Digital Competency Series: Defining Inclusive Interactions
Developing a diverse set of digital skills is essential for both personal and professional development in today's technology-driven world. The Government of Canada has developed a framework of six key digital competencies (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) to guide team and personal development: digital literacy, continuous improvement, information and data stewardship, digital responsibility, cyber security vigilance, and inclusive interactions. This series of six articles will cover each of these competencies, giving you valuable insights and practical strategies to help you develop these essential skills so you can navigate the digital landscape with confidence and contribute effectively to an increasingly connected environment.
This series was developed in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Information Officer to ensure alignment with current digital priorities and practices.
What is the Inclusive Interactions digital competency?
Inclusive interactions as a digital competency involves ensuring that documents, communications, websites, are accessible, fair, and usable by everyone. For instance, a document with poor colour-contrast or missing alt text can be unintelligible to someone with a visual disability. Digital and web-based information that complies with visual and interactive accessibility standards ensures everyone can access it. Similarly, metaphors or idioms familiar in one culture, like "Hitting a home run," can be confusing or even meaningless to someone from another cultural background. Using clear, simple language and avoiding culture-specific references ensures that communications are inclusive and understood by all.
Being inclusive in your interactions means using adaptive communication methods, inclusive language, and accessible digital tools, while recognizing how diverse experiences shape your values and behaviours. It requires being mindful of your actions and their effects on others, and actively addressing any biases or assumptions you may hold.
Why is it important?
Inclusive interactions as a digital competency ensures that all individuals, regardless of background or ability, can engage fully in digital communications. By prioritizing accessible tools, clear language, and inclusive practices, this competency removes barriers to participation and fosters a more equitable environment. It also encourages awareness of biases and promotes empathy, ensuring that all team members are treated with respect and dignity. Ultimately, inclusive interactions ensure that government services are available to and inclusive of everybody. They help to create a workplace where everyone contributes meaningfully, feels valued, and is included in the conversation.
How do I apply it?
To create truly inclusive interactions in your work, it's essential to adopt a mindset that recognizes and values the diverse needs, experiences, and perspectives of others. This means going beyond compliance with accessibility standards and actively integrating inclusive practices into your daily interactions. It also means adapting to the needs of individuals based on the platform and medium you are using.
The following strategies outline practical steps for applying inclusive interactions in your:
- Documents
- Communications
- Meetings
- Events
What can you do to improve document accessibility?
- Understand and use formatting: Mark text as titles, subtitles, and headings (in the Styles menu in Microsoft Word) to help people navigate documents.
- Use accessibility checker tools: Leverage built-in tools like Microsoft Office's Accessibility Checker (found under the "Review" tab in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) to ensure your documents are accessible. Note, however, that the built-in accessibility checkers only catch about 30% of errors.
- Notify readers of tracked changes or comments: Inform readers in advance if a document contains tracked changes or comments, especially for those using screen readers.
- Ensure high-contrast colours: Use high-contrast colour combinations and verify their accessibility with built-in tools to ensure readability.
- Convey information with more than just colour: Use bolding or larger font size to emphasize important concepts. These strategies help highlight things in an inclusive way for people with colour-blindness.
- Provide multiple formats: Offer documents in different formats, noting that Word files are typically more accessible than PDFs.
- Seek feedback on accessibility: Ask for feedback from users about document accessibility, and consult departmental experts for improvements as needed.
Resources: Accessibility Best Practices For Word Documents; PDF Accessibility Checklist; Questions and Answers about Accessible Documents; Microsoft Document Compliance Checklist; Accessibility Best Practices for PowerPoint Documents; Accessibility Best Practices for Excel Documents
What can you do to ensure inclusivity in general communications?
- Respect language preferences: Ensure all formal communications are available in both official languages, honouring the language preferences of those you work with.
- Include pronouns in email signatures: Add your pronouns to your email signature to normalize the practice and show respect for others' identities.
- Use gender-neutral language: Address groups with inclusive terms like "folks" instead of "guys" to avoid gender-specific language.
- Avoid slang and jargon: Such terms can create barriers to understanding and potentially exclude others. Choose clear, simple language that allows everyone to participate and engage.
- Understand the historical context of phrases: Be mindful of the origins and implications of certain expressions. For example, "Drank the Kool-Aid" originates from a tragic event and may carry unintended negative connotations.
Resource: A way with words and images: guide for communicating with and about persons with disabilities; Accessibility Best Practices for Emails
What can you do to foster more inclusive meetings?
- Acknowledge diversity and power dynamics: Recognize how these factors can affect engagement. For example, share your pronouns during introductions to normalize this practice and signal inclusivity.
- Combat conformity bias: Design meetings to encourage diverse perspectives. Create psychological safety by offering multiple ways for attendees to contribute, such as via tools like Miro or Wooclap, and ensure everyone feels comfortable expressing differing opinions.
- Ensure equitable participation: Create a space where all team members can contribute. Actively invite input from quieter members and monitor the balance of participation to ensure no one is sidelined.
- Encourage questions and curiosity: Foster a culture where asking questions is seen as valuable. Leaders should provide open, patient responses and celebrate those who challenge the status quo through thoughtful questions.
- Amplify quieter voices: Allow for moments of silence during discussions, giving participants time to process information and formulate their thoughts. This can help less-assertive team members feel more confident in speaking up.
- Set a clear agenda: Provide a meeting outline in advance that includes the meeting objectives and each team member's role. This allows attendees to prepare and contribute more meaningfully, even if they cannot attend the meeting in real time.
- Address interruptions respectfully: If someone is interrupted, politely steer the conversation back to them to ensure they can make their point.
- Pronounce names correctly: Take the time to learn and correctly pronounce team members' names. This shows respect for their identities.
- Acknowledge contributions: Give credit where it's due. Publicly recognize the contributions of individuals to ensure they feel valued.
- Celebrate uniqueness: Actively recognize and appreciate the diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences that each team member brings to the table. This helps foster a culture of inclusion.
Resource: Guide to Planning Inclusive Meetings
What can you do to improve event accessibility?
- Choose accessible venues (in person): Ensure venues are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Offer to accommodate attendees' specific needs in advance of an event.
- Choose inclusive event dates and timing: Plan to hold events in the middle of the workday to include participants with variable start and end times. Also, consider regional participation and different time zones, public holidays such as March break, faith-based holidays, general elections, and other organizational events. All these factors may influence attendance.
- Diverse speakers and perspectives: Ensure speakers represent diverse backgrounds and opinions to promote inclusivity in both content and delivery.
- Bilingual participation: Ensure the event allows for full and active participation in both official languages, offering translation or interpretation services as needed. If possible, it's best to have separate events (one in English, one in French).
- Provide appropriate tools for speakers: Ensure speakers have the equipment (headsets, microphones, cameras) they need to provide clear audio and visual presentations. Check that they speak at an appropriate pace, neither too fast nor too slow, to accommodate all participants.
- Plan for health breaks: For longer events, schedule regular health breaks and ensure they occur on time to give attendees a chance to rest and re-engage.
- Distribute materials in advance: Ensure all meeting-related emails, documents, and presentations are accessible and distributed to participants and service providers at least one week before the event so they have time to prepare.
- Inclusive communication during the event: Speakers should introduce themselves, use plain language, face the camera to accommodate lip-readers, and stick to the allotted time out of respect for all attendees.
- Prioritize accessibility in planning: Make accessibility a key aspect of your event planning from the very start and not an afterthought.
Resource: Best Practices for Accessible Virtual Events
Resources
