Communities can face a number of barriers that make engagement with government inaccessible or unappealing, particularly young people and the disadvantaged.

Incorrect assumptions about how people best participate in engagement can create significant barriers to engagement, such as:

  • apathy towards government or a particular issue (attitudinal)
  • a previous negative experience of engagement
  • consultation fatigue.

Other factors that could deter individuals from engaging include:

  • lack of confidence
  • lack of money
  • lack of knowledge of rights
  • mental or physical health issues
  • lack of literacy or numeracy skills
  • physical or intellectual disability
  • issues related to gender, sexuality, or race
  • language barriers
  • age barriers
  • lack of social support
  • time constraints
  • lack of transport
  • homelessness or without a stable physical location
  • caring responsibilities and /or work commitments.

Making your engagement process inclusive

To make your engagement as inclusive as possible consider the following factors.

Timing

Make your process as inclusive as possible by considering:

  • What day and time and works best for your targeted audience?

Opportunity to participate

Provide as many options as possible for people to get involved.  Encourage participation by considering the following:

  • Include innovative engagement methods as this will help participants find the one that suits them best e.g. a small group conversation over coffee, online conversations via social media tools, etc.
  • Go to people instead of asking them to come to you. Be it Twitter or a shopping centre, if they are comfortable, the quality of what is provided is likely to be better.
  • Ensure there are multiple engagement platforms available for participation.

Language

Remember English is not everyone’s first language. Consider:

  • Do you need some assistance with translating your communication materials?
  • Do you need to provide interpreters at your event(s)?

For further information, visit the South Australian Government Interpreting and Translating Centre website.

Comfort and access

Make the environment you are engaging in as accessible and comfortable as possible.

  • Think about how people will get to the venue and the transport arrangements available, particularly in regional areas.
  • Make sure the venue is as welcoming as possible.
  • Provide refreshments where possible, particularly if your event is during a mealtime.

Disability access

Choose venues that are as accessible as possible no matter the individual's needs are. Consider:

  • Are there transport links available for people with disability?
  • Are there accessible ramps for wheelchairs or families with prams?
  • Are there accessible toilets available at the venue?

Tools that are engaging and welcoming

Use facilitation tools that are engaging and welcoming. Traditional Town Hall style meetings don’t fall into this category because they:

  • could be confronting
  • promote negativity and combative debate
  • could be highly exclusive, as most people don’t feel comfortable stating their views to a large combative audience
  • don’t get the best outcomes for the engagement process
  • tend to undermine considered and balanced discussion and divide people in a defensive way
  • are not conducive to building trusting relationships or effective engagement processes.

People leave Town Hall Meetings feeling unfulfilled, most often not heard and negative.

Cultural considerations

Reflect on whether there are any cultural challenges in your proposed engagement methodology.

  • Ask the community where and how they would like to be engaged to ensure that the process works for them.
  • Research the demographics of the affected communities and tailor your engagement strategy accordingly.
  • Consider if you need an interpreter or translated communications materials.
  • Talk to your local council to develop a profile of the communities you will be engaging.

Multicultural Affairs provides summary information on the age, cultural, language and religious backgrounds of each Council area based on the most recent Census data.

Age and learning styles

Think about the diversity of age and learning styles of your audience.

  • Use a range of visual, tactile and verbal communication tools to ensure they are accessible for different cohorts.

Literacy and numeracy levels of your audience

Write your communication materials at the appropriate level of literacy and numeracy for your audience.

  • If you are engaging children or young people, write and speak in a language that is easy to understand for that age group.
  • Test your communication materials with a focus group if you need.

Inclusive engagement resources

Better Together Inclusive Engagement Fact Sheet (PDF, 98 KB)

Guidelines for portraying people with disability (PDF, 114  KB)

Learn how to make your engagement process inclusive by visiting the page Engaging hard to reach groups and individuals.