CREATING ACCESSIBLE EVENTS & MEETINGS

An accessible event is an event that allows all attendees to fully participate regardless of their abilities/disabilities.

Identify someone on your team to be the leader (or person in charge) of all accommodation requests and managing accessibility concerns before, during, and after the event.

Add the accessibility coordinator’s name and contact info to the pre-registration/registration for the event

Add the accessibility coordinator’s name and contact info on all of the advertisements for the event

Sample text to use: We at [insert name of company/organization] want all of our guests to fully participate in this event. We strive to address all accommodations for participants with disabilities such as, but not limited to, dietary needs, parking, hearing amplification, and/or materials in varying formats. Please contact [insert name of accessibility coordinator] at [insert phone and email address of accessibility coordinator] no later than [date that is 2 weeks prior to the event] if you have any requests or questions related to accessibility of this event.

Consider identifying additional coordinators to support the accessibility coordinator on the day of the event

Choose a venue with ADA-compliant parking, accessible entrances, accessible (and gender inclusive) restrooms, and appropriate lighting. Many places are required to be accessible, but it is important to check the accessibility of the venue before finalizing your event.

Decide if the location will be in-person or on Zoom. If the location is on Zoom, skip to Prepare For a Hybrid Format section below.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Is the event space accessible to wheelchair users, people with mobility devices, and/or people who have difficulty walking?

• How far is the route from the parking lot to the accessible entrance? Meeting rooms? Restrooms? Sleeping accommodations? Food/Dining area?

Things to look for:

• Wheelchair accessible routes

• No major obstructions on path (like construction or cobblestones)

• No extremely steep hills for participants with manual wheelchairs

• Accessible sidewalks within route (if sidewalk crossing required)

• Wheelchair ramps at entrances with signage

• Braille signage on doors and other major architectural features

• Railing on ramps and stairs

• Doors have a functioning ADA-complaint door openers

• Doors are tall and wide enough for wheelchair users and easy to open

• Working elevators on or near accessible routes

• Wide hallways in building

• Meeting spaces large enough to accommodate wheelchair users comfortably

• Clear pathway (at least 36 inches) in the meeting room for wheelchair users

• Meeting room(s) has moveable seating to create a more accessible space

• Meeting room(s) can accommodate 30-40 people

• Wheelchair accessible public restrooms

• Accessible (and gender inclusive) restrooms equipped with grab bars

Consider all of the ways your guests may access (or transport) themselves to your event. You will also need to consider if you will provide transportation to your guests.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Is your location accessible by different forms of transportation?

• Is your location accessible by public transportation? If not, will you provide transportation for guests who do not drive?

• Does the venue have a shuttle system that runs all year (no interrupted service during summer months, for instance)? If not, set up a reservation with a local company for transportation services

Things to look for:

• Bus stops are near the venue (5 minutes walking distance or less)

• Bus stops are located on flat areas (NOT on slopes or hills)

• Public transit buses are wheelchair accessible

• Public transit buses near the venue provide late night service

PLAN FOR ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS

To adequately prepare for your event, ask guests to denote their accommodations (to fully participate) ahead of time.

To adequately prepare for your event, ask guests to denote their accommodations ahead of time.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Did you ask your guests during the pre-registration/event registration process to indicate accessibility needs for the event

• Did you ask your guests to indicate dietary requirements during the pre-registration/registration process?

• Did you indicate in your advertisements that your locations and programs are accessible?

• Did you review the list of accommodation requests from your guests?

  • Do you need a notetaker?

  • Do you need a certified ASL Interpreter?

  • Do you need real-time, open or closed captioning?

  • Do you need written materials?

  • Do you need a note taker?

  • Do you need sound amplification devices?

• Do you have questions about the accommodations that are being requested? If so, follow up with the requestor to clarify their needs.

• Did you need to provide accessible formats for spoken information such as a certified interpreter? Keep in mind people may have different needs. For instance, someone with a hearing disability may need an ASL interpreter while others can read lips

• If your participants/guests disclosed specific disabilities to you, did you reach out to local/national organizations that support people with those disabilities?

• Will assistive listening devices be needed for your event? If so, did you budget for assistive listening devices for people with hearing disabilities? See guide from The Kennedy Center.

Things to do:

• Create a budget for accommodations (including aAmerican Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and assistive listening devices)

• Provide printed materials in advance

To adequately prepare for your event, ask guests to denote their accommodations (to fully participate) ahead of time.

To adequately prepare for your event, ask guests to denote their accommodations ahead of time.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Did you ask your guests during the pre-registration/event registration process to indicate accessibility needs for the event

• Did you ask your guests to indicate dietary requirements during the pre-registration/registration process?

• Did you indicate in your advertisements that your locations and programs are accessible?

• Did you review the list of accommodation requests from your guests?

  • Do you need a notetaker?

  • Do you need a certified ASL Interpreter?

  • Do you need real-time, open or closed captioning?

  • Do you need written materials?

  • Do you need a note taker?

  • Do you need sound amplification devices?

• Do you have questions about the accommodations that are being requested? If so, follow up with the requestor to clarify their needs.

• Did you need to provide accessible formats for spoken information such as a certified interpreter? Keep in mind people may have different needs. For instance, someone with a hearing disability may need an ASL interpreter while others can read lips

• If your participants/guests disclosed specific disabilities to you, did you reach out to local/national organizations that support people with those disabilities?

• Will assistive listening devices be needed for your event? If so, did you budget for assistive listening devices for people with hearing disabilities? See guide from The Kennedy Center.

Things to do:

• Create a budget for accommodations (including American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and assistive listening devices)

• Provide printed materials in advance

Consider all the ways the setup of the room will affect your guests at the event. You must consider how people of varying abilities will navigate the space.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Will everyone be able to see the front of the room?

• Should you set up roundtables or theater-style seating?

• Are the aisles wide enough for a wheelchair user or someone with a mobility device?

• If people will be moving throughout the event, are there clear pathways for your guests to do so?

• Are the registration table, refreshments table, and other activity tables (wheelchair) accessible?

• (On the day of) are the ramps and elevators functional on the day of the event?

• Are there chairs with high backs for people with different balance needs?

• Do you have an alternative plan to route guests to different entrances?

• Are there different lighting options, such as natural lighting (avoid fluorescent lighting)

• Did you inform photographers/guests/conference participants that flash photography is prohibited?

• Did you inform presenters/conference participants/staff that your event is fragrance free?

You may not have received all the necessary accommodations prior to the event. It is important that the accessibility coordinator is present at the event to address accessibility needs in real-time.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Did the accessibility coordinator check with participants needing accommodations to make sure everything they need is in place?

• Did you ask the accessibility coordinator to arrive early to check accessibility routes and supportive devices/interpreters are in place?

• Did you label accessibility routes and assign members of your team to direct and assist participants/guests along the route, as necessary?

• Did you offer a brief tour to participants/guests to make sure seating, lighting, equipment meet their needs?

• Did you offer a brief tour to introduce participants/guests to certified interpreters for the event?

• Are you making sure people with disabilities can engage with all presentations and conversations?

• Are you reading the text (on presentations, flip charts, etc) aloud for anyone who cannot see?

• Are you describing images in pictures, charts, and/or graphics out loud for people who cannot see?

• Are you asking someone to take notes while the person focuses on reading lips or watching the interpreter?

Hybrid and virtual options are the new normal! Technology only enhances the accessibility of your event. Plan for video, captioning/transcription, and display settings. Zoom offers keyboard accessibility, screen reader support, and multi-spotlight features to make your virtual/hybrid event accessible.

Things to do:

• Decide on Captioning and Transcription

  • Automated captions: Zoom meetings and webinars automatically provide live captioning.

  • Manual captions: Assign someone to type captions during the meeting.

  • Identify a source for third-party captioning. Zoom integrates seamlessly with third-party closed captioning providers using our Closed Captioning REST API.

• Plan on having video. For video, you will want to do the following:

  • Auto-generated captions: Zoom meetings and webinars automatically provide live captioning.

  • Manual captions: Assign someone to type captions during the meeting.

  • Third-party captioning: Zoom integrates seamlessly with third-party closed captioning providers using our Closed Captioning REST API.

• Display Settings: Customize the font size of chat and captions.

• Let your guests know about Keyboard Accessibility: Control your Zoom experience with just a keyboard. Zoom supports Keyboard Shortcuts for easy navigation

• Let your guests know about Screen Reader Support: Use Zoom with a screen reader and customize the audible announcements you want to hear with granular control over screen reader alerts

• Utilize Multi-spotlight: A meeting host can spotlight the sign language interpreter so they are always in view for everyone.

Last but not least, recognize that all guests/participants are deserving of respect and dignity regardless of ability.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Are you respecting each guest/participant’s request for confidentiality and/or privacy regarding a disability or accommodation request?

• Are you asking the guest/participant if they need help (or how you can be helpful) before providing help?

• Are you emphasizing the person or their disability? It is better to humanize the experience and emphasize the person.

• Are you respecting each guest/participant’s request for confidentiality and/or privacy regarding a disability or accommodation request?

• Are you asking the guest/participant if they need help (or how you can be helpful) before providing help?

• Are you asking permission before petting or feeding a guide dog?

• Are you speaking in a normal voice?

• Are you emphasizing the person or their disability? It is better to humanize the experience and emphasize the person.

• Are you using person-first language or identity-first language? When possible, use identity first language. For example, “disabled guests/disabled participants.” Most importantly, identify your guests/participants as they would like to be identified.

• Are you using modern/updated terms for disabilities? For example, people with visual disabilities, people who use wheelchairs, wheelchair users

• Are you using legal definitions when appropriate. Handicap is a legal term but may not be appropriate for general purposes. Disabled or a person with a disability is more appropriate for general purposes.