DEIA Templates and Guides

DEIA Pulse Survey Template

1. In Microsoft Outlook click “File.”
   
   
2. Click “Options.”
   
   
3. When the options box opens, click “Mail.”
   
   
4. On the mail screen click “Signatures.”
   
   
5. On the signatures and stationary box click “New.”
   
   
6. A dialog box should appear where you can type in the name for your signature, then click “Ok.”
   
   
7. In the “Edit Signature” field type your signature in accordance with your department’s style guide.
1. Example: ID pronouns
8. On the same line as your name, type your pronouns in parenthesis
1. Example: Jane Doe (She/Her/Hers)
9. To bring more awareness to the topic of pronouns, add a website that informs the reader, such as Pronouns.org​.*​
   
   
10. To do this, go to the website that you choose, highlight the web address and copy it.
    
    
11. Return to editing your signature, click the “Insert Link” icon in the edit signature box.
    
    
12. The “Insert Hyperlink” dialogue box should open, in the “Text to display” field type: ‘Learn more about pronouns.’
    
    
13. In the “Address” field paste the web address, your link should appear as shown in the example below.
1. Example: Jane Doe (She/Her/Hers) (Learn more about pronouns.)
14. Click “Save.”
    
    
15. In the “Choose default signature” section, select the name of the signature you just created for “New messages”, this way every new message you begin will include the pronouns signature.
    
    
16. Repeat the step 16 if you want the apply the signature to “Replies/forwards.”
    
    
17. Click “Ok.”​
    

​​​Asterisks denote recently added resources.​​

Inclusive language refers to word choices that avoid excluding groups of people especially based on factors like gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or age. Using inclusive language is just one part of advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) efforts, but has many benefits. Inclusive language highlights the value of social and cultural diversity. It promotes equity by using words that have a positive impact. Inclusive language also contributes to an inclusive, accessible environment where everyone can take part and feel a sense of belonging.

In general, inclusive language is:

• Accessible
• Gender-neutral
• Person-first
• Welcoming​​
  

​Here are three considerations when using inclusive language. You can also review the resources below for more information. Check with your department's Equal Employment Office (EEO), Legal team, and/or Human Resources Office before putting any of these considerations into practice.

Considerations 

• Commit to Organizational Development - Provide professional development learning opportunities in cultural humility such as Implicit Bias, DEIA, and EEO trainings.

• Be Responsive and Accountable - Engage focus groups made up of staff, stakeholders, and the public who can inform the department of exclusionary or culturally insensitive language.

• Take Action - Review internal and external department communication for instances of exclusionary or culturally insensitive language. Revise communications to include culturally sensitive and inclusive language. Some examples are listed below; see the Work​ Hu​man resource for additional examples.

Examples

• Accessible - When discussing race, ethnicity, culture, etc., ensure the audience approves of the terms used. For example, use “underrepresented" instead of “minorities"
• Gender-neutral - When referring to a title or position, avoid gendered terms. For example, use “police officer" instead of “policeman"
• Person-first - When communicating about a group with disabilities, focus on the people. For example, use “persons with disabilities" instead of “disabled people"
• Welcoming - When communicating with a general audience, avoid terms that may exclude and make some feel unwelcome. For example, use “the public" instead of “Americans"

Resources  

• American Psychological Association (APA) - Inclusive Language Gu​​ide
• APA - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Framework
• APA - Bias-free Language Guidelines
• California State University (CSU) East Bay - Inclusive Language Guide
• Deloitte US - Inclusive Workplace Language
• University of California (UC) Berkeley Center for Equity, Gender, & Leadership - Inclusive Language Guide Interactive Tool
• Work Human - What is Inclusive Language in the Workpl​ace?  
  
  

Plain Language: 

Best Practices and Resources​​

**Psychological Safety Guide​

• ​Stage 1: Inclusion Safety - Feel safe to be yourself and belong. Accepted for who you are, including unique attributes. 
• Stage 2: Learner Safety: Feel safe to learn and grow. Exchange in the learning process through questions, feedback, experimenting, and making mistakes. 
• Stage 3: Contributor Safety: Feel safe to make a difference. Use skills and abilities to make a meaningful contribution. 
• Stage 4: Challenger Safety: Feel safe to make things better. Speak up. Challenge the status quo when there's an opportunity to change or improve.
  

​Shared Responsibility

Psychological safety is a shared responsibility between organizations, leaders, and employees.

Organizations

Organizations set the tone for psychological safety in the workplace. Organizations that promote psychological safety:

• ​retain their workforce
• effectively navigate change
• proactively respond to setbacks
• have resilience and solution-oriented approaches

• ​Implement policies that promote openness
• Ensure training is ongoing
• Create mechanisms for feedback

• Am I creating a culture of transparency and open communication, especially in a remote or hybrid work environment?

• Can my team members engage freely without focusing on self-protection?"

• Is there a culture of psychological safety in meetings (virtual and in-person), where everyone feels heard and valued?
• Are there anonymous tools (such as virtual whiteboards, comment boxes, or polls/surveys) I can use to gauge how my team is feeling or gather feedback?

All Employees
To foster psychological safety, all employees can: 

• ​celebrate risk-taking
• support those who choose to make a conscious decision to speak up
• give and receive feedback constructively
• actively listen to others' ideas​
  

Best Practices 

The CalHR DEIA Office has listed five best practices for psychological safety in the workplace. For more information, see the resources listed below from top industry leaders. Follow all your departmental policies and procedures before you implement these best practices.

• Define Psychological Safety: Define psychological safety in the organization. Create guidelines that align with organizational policies. Base meetings and workplace interactions on them. 
• Illustrate with Practical Examples: Provide real examples. Encourage open communication, acknowledge mistakes without blame, and promote diverse perspectives without interpersonal labeling. 
• Prioritize psychological safety at work: Reinforce it to keep the staff aware.
• Develop Core Competencies: Employees can learn to foster safety. They can do this through practice and continuous improvement. 
• Train and Evaluate Leadership: Conduct training on making and keeping psychological safety.

Resources

• Center for Creative Leadership Article - How Leaders Can Build Psychological Safety at Work
• Dr. Timothy Clark Book - The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety 
• Dr. Amy Edmondson Psychological Safety Website - Psychological Safety  
• Edstellar Guide -  How to Create Psychological Safety at Work in 2025
  
• Greater Good Science Center Article - How to Make It Safe for People to Speak Up at Work  
• Harvard Business Review Article - What is Psychological Safety?
• Harvard Business School Article - How to Build a Psychological Safe Workplace
• Technology Transformation Services Website - Psychological Safety  ​
  

The guide below showcases supportive, inclusive policies and practices that benefit employers and employees alike. Additionally, it details:

• Key principles and concepts for creating accessible digital content.
• Practical tips and techniques for making your websites, documents, and multimedia more inclusive.
• A curated list of tools and resources to aid your digital accessibility journey                                          

Digital Accessibility: Be​st Practices and Resources

Overview

According to the Perkins School for​ the Blind, digital accessibility refers to “how usable a website, app or other digital experience is by all possible users, regardless of their ability or disability." To increase digital accessibility, organizations should practice inclusivity by removing barriers that may impede access to digital tools, websites, and other technology. Additionally, careful consideration should be given to the user experience.

The World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C for short, developed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to provide standardized technical specifications to improve digital accessibility across all devices for people with a wide range of disabilities. WCAG has outlined four principles for digital accessibility:

• Perceivable - Web content and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
• Operable - Users with disabilities must be able to navigate the user interface components.
• Understandable - Web content and its operation should be easily readable and understandable by web users.
• Robust - Web content must be interpretable by various user agents, including assistive technologies.​

​​Based on our research, the CalHR Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Office has listed five best practices to consider when creating accessible digital tools. For more information, please review the resources provided by leading digital accessibility organizations. As always, all digital products should comply with your departmental Information Technology (IT) policies.

Best Practices

• Practice Inclusive Design: Ensure equal access to services, products, and environments through thoughtful, inclusive planning.

• Keep it simple: Prepare documents and websites with simple features for all types of audiences.
• Seek guidance and use relevant resources: Consult with your departmental Language Access Coordinator while adhering to your current departmental IT policies.
• Provide tools for greater participation: These tools include screen readers, closed captioning, and sign language interpreters.
• Maintain products regularly: Build in time for testing and review. Be prepared to remediate items that are inaccessible.
  

Resources

• Who is Accessible.com - Digital Inclusion: How​ It Goes Beyond Web Accessibility?
• Digital.gov Guide - Improving the Accessibility of Social Media in Government
• California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) - DOR Web Accessibility Toolkit
• Digital.gov Guide - An Introduction to Acce​ssibility
• Microsoft Inclusive Design Website - Microsoft I​nclusive Design​