Exploring the deadly sins of inclusive speaking – part 3
Here we go again, this time for part three of our four-part series that started two weeks ago on the 20 “deadly sins” of inclusive speaking, where we highlight some of the horrible mistakes that event organizers and speaking professionals make while planning their events, or preparing and delivering their presentations to their audience. We’re talking about things that likely alienate a part of the audience, typically those who live with various types of disabilities, are impacted by ageing, or find themselves marginalized by the way technology is being leveraged during live, in-person and virtual events. More importantly, we’re talking about mistakes that could easily be avoided, if only event and speaking professionals were more aware about inclusion.
Throughout this series, my goal is to keep pointing out some of the most obvious mistakes, so speaking professionals and event planners such as yourselves can self-assess your own biases and check just how “guilty” you might be of committing these mistakes… And hopefully, through these posts, you get to learn a thing or two about identifying various gaps you didn’t know you had in your delivery, so you, too, can become a more inclusive speaking professional.
As we’ve already covered the first ten mistakes in parts one and two of this series, feel free to go check them out for some context and details about the deadly sins that were already covered, and whom they affect. Reading through both posts will also give you an understanding of what we’re up to with this series, so you can better understand where we’re headed with all of this!
So, as we did last week, let’s begin this week again with a bit of a story about some of the ways in which a presentation or an event can go wrong, and ways in which that experience can soon prove to be a disaster for some members of your audience, who happen to live with various disabilities.
More ways in which we fail our audience
The highly anticipated annual technology conference had finally arrived. Professionals from various information technology fields gathered downtown at the bustling Convention Center to engage with industry thought leaders and discuss the latest innovations and trends that were already taking the world by storm. Among the audience were three attendees with diverse needs: Khaleem, who is legally blind; Vivian, who has age-related vision and mobility issues; and Iliana, who is on the autism spectrum. Though each of them hoped for an inclusive and accessible experience that day, they were about to encounter a series of obstacles that would profoundly impact their participation and cloud their experience.
As the sessions started, the hectic schedule quickly became obvious. With minimal breaks provided between presentations and no dedicated areas to rest up and recharge, some attendees with various disabilities quickly found it very challenging to maintain their focus and stamina throughout the day. Iliana and Vivian, in particular, struggled to manage their energy levels, and cope with sensory overload throughout the day.
During the lunch break, it became evident that adequate dietary accommodations had not been provided for those with allergies and food sensitivities. Attendees like Iliana, who required a specific diet for health reasons, were left without suitable meal options on-site, further adding to their feelings of exclusion and frustration.
Poor lighting throughout the convention center posed significant barriers for Vivian. The dimly lit environment made it difficult for her to read small print and decipher low-contrast visuals due to her age-related vision challenges, which left her feeling excluded, and unable to fully participate in the event.
Inadequate seating arrangements added to the challenges faced by attendees with physical or mobility impairments. Although the conference organizers had provided a limited number of seats, they failed to consider the varying needs of participants. This oversight left attendees like Khaleem, who required specific seating arrangements to accommodate his visual impairment, and Vivian, who needed support due to her age, without the necessary assistance.
Finally, the conference featured numerous fast-paced group activities that were ill-suited to accommodate neurodivergent individuals or those with mobility impairments. Iliana found it challenging to keep up with the rapid pace of these activities due to her autism, while Khaleem and Vivian faced difficulties navigating the crowded space and participating in collaborative exercises. Consequently, all three were left feeling disheartened and excluded from the event’s interactive components.
As the conference drew to a close, Khaleem, Vivian, and Iliana left the Convention Center with a heavy sense of disappointment, resentment, and frustration. The event’s failure to address their diverse needs had significantly impacted their experience and their ability to fully engage with the content and their peers. These shortcomings perfectly underscored the importance of inclusive practices during live events, as well as the necessity for event organizers to seriously consider the unique needs and expectations of all participants.
To create a more inclusive live event experience for people like Khaleem, Vivian, and Iliana, event organizers must, among other things, consider incorporating sufficient breaks and rest areas, provide dietary accommodations for those with allergies and food sensitivities, ensure appropriate lighting for those with visual impairments, offer suitable seating arrangements for individuals with physical or mobility impairments, and design activities that cater to a diverse range of abilities and needs. Falling short on any of these considerations systematically leads to exclusion.
Addressing key challenges such as the ones illustrated previously, and purposefully implementing inclusive communication best practices in the way our events and presentations are planned creates amazing opportunities to change the outcome for a significant part of our audience living with disabilities.
So hey, do yourself and everyone else a favour, and don’t wait! Break down barriers in your in-person or virtual events! Make it a point to create experiences that are more inclusive for everyone. Make it so that every attendee gets their fair chance at fully participating and feeling valued, regardless of whether they have a disability.
All you need to do is to take small steps towards a more inclusive mindset. We both know you can do it.
Week three – Deadly sins 11 to 15
And with that, let’s jump into this week’s set of deadly inclusive speaking sins. Enjoy!
Insufficient breaks and rest areas (various disabilities)
Not providing sufficient breaks or quiet rest areas while navigating events frequently causes important barriers for those who live with various disabilities, like chronic fatigue, pain, or sensory processing disorders. For folks affected by such conditions, ample breaks, quiet spaces, and designated rest areas are vital to manage energy levels, alleviate any symptoms they might have, and maintain overall well-being during the event. When events don’t provide accommodations like adequate downtime or calm spaces for respite, individuals with disabilities are likely to struggle to fully participate and engage with the content and other attendees. This easily leads to feelings of exclusion, frustration, and fatigue. By planning for, and incorporating breaks and quiet, comfortable rest areas into their events’ schedules, mindful event organizers can better support attendees with diverse needs to recharge and regroup, in turn allowing them to participate more fully and benefit from the event’s experience. Thoughtful dietary accommodations foster a more inclusive atmosphere and will ensure everyone enjoys the event’s experience without feeling marginalized by their dietary restrictions.
Poor dietary accommodations (allergies, food sensitivities)
Inadequate dietary accommodations, like failing to offer various food options or not providing relevant allergen-free choices, can cause major headaches for attendees dealing with allergies and other food sensitivities. Fully participating in social events is that much more complicated, when your dietary needs are unmet. It easily leads to aggravating feelings of exclusion, frustration, and physical discomfort, especially when you have a disability and are already facing inclusion-related challenges! Covering a wide range of dietary needs like allergen-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options goes a long way, as does clearly labelling food items with their respective ingredients! Also, making sure that adequate dietary accommodations are offered is a fantastic way to show that event planners care about the well-being of their attendees! Thoughtful dietary accommodations foster more inclusive atmospheres, and ensures everyone enjoys the event’s experience without feeling marginalized by their dietary restrictions.
Poor lighting (visual impairments)
Dimly or poorly lit conference rooms and venues also create their own sets of significant challenges for those dealing with visual impairments. Poorly-lit environments make it harder for people to successfully navigate the space, read materials, or effectively engage with the content and their peers. Insufficient illumination or overly harsh lighting can easily cause feelings of frustration, exclusion, and disengagement in their own way, as folks struggle to participate fully and interact with others. To create more inclusive and accessible environments for attendees with visual impairments, organizers can make sure to provide adequate and adjustable lighting options. This includes brighter task lighting for reading, adjustable ambient lighting to accommodate individual preferences, and ensuring that all spaces, including walkways and presentation areas, are well-lit. Through such adjustments, organizers help attendees with visual impairments feel included and empowered to engage. And this, too, fosters a more accessible and enjoyable experience for all.
Bad seating arrangements (physical, mobility impairments)
Inadequate seating arrangements, like fixed or uncomfortable chairs, create significant barriers for attendees with physical or mobility impairments during events or workshops. Individuals who have these types of disabilities should be able to ask for adjustable seating options, additional space for assistive devices or equipment, or specific seating arrangements that can accommodate their needs and ensure their full participation and comfort. When their requirements aren’t met, attendees with such disabilities end up experiencing discomfort, feelings of exclusion, and difficulties with regard to general engagement. Their challenges can be avoided by providing inclusive and flexible seating options, and a variety of seating types (adjustable chairs, cushioned seats, and spaces designated for wheelchairs), as well as adequate space for maneuverability and ease of access. With thoughtful accommodations for diverse seating requirements, organizers get the opportunity to create environments that empower everyone to feel comfortable as they fully engage in the event experience.
Fast-paced group activities (neurodiversity, mobility impairments)
Fast-paced group activities will also create other meaningful barriers for people with cognitive or mobility impairments, as these attendees might require additional time or support to participate fully and effectively. Rapid transitions, complex tasks, or high-pressure environments can easily exacerbate undue feelings of anxiety, frustration, and exclusion for those who struggle to keep up or fully engage in the prescribed activities! To create a more accessible and inclusive environment for these folks, event organizers should ensure that group activities are adaptable and considerate of diverse needs. This can include offering alternative formats, flexible pacing, and additional support or resources to accommodate various abilities. By incorporating breaks, providing clear instructions, and encouraging a collaborative and supportive atmosphere, organizers and speakers alike can help individuals with cognitive or mobility impairments feel more comfortable and empowered to engage with the content and contribute to discussions or group activities.
Closing the distance
As we’re wrapping up part three of this four-part series dedicated to the 20 deadly sins of inclusive speaking, I’m hoping you can reflect once more on the assumptions you might be making about your audience as a speaking professional, or the considerations you might be overlooking as an event planner. We all have unconscious biases, and we certainly have gaps with regard to how inclusive we ultimately are. Nobody’s perfect.
You already have a pretty solid idea of just how guilty you may have been, up until today, with some of these! Fifteen sins into our list of twenty, just how many of these errors have you committed yourself?
Remember that what is in the past can very well stay there, and what truly matters is resolutely looking towards a future where you are more aware of these shortcomings, and better equipped to avoid them. Doing our best to learn from our past mistakes, so that futures experiences we create for our audience members continue to grow increasingly more inclusive. I hope you’ll stay tuned for our fourth and final part of this four-part series next week, where we’ll look at even more “deadly sins” of inclusive speaking. I bet some of them will surprise you even more.
Catch up on this four-part series!
- Exploring the deadly sins of inclusive speaking – part 1
- Exploring the deadly sins of inclusive speaking – part 2
- Exploring the deadly sins of inclusive speaking – part 3
- Exploring the deadly sins of inclusive speaking – part 4
About Denis Boudreau
Denis Boudreau is a consultant, trainer, coach, and speaker specializing in inclusive leadership and inclusive communication. He works with leaders and executives who are no longer willing to overlook disability inclusion and want to transform their leadership approach from “inclusive-ish” to truly inclusive by championing accessibility. A Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA), Denis has trained thousands of professionals over the past two decades and has delivered hundreds of workshops worldwide in both English and French. He has helped leading brands like Netflix, Salesforce, Victoria’s Secret, and many more embed disability inclusion into their business strategies, empowering them to break down barriers and create deeper, more meaningful connections with their target audiences while also meeting legal obligations.