The inclusive future of virtual events: crafting accessible spaces for all

While the world of virtual meetings and events buzzes with dynamism and rapid innovation, there’s an area that, to this day, remains largely overlooked and underserved across the board – accessibility. Despite its critical importance to an increasing portion of the population, disability inclusion has yet to be fully integrated into the everyday practices of many event and meeting planners. Yet, despite the clear lack of support it receives, at the heart of true diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, disability inclusion stands firm, embodying a vision of genuinely equitable digital experiences for all.

In the broader spectrum of DEI that encompasses race, gender, sex, religion, and many other equally important protected characteristics, disability inclusion remains, to this day, surprisingly unaddressed. But if we’re going to be truly inclusive as event and meeting planners, we have no other option but to embrace inclusion for individuals of all abilities, including those living with various types of disabilities.

Integrating accessibility into the everyday practices of event planners requires both a mindful and proactive approach. After all, it’s disarmingly easy to mess up the experience of audience members who live with disabilities just because of simple oversights, or a lack of awareness! Yet, when event professionals make it their business to ensure inclusion, a whole new world opens up in front of those who are otherwise left out.

Let’s consider a concrete example with Maya, an experienced event planner, charged with the challenging task of organizing a large international webinar that was also fully accessible.

A tale of accessible event planning

Prepared for the mammoth task of organizing a large international webinar, and with her unyielding commitment to inclusivity, Maya knew her event had to be more than just a meeting. It had to be a beacon of accessibility for all attendees, regardless of their abilities.

In selecting the webinar platform, Maya prioritized features that were essential for attendees with specific needs. For instance, she chose a platform that supported closed captions, a vital tool for attendees with hearing impairments. This ensured they could follow along and engage with the conversation as seamlessly as anyone else. The power of inclusion was immediately evident as attendees with hearing challenges actively participated, undeterred by their disability.

Visual content was another pivotal part of her plan. Maya mandated that all visual presentations and content include descriptive alt text, a feature that transformed the experience for attendees using screen readers. Visually impaired attendees were no longer excluded from understanding graphical content; instead, they could consume the information just as effectively as sighted attendees, fostering an environment of true inclusivity.

Registration, the first touchpoint for attendees, was another crucial area of focus. Maya ensured the webpage was accessible and user-friendly with clear labels and effective colour contrast, easing the process for those with struggling with visual or colour perception. To further underscore her commitment to accessibility, she added an ‘accessibility requirements’ section on the form, empowering attendees to share their accommodation needs. This step ensured that each attendee’s experience was personalized, enabling them to participate fully and comfortably.

But Maya didn’t just stop there. Knowing the importance of real-time support during the event, she decided to also add a dedicated accessibility officer to her team. This addition demonstrated her earnest commitment to a truly inclusive event experience. Attendees with disabilities felt heard, respected, and supported, knowing there was someone ready to promptly address any accessibility-related issues or concerns.

Post-event, Maya didn’t just retire to rest either! Understanding the benefits of actively seeking feedback, she dispatched an accessible digital survey to collect invaluable participant reactions. The data she gathered illuminated what worked well and what could be improved in future events. These insights allowed her to continuously refine her approach, creating a more inclusive environment with each subsequent event.

Maya’s journey showcases a transformative approach to meeting and event planning. She elevated accessibility from an afterthought to a fundamental pillar of her process, recognizing in doing so the value of every audience member. By integrating accessibility from the very start, and making it a standard rather than an exception, Maya provided a roadmap for other event planners to create truly inclusive and accessible spaces as well. Through her strategy, each attendee, regardless of their ability, found their place in the digital conversation, proving that inclusion isn’t just impactful – it’s indispensable.

One-size-fits-all strategies never work

Let’s consider another real-life example to emphasize the significance of digital event accessibility. Imagine being an enthusiastic participant at an online conference. You’re eager to engage with new ideas, connect with peers, and contribute to insightful discussions. However, you happen to be dealing with partial vision loss. As the event progresses, you realize that the presentations are rife with graphics and visual data representations without corresponding audio descriptions or textual alternatives. Consequently, despite your eagerness and potential contributions, you constantly miss out on critical information, thereby limiting your ability to fully engage. This scenario is a reality for hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide, illuminating the pressing need for digital event accessibility.

In the era of webinars, virtual conferences, and online meetings, we have the responsibility to create accessible experiences for everyone. From providing descriptive alt text for images to ensuring closed captions for videos and selecting contrasting colors to enhance visibility, there’s an extensive list of tactics to make our digital events more accessible.

As we venture into the realm of digital accessibility and disability inclusion, it’s critical to remember that every event and every user is unique. Consequently, any approach deeply rooted in one-size-fits-all inclusion thinking is doomed to fail.

Thankfully, many key elements will foster a more accessible virtual environment! Such elements include, but are not limited to, leveraging straightforward website navigation patterns, using clear and simple language, providing accessible document formats, and relying on responsive design interfaces that work seamlessly across various devices and screen sizes. While the list of such examples abound, individually, each one is, in fact, pretty easy to achieve. All you really need is discover what they are, and then commit to implementing them as inclusivity solutions.

Those who choose to dive deeper quickly discover there’s a ton of resources and best practices out there. As a matter of fact, an ever-growing list of such best practices are documented right here, in the Info-Hub section! Why don’t you check them out? And then, some tools like MS Word and MS PowerPoint, or even Adobe Acrobat have built-in features that will evaluate your content for accessibility. Same for the web, with browser extensions like Axe DevTools that will check your HTML content for accessibility problems, too… lots of great options out there.

On top of these best practices and resources, movements like the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) that took place last week also play a crucial role in encouraging and promoting digital accessibility. They don’t just shine a spotlight on the importance of digital accessibility, they also demonstrate practical ways through which all of us can ensure digital inclusivity. As an example, GAAD’s ripple effects have recently initiated conversations, enhanced knowledge for many, and sparked progress in the digital event landscape, inspiring event planners and speaking professionals alike to incorporate accessibility into their planning and delivery processes.

All the while contributing to bettering the experience of audience members who have disabilities, making them feel more welcomed, better included, more genuinely cared for.

Still a long way to go

With all that said, we still have ways to go before live in-person and virtual events can be considered truly inclusive of the needs and expectations of audience members who have disabilities. Virtual event accessibility should not merely be a box to check, but a standard protocol ingrained in every event professional’s planning process. As we look forward to the future, it’s crucial to strive for better accessible design, including advancements in AI-powered closed captioning and voice recognition software, among other technology. As recognition of the importance of accessibility continues to grow, I remain optimistic that event planners like yourselves will continue to innovate and push the boundaries for inclusion. Are you with me?

Making events truly accessible requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders, from event planners to speaking professionals, and every one of us in between. When accessibility is prioritized, everyone gets an equal chance to participate, contribute, and benefit from our increasingly digitalized spaces. This commitment to disability inclusion doesn’t just fulfill a mandate – it radically transforms the lives of those it benefits, it empowers people, it fosters connections, and it builds a more equitable world, one event at a time, whether it is virtual or in-person.

Be part of the solution. All it takes is that first step. What will yours be?