Cameras On or Off — It’s Always Up to the Individual Participant

Why Cameras and Verbal Participation Are Not Required

People come to SMART Recovery meetings with different needs, experiences, and levels of comfort. Requiring cameras or verbal participation can unintentionally create barriers for many participants, including, but not limited to, those who:

• Needing privacy in a shared, public, or unsafe space

• Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or not ready to be visible

• Caring for children, family members, or others

• Listening while resting, traveling, or multitasking

• Having limited internet access, older devices, or bandwidth challenges

• Living with disabilities, health concerns, or sensory needs

• Simply feeling more comfortable participating without video

Respecting camera and verbal participation choice is part of our commitment to equity and inclusion. Not everyone has equal access to quiet spaces, reliable technology, or emotional safety, and no one should be asked to overcome those barriers in order to participate.

This approach also reflects a core SMART Recovery value: meeting people where they are. What matters most is that participants can engage in a way that feels safe and manageable for them. Cameras can be turned on at any time — or left off for the entire meeting.

As facilitators, honoring individual choice helps reduce barriers, build trust, and create meetings that are welcoming and accessible to all.