from power.
Overcoming disability barriers
Note on terminology – we are using the ‘disability’ while recognising individuals may prefer to describe themselves in another way such as differently abled. Our use of the term disability is rooted in the social model of disability which focuses on the way that our environment is designed to allow certain kinds of bodies to exist without difficulty.
For example; a person that walks would find it difficult to always have to stoop to use cash points, checkouts and read signage. But they do not have to because these things have been designed to accommodate them and not wheelchair users or those with short stature. This is one example of many and is used here to illustrate that the world is designed to allow easy access for some and not others. (Watch a video on this here.) When designing engagement processes we can consider how to design for maximum inclusion.
It is however also important to acknowledge some people face very physical barriers like pain, or dependence on health care or health technologies.
Accessibility requirements may roughly fall into the below categories. People can have unique needs, but if you have spent time thinking through how to meet these needs you will be well placed to respond to any accessibility requirements. Some examples are given in each category to:
Auditory needs
This can include needing hearing loop access, BSL/ISL interpretation, or consideration around acoustics in the room. Everyone finds it easier to hear when the room acoustics are considered and steps are taken to ensure clarity.
Visual needs
This can include people who require a support person to read written materials, large or alternative (braille) print, different coloured backgrounds on materials, or who need support to navigate the building.
Mobility needs
This can include needing step free and wider access, easy open doors, and placing in the room to reduce unnecessary distances considered. Also consider the journey to the venue and parking for blue badge holders or anybody with a need for short walking distances.
Cognitive needs
These can include a range of neurodivergence; for example dyslexia, autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, and people who experience mental health difficulties. Some things that you can consider and plan for include; different communication and learning styles, need for more time, normalising short breaks when needed, reducing unnecessary sensory input (dimmable lights, ensuring the venue is not busy with lots of other events), having a quiet/wellbeing space with a dedicated support person. (See also, methodological barriers)
Pause and think exercise
What access needs might your participants have?
What can you offer as standard (e.g. breaks, visual aids, relaxed seating)?
Are your staff trained in disability awareness, including invisible disabilities?
Have you asked people directly what they need?
A good rule to follow is to ask what barriers to engagement can be removed in the first place. It can often end up benefiting more people than initially planned for and contributes to a more interesting, accessible and impactful process.
The following actions are useful to put in place to help overcome barriers.
- Bringing a support person. If this is needed you should ask how they would like to work together and ensure the support person is also catered for.
- If you know someone will come with an assistance dog making sure there is space for them.
- Accessible and gender neutral toilets. People can require accessible and gender neutral toilets for a range of reasons. Make it clear to all participants where these can be found.
- Pain. People can experience pain for a variety of reasons. Make it clear in your recruitment and support that people can ask for what they need.
- Standing, sitting, moving. It can be difficult for some people to stand for long periods of time. This is not always a mobility or pain issue but can also be related to dysautonomia, fatigue or circulatory conditions. Make sure that there is no expectation to stand for more than a minute for anyone. On the other hand some people may need to stand and move, sometimes during a process. Setting up the space as a relaxed, welcoming space helps all.
- Invisible disabilities. Many of the above needs are not visible. Ensure all staff involved in the engagement are hidden disability aware. Training is available and at minimum they should familiarise themselves with the sunflower scheme, and the information provided on their website.
Overcoming attitudinal barriers
Bias – conscious or not – can shape who feels welcome, heard, or safe at engagement processes.
Ask yourself:
Are there organisations or community partners in your area who could support your engagement process?
What assumptions, consciously or unconsciously, might exist in our teams or materials? What harm might these assumptions cause?
Are we reinforcing stereotypes through our recruitment methods or language?
Do staff know how to recognise and challenge discriminatory comments or behaviours?
Overcoming methodological barriers
People process information differently – you need to design for that.
Ask yourself:
- Are we using jargon-free, clear language aligned with local literacy rates?
- How we offered materials in multiple formats e.g. easy read, videos, slides, printed summaries?
- Do people have time to absorb information before they’re asked to contribute/
- Are we relying too heavily on one more form of communication e.g. powerpoint presentations, online surveys.
Overcoming time barriers
There is no perfect time to hold public engagement – but your choices can reduce or increase exclusion.
Ask yourself:
- Are we scheduling around school holidays, religious observances, and public transport hours?
- Have we considered safety concerns, such as travelling after dark?
- Can you offer multiple time slots or flexible participation methods e.g. a mix of online and in-person?
Overcoming participation fatigue barriers
If people have given feedback before and never heard back, they’re less likely to engage again.
Ask yourself:
- Are we explaining how past input has shaped this process?
- Do we have a clear plan for reporting back to participants?
- Are we replying on the same groups or individuals too often?
Remember, closing the loop isn’t just about being polite! It is fundamental to build trust and long-term participation.
Creating inclusive public engagement isn’t just the right thing to do—it also improves your outcomes. You’ll hear more diverse views, design more resilient policies, and build stronger relationships with your communities.
Designing for accessibility isn’t about fixing individuals—it’s about fixing systems. And the more inclusive the system, the more powerful the collective change.
