During a quiet workshop, someone may need a small clarification without wanting to stop the whole room. A simple help card can offer another way to signal, provided a volunteer is actually watching for it.
Explain the signal before the activity: placing the card upright means “please come over when available.” Give the card a readable word or symbol so the system does not depend on recognising a particular colour. Participants may still speak or raise a hand.
Make the response predictable
The facilitator should acknowledge the signal, even if they cannot respond immediately. Otherwise the participant may wonder whether the card has been noticed. Agree how cards return to their resting position after help arrives.
Test the arrangement from different seats. A card hidden behind a laptop or craft materials is not a reliable signal. Avoid making someone stand or reach awkwardly just to use the system.
Do not treat the card as an emergency channel or a substitute for individual access arrangements. It is an optional aid for routine questions during this particular activity.
At the end, ask whether it made asking easier and whether waiting felt clear. If participants ignored it and spoke comfortably instead, that can be a useful result too. The tool serves the conversation; using the tool is not the workshop’s goal.
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