Recently, the news of a poorly-organized event was circulating on the internet in which a Denver Council candidate had to crawl himself to climb onto the stage. The organizers had ensured Chris Hinds that the event would be wheelchair-accessible, but failed to provide a ramp.
These events can be humiliating for both the differentially-abled guest and event organizers. Recent CDC statistics show that one-fourth of Americans live with disabilities. Around 3.3 million people use wheelchairs, and 8% of the population has different types of visual impairments. It’s important to consider the different needs of people and organize an event accessible to all guests.
Optimal social integration isn’t possible without making public events all-inclusive and accessible. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compels event organizers to ascertain their events are accessible to all attendants. And here’s how you can now abide by this law:
- Provide accessible washrooms
One of the oft-ignored aspects of event planning is the availability of enough portal washrooms for everyone. This is particularly important for outdoor events or venues that don’t provide this facility. As per the ADA, there should be one wheelchair-accessible toilet for every twenty normal toilets. Arranging accessible portable toilets makes the event more inclusive for everyone, and your guests feel more comfortable. Also, ensure these restrooms are placed where your guests can access them without difficulty.
- Ask everyone’s needs
It’s rude to ask people which disability they are facing, but people with disabilities prefer when they’re asked, “What should we do to make this event more comfortable?” Ask them which facilities they need to participate in the event. Let them write their preferences, sensitivities, and boundaries. Checkboxes on invites and sign-ups can help you evaluate what modifications or additional facilities you must include. Asking your guests about their needs can help you make the event inclusive and accessible.
- Book accessible venues
The venue selection can be the trickiest part of organizing an accessible event. You must book venues with accessible rooms and sufficient staff to cater to your guests’ needs. If you’re booking accommodation for guests, asking for ADA-compliant rooms isn’t enough since the criteria for compliance varies from state to state. Instead, you must ensure the rooms have everything the guest requested when booking.
- Ensure dignified access
Accessibility has become a major concern for America’s hotel industry. A survey shows that over 50% of hotels aren’t easily accessible to senior citizens and disabled people. So, event organizers should ensure easy, proper, and dignified access to the venue for all guests. Reconsider the example given in the introduction and always avoid these situations.
- Offer proper integration
Ensure all guests can socially integrate and mingle without any barriers. Not everyone using a wheelchair may want to stay in a designated area. It can be demeaning for someone, so you must remain considerate of all guests’ feelings. Let all guests sit where they feel comfortable and safe.
- Work on your event’s web page
You’re likely to use a web page for digital sign-ups, so ensure it’s inclusive and accessible to everyone. Don’t forget to cater to the following practical guidelines to make your website better:
- Put “alt text” on all images
- Don’t use overly bright colors, and be considerate toward people with colorblindness
- Videos shouldn’t play automatically
- All videos must have proper captions
- Use reader-friendly font and size on the site
- ensure your web page scales to different display sizes
- Train your staff
Train staff and volunteers helping you organize the event about common disabilities and how to interact with differently-abled guests in the most dignified manner. A 2020 article says that one-fifth of Americans face not just inaccessibility, but also instances of discrimination in public gatherings. For instance, some common disrespectful behaviors toward people with disabilities involve sentiments of pity, sympathy, and uneasiness. Ensure your staff knows how to interact with guests with limited communication or mobility issues without insult.
- Remove communication barriers
Consider communication barriers that may prevent people with visual and hearing difficulties from enjoying the event. Ensure these barriers are dealt with appropriately by doing the following:
- Ask presenters to avoid gesturing too much
- Hire sign language experts to translate everything
- Tell presenters to read slowly to help people lip-read better
- Use technologies, e.g., Right Hear, to help blind people navigate better
- Use Communication Access Realtime Translation for speech-to-text conversion
- Make presentations accessible
You can devise different strategies to make all presentations accessible to everyone. Ask the staff to submit the presentation to you beforehand so you can make more accessible versions for all visually impaired guests. Also, ensure the presentation uses larger fonts. The speaker should always speak via microphone with captions enabled on the video. Ask the presenter to use infographics and other content formats which verbally describe the presentation material for more accessibility.
- Consider service animals
Some people require animals to help them with finding their meds or phone, or with balance. These animals are called service animals, and the ADA requires service animals to accompany their owners when they have been invited to public events. Politely ask your guests what service their service animals provide and make arrangements accordingly. If the animal gets out of control, only then can you have it removed from the event.
- Ask for feedback
Finally, you should ask for guests’ feedback about the event. Ask them if they noticed flaws in your arrangements and what they rather you’d done differently. Their honest feedback will help you make the next event even more inclusive. Also, consider the following general guidelines:
- Insert breaks between presentations to let guests mingle properly
- Whenever someone asks a question, repeat that question before answering
- Offer a variety of food options on the menu, e.g., vegan, halal, kosher, and gluten-free
Conclusion
Differently-abled people often find it hard to participate in events because of barriers to accessibility and inclusivity. Organizing an event that doesn’t discriminate can create a more wholesome experience for people within the community. Therefore, follow the tips mentioned above to ensure no one’s left out of your event. Consider all the potential disabilities people within our target audience could be living with and ensure to cater to all of them.
