One way of getting a group started is to hold an open meeting of interested people, with the object of forming an access group.

The following checklist might come in useful when preparing for this:

1. Approach organisations or sponsors, including the local authority, who might be able to give you a venue free of charge for the first meeting.

2. Develop a list of key individuals/organisations to invite. These should include:

• local groups of disabled people
• individual disabled people
• key personnel from the local authority
• local voluntary sector support groups (county voluntary councils, for example)
• members of other access groups

3. Advertise the event – for example, on the local radio, TV station, local talking newspaper for visually impaired people, local libraries, community centres or by sending information directly to the relevant organisations

4. Invite speakers to this meeting – such as the local MP, Mayor, local Access Officer, a member of the Access Association, or a representative of a local disability organisation

5. Collect names of potential members of a steering group at the public meeting, and make arrangements for the initial meeting of the steering group.

6. Ensure that not only the meeting venue is accessible, but also that the information about the meeting is also accessible to a range of people.

After the meeting

Notes of the open meeting should be sent to all who could not attend but who had declared an interest. This ensures that interested people are not excluded because they were not at the first meeting. You should continue to publicise the existence of the steering group, meeting times and dates, and actively continue to recruit more members and outside support.