A new guide to help our community design meetings that reflect the values of access, equity, and participation
As part of LSST Discovery Alliance’s commitment to fostering equity and inclusion across the LSST community, we’re proud to share A Guide to Inclusive Meetings – a practical resource developed through a grant from the LSST-DA’s Inclusive Collaboration initiative, which supports projects that advance equity and inclusion across the LSST ecosystem and received funding from Heising-Simons foundation grant #2020-1916.
Recognizing that meetings are often where critical decisions, collaborations, and community-building take place, this project set out to design a resource that helps organizers create spaces where all participants, regardless of background, identity, or access needs, can fully engage.
A Guide to Inclusive Meetings draws from current best practices in accessibility, equity, and universal design. It includes detailed guidance on agenda setting, hybrid participation, role assignment, venue logistics, inclusive communication, and follow-up practices. With clear checklists, real-world considerations, and thoughtful recommendations, the guide is a practical tool for anyone convening scientific meetings, workshops, or conferences within scientific communities.
Developed under the guidance of Ranpal Gill and supported through LSST Discovery Alliance, this living document outlines concrete steps for planning and facilitating meetings that are accessible, representative, and welcoming to all.
Photo Credit: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/T. Licul (LSST Discovery Alliance)