Strategy	Implementation considerations
Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce.	• Build a diverse and inclusive workforce throughout all levels, including leadership positions. • Consider hiring people from the communities served, including disproportionately affected communities, and who look and sound like the communities served. • Ensure capacity to work with community partners to identify priorities and strategies and build community awareness and acceptance before communication products are developed and released. • Promote open discussion of health equity concepts and use of equity-centered communication strategies.
Incorporate meaningful community engagement (18) as a foundational component throughout the process to develop culturally relevant, unbiased communication for health promotion, research, or policy making.	• Remember that successful community engagement is a continuous process that builds trust and relationships through multidirectional communication processes. • Start with mindfulness and listening and continue with joint decision making and shared responsibility for outcomes.
Ensure that public health programs, policies, and practices recognize and reflect the diversity of the community they are trying to reach.	• Ensure that information is culturally responsive (19), represents people in the communities for whom it is intended, and is accessible and available. • Tailor interventions based on the unique circumstances of different populations. Recognize that some members of your audience of focus may not be able to follow public health recommendations because of their cultural norms, beliefs, practices, available resources, or other reasons. • Translate materials into the preferred languages of the intended audience, and make sure a native speaker reviews translated materials. • Work with community members, leaders, and population-specific representatives or experts to develop culturally responsive content. • Emphasize positive actions and highlight community strengths and solutions.
Use clear communication and plain language while recognizing that the audience of focus may not all have the same level of literacy and, specifically, health literacy (20–23).	• Consider both reading level and ability to understand the content in the language presented. • Use active verbs, plain language, and accessible channels and formats so that all members of your audience can access and understand the information. • Avoid jargon and use straightforward, easy to understand language.
Ensure that any images support and do not detract from your message.	• Consider the intended audience, the intended use, and the full set of images planned. • Include members or representatives of your intended population of focus in the decision-making process. • Decide whether an image is culturally appropriate, clear, and inclusive for diverse audiences. • Depict positive and health-promoting behaviors, and don’t unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or perpetuate health inequities. • Include accurate depictions of people within the given context. For example, use accurate depictions of people with a disability and their assistive technology and avoid inappropriate depiction of cultural dress or activity in a daily life setting. • Include alternate text that can be easily understood and images with enough color contrast for people with low visual acuity.