Making your event truly accessible to all: a guide to disability inclusion – part 2

In last week’s post, I started a conversation on some of the reasons as to why “disability inclusion”, as part of a more inclusive DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) approach, needed to quickly find its way on any meeting planner’s priority list. Through that post, the first in a two-part series, I also voiced some of the incentives that could drive you to pay more attention to such an important issue moving forward.

This week, as a follow-up to last week’s post and as a way to wrap up that particular conversation, I want to highlight some of the reasons that justify why disability inclusion merits, in fact, to be perceived as a vital component of any meetings and events planning activities. My goal is to enable you to see why it makes perfect sense to prioritize that consideration, and some of the reasons why the meetings industry seriously needs to catch up to this aspect of the DEI movement that remains, to this day, largely overlooked and underserved by almost everyone.

I believe it’s in your best interest to be made aware of the risks that you expose yourself to as an event planner, when you’re failing to account for disability inclusion and are passively overlooking the needs and expectations of audience members who have disabilities. As promised, this post will also shed some light on some of the most obvious low-hanging, plumping fruits that are so ripe for the taking. As we cover today’s post, I’ll also be sharing some of my favourite best practices that will make a significant difference in the lived experiences of your audience members who have disabilities, or who identify as being neurodivergent… if only you choose to apply them.

Understanding disability inclusion

But enough preamble. Let’s begin today’s post by defining what disability inclusion is, in the context of a DEI approach. Simply put, disability inclusion can be identified as the practice of creating environments, policies, and procedures that value and respect the needs of individuals living with disabilities. And in doing so, ensuring that their experiences as attendees can be as satisfying and enjoyable as those of individuals who do not share the same conditions.

An essential component of any meaningful DEI initiative or policy that reaches beyond the limits of usual protected characteristics, disability inclusion sees to it that individuals with disabilities are not excluded from events, programs, or activities, get to fully participate, and dare I even say, thrive, as they invest themselves in the experience along with their peers.

It’s common knowledge that those living with disabilities routinely face barriers to participation on a daily basis, because the rest of us fail to recognize that the environments we create do not meet their needs and realities: inaccessible physical environments, communication barriers, and attitudinal barriers being just a few examples that contribute to limiting their ability to fully engage in our events and activities.

Why disability inclusion matters in event planning

So, why is it that disability inclusion matters so much in event planning, you ask?

First of all, I’ll argue that it matters because of legal and ethical considerations. Event planners and meeting professionals must adhere to provincial laws like the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and similar legislation worldwide, ensuring that their events are accessible to individuals with various disabilities or those who self-identify as such. Therefore, planners like yourselves are required, by law, to provide accommodations so individuals with disabilities can fully participate in live, in-person and virtual events.

Moreover, incorporating disability inclusion into event design fosters greater participation and engagement. By considering the needs of individuals with disabilities, events create an environment that promotes a sense of inclusivity and belonging. Consequently, this inclusive approach results in heightened participation, active engagement, and positive recommendations through word-of-mouth, which are all very positive things.

Also, disability inclusion has an undeniably positive impact on brand reputation! Being known as a disability-inclusive event planner improves your brand reputation and sets you apart from other less inclusive planners. By prioritizing disability inclusion, you demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility and equity, which, in turn, reflects positively on you and the brand you represent.

Lastly, prioritizing disability inclusion enhances both access and safety during events. By considering the needs of individuals with disabilities, event organizers ensure that venues and facilities are physically accessible, offering features like ramps and designated seating. Additionally, they provide audio-visual accommodations such as closed captioning and sign language interpreters, thereby ensuring a safe and inclusive experience for all attendees.

Risks of not accounting for disability inclusion

By opposition, a failure to account for disability inclusion in event planning likely leads to serious and harmful consequences, which include possible legal and financial repercussions, reputational damages, and the exclusion of a significant portion of your audience. You may already have experienced some of this yourself.

From a legal and financial risks standpoint, we already know that event and meeting planners are required by law to ensure that their events are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Neglecting to adhere to accessibility standards potentially leads to severe legal consequences and substantial fines! This is certainly true with regard to the United States, where the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) holds a lot of legal weight. Additionally, when individuals with disabilities are barred from attending events due to lack of accessibility and accommodations, event planners also face financial loss due to lower attendance and negative publicity that can very well ensue.

And then, there are additional risks from a reputational standpoint! Excluding individuals with disabilities from in-person and virtual events has a detrimental impact on your reputation as an event planner and on the reputation of the organization you represent. The failure to prioritize inclusivity for all attendees and the perceived impression of dismissing the needs of the marginalized can very quickly lead to a few viral posts on social media, boycotts, and even threats of cancel culture. It’s happened before. In today’s social media age, words spread awfully quickly, and negative reviews and comments can prove to be incredibly harmful for those on the receiving end!

Of course, there is also the actual question of excluding a significant portion of the audience, and by association of the population. This is far from negligible. We’ve already determined that approximately 22% of Canadians have disabilities, making this segment quite a significant portion of our population. And of your attendees, by association.

Failure to account for disability inclusion results to excluding these people from your carefully crafted events, and limits their ability to fully engage with their peers, their industry, and society as a whole.

Best practices for disability-inclusive event planning

This is not my first post, talking about such best practices and benefits. A previous post, written in November of 2022, “Seventeen low-cost ideas to make your in-person events more inclusive”, already set the tone for such actions months ago. As we keep adding to this conversation, and to ensure that your events are accessible to individuals with disabilities, my recommendation is that you follow at least some of these very important best practices. Broken down between actions that must take place before, during, and after the events, some of these best practices include:

Pre-event planning

Selecting a venue that is physically accessible: Choosing a physically accessible venue is crucial in event planning. Assessing features like ramps, elevators, wide doorways, accessible parking, and wheelchair-accessible restrooms ensures seamless access for individuals with disabilities. Such venues demonstrate inclusive event planning, promoting equal participation and a sense of belonging. This commitment to diversity and accessibility enhances the attendee experience, reinforces a positive brand image, and fosters inclusivity in events.

Providing clear and accessible communication and marketing materials: Clear and accessible communication and marketing materials are essential in event planning. This involves creating inclusive content that is easy to understand for individuals with diverse disabilities. Using plain language, alternative formats, colour contrast, and captioning/transcripts ensures accessibility for all. By implementing these practices, event planners demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity, effective communication, and accessibility, enhancing the overall attendee experience.

Creating a registration process that accommodates individuals with disabilities: Creating an inclusive registration process that accommodates folks living with disabilities is yet another crucial best practice in inclusive event planning. It involves offering alternative registration methods, like providing options for assisted registration, ensuring accessible online forms, and offering support for individuals who might require assistance, or have specific accessibility needs. By prioritizing inclusivity in the registration process, event planners facilitate equal access and participation, making the event more welcoming and accessible for all attendees.

During the event

Ensuring that the venue is physically accessible: Ensuring a physically accessible venue is just as essential as an event planning best practice, and includes considerations like providing accessible seating and restrooms for attendees living with various disabilities. Features like ramps, elevators, wide doorways, and wheelchair-accessible facilities allow event planners to create inclusive environments where attendees can navigate comfortably. In its own way, such a commitment to accessibility fosters equal participation, enhances the attendee experience, and reinforces the event’s reputation as inclusive and welcoming.

Providing audio-visual accommodations: Providing audio-visual accommodations is yet another critical best practice in event planning, which involves offering services like closed captioning, sign language interpretation, and audio descriptions to ensure accessibility for those with hearing or visual impairments. Through the implementation of these accommodations, event planners promote inclusivity and enable all attendees to fully engage with the content and presentations. This results in more inclusive environments where everyone gets to participate and enjoy the event on an equal basis.

Using inclusive language: Eliminating ableist language and adopting person-first language also goes a long way when it comes to more inclusive event planning! Language that discriminates against individuals with disabilities is unacceptable, and is often best replaced by more respectful terminology that emphasizes the person before their disability. Enabling such environments creates more inclusive and respectful experiences for all. As person-first language is more likely to recognize the dignity and worth of every individual, it is usually the best approach to first address attendees with disabilities, at least until they let you know otherwise.

Post-event evaluation

Conducting an evaluation: Conducting a thorough evaluation to assess the effectiveness of implemented disability inclusion practices involves gathering feedback from attendees, particularly the ones who have disabilities, to gauge their experience and identify possible areas for improvement. Through active input seeking and monitoring, event planners can measure the impact of disability inclusion initiatives and continuously enhance their practices, ensuring greater accessibility and inclusivity for future events. Such evaluations drive ongoing improvement and reinforces the commitment to creating a truly inclusive environment for all attendees.

Incorporating feedback from individuals with disabilities: Incorporating feedback from individuals with disabilities is achieved by genuinely seeking input and insights from attendees with disabilities. Doing so, event planners can gain valuable perspectives on the accessibility and inclusivity of the events they put out. Such feedback then helps everyone identify areas for improvement, which allows for the implementation of necessary adjustments and accommodations that will make future events better and enhance future events. Combined with other best practices intended to listen and respond to the needs of those with disabilities, event and meeting planners are presented with opportunities to make great strides, when it comes to creating more inclusive and enjoyable in-person or virtual experiences for everyone.

From stigma to success

As I conclude this post, it’s crucial to highlight that disability inclusion is a vital component of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and deserves a lot more priority in event planning. Neglecting disability inclusion results in severe consequences that no one should feel comfortable overlooking. The impact on a significant number of our audience members is both stigmatizing and damaging.

Prioritizing disability inclusion is not only good for the attendees, it’s also good for you as an event planner, and it’s really good for business! Boosted participation, enhanced brand reputation, accessible and safe events for all attendees… those are all amazing things. By implementing best practices like the ones that were covered today, you can make a big, impactful difference. And while you’ll do that, your actions will also reflect your commitment to social responsibility and equity.

Catch up on this two-part series!

• Making your event truly accessible to all: a guide to disability inclusion – part 1
• Making your event truly accessible to all: a guide to disability inclusion – part 2