This section describes key things to think about when organising meetings with many people involved.

• Make sure you have provided all relevant meeting information to the sign language interpreter in advance.
• Check if you need to change how you run the meeting to make it inclusive of deaf people present.

Before the meeting

• Provide the sign language interpreter with an agenda, copy of the last minutes, and any other documentation that participants will receive. The interpreter should receive these two or three days in advance of the meeting. Interpreters will keep this information fully confidential and will either hand the notes back to you after the meeting or will dispose of the notes safely.
• Provide a list of participants and their job titles/roles.
• Arrange seating so that the deaf person can see all other participants. A horseshoe or circle is best. The sign language interpreter(s) will sit opposite the deaf person and usually next to the chair or main speaker.
• If there will be presentations, ensure that the deaf person will be able to see both the interpreter and the projector screen or video.

During the meeting

• During introductions, allow additional time so the interpreter can spell out the people's names. A list of participants will enable the interpreter to spell names accurately and to identify speakers throughout the meeting. Also, extra time will allow the deaf person to look across at the person introducing themselves, if they are located away from the interpreter.
• The chair or the deaf person should introduce the interpreters. Also, going through a few basic communication guidelines will help the meeting to run smoothly.
• Only one person should speak at a time. Any simultaneous discussion or people talking over others will be lost to the deaf person. Interpreting happens one person at a time.
• If the meeting is chaired, then the chair should choose who will speak and when. It can be helpful if participants wanting to speak raise their hand before speaking - this will signal to the chair (and also the interpreter and the deaf person) who wants to speak.
• Use plain English and avoid jargon wherever possible. 
• In large meetings, sign language interpreters will usually interpret simultaneously with what is being said. There will still be a short delay while the interpreter processes the information they have heard and converts it into the other language. The deaf person will therefore receive the spoken information slightly behind other participants in the meeting. The chair should allow for this time lag and check regularly whether the deaf person wishes to contribute to the discussion. The deaf person may appear to ask questions out of sync with other people due to this time lag.
• Allow time for the deaf person to read any materials or presentation handouts before you explain or discuss them. It is not possible for them to read and look at the interpreter at the same time.
• Make sure interpreters are present during tea or lunch breaks. The deaf person may want to talk socially with other participants. If only one interpreter is working, ensure that they can take at least a 20 minute break during lunch time.