How to Make Your Events More Accessible and Inclusive
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Written by Caitlin Charniga

@esthermchung
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How to Make Your Events More Accessible and Inclusive

Updated: June 9, 2020

 

Originally published: May 2, 2018

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How to Make Your Events More Accessible and Inclusive
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Written by Caitlin Charniga


Are Your Events Accessible and Inclusive? Here's How to Make Sure

May 2, 2018

When planning an event, we can all agree that there’s one universal goal — to ensure everyone has a fantastic time.


More often than not, accommodating accessibility is often an afterthought in event marketing (or not even a thought at all). As event marketers, it’s on us to make sure every component of the our events is accessible to every single participant — no matter ability.


So before you fall into ADA-rule fatigue, let's talk about some simple accessibility tips for  your next event — everything from venue accessibility to communications.

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Increase Trust, Transparency, and Access to Engaging Prospects

1. Understand and Align with Key Company Metrics

Your Accessibility Checklist: The Important Questions 

First things first: Any event venue must meet required ADA guidelines. Here are a few things to always double check when it comes to the accessibility of your events:

1  |  Does your venue provide elevator or ramp access?

Some venues will cover accessibility on their website, usually somewhere in the FAQs. However, for those that don’t, just send a quick email to the venue asking about accessibility.

 

2  |  What do accessible transportation routes to and from your venue look like?

If you’re in a metro area, it’s good to check if nearby subway or train stations are accessible. To save guests some time, it’s also a good idea to provide instructions around what the most accessible routes are.

Pro Tip

If you’re in a major metro area, Google has added wheelchair accessible routes to Google Maps on both desktop and mobile. This should make your research into routes around your venue a total breeze.

2. Organize your data and simplify data-tracking

3  |  Is there accessible parking available?

Is there parking nearby the event that’s accessible to wheelchairs, canes, and walkers? Can a person with mobility challenges or fatigue get from the parking section to the event venue easily?

 

4  |  Is there enough seating and personal space?

If you have seating, do you have space for persons living with disabilities? Are you making sure that it’s communicated in your event space that persons living with disabilities get priority seating in a designated area? Is there enough personal space to accommodate those with wheelchairs, canes, walkers, and service animals?

 

5  |  Did you confirm access days before your event?

Even if you’ve done all of your research, it’s important to call your chosen venue a few days before the event to check that all accommodations are up and running. This way, if an elevator is broken or a nearby accessible parking lot is closed, you have time to figure out alternatives or communicate these changes to attendees.

Your Communications Checklist: What to Include

The other part of accessibility is making sure your attendees know about all the details so they can prepare ahead of time. There is so much room for up-front communications when it comes to the inclusion and accessibility of your events. Consider doing the following:

 

1  |  Put accessibility information in your event page footer.

Take a look at the example below of an event page that looks great, feels great, and is displaying helpful accessibility information at the footer of the page.

event accessibility

2  |  Use your RSVP form to gather attendee needs ahead of time.

Your RSVP or ticket order form is the perfect opportunity to better prepare your team, while assuring your attendees you’re thinking about their needs. Here are some custom questions you can include in your forms:

•  Dietary restrictions

•  Requests for interpreting services or assistive listening devices

•  Requests for accessible parking or seating

•  An open text area asking about other accommodations that will help ensure
    full guest participation

•  Preferred pronouns so you can display them on badges

Should you ever receive a request that you’re unfamiliar with, you can simply collaborate with the requesting attendee. There is no shame in asking questions. If anything, it shows you take accessibility seriously and want your event to be as enjoyable as possible for all.


3  |  Send an email about accessible transportation options.

In the weeks before your event, send an email that lets all of your guests know how they can best travel to your event. Take time to lay out accessible route options. Take a look at this example:

4  |  Disclose any specifics in your pre-event communications.
In terms of accessibility, it’s better to over-communicate. It's extremely important to note the following in your pre-event communications to your attendees:

3. Determine Your Actual Event Investment 

Event Marketing Budget Decisions

•  Use of flash photography

•  Any sort of strobe lights or flashing images that may cause seizures

•  Distinctly amplified sounds/music

•  The use of fog machines/any other chemicals or smells that may make your
    space inaccessible to individuals with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
    or Idiopathic Environmental Intolerances (IEI)

•  Whether or not interpreting services will be provided for various speakers,
    panels, talks, etc.

•  Whether or not you will be providing assistive listening devices for hard of
    hearing attendees. (Fact: These are fairly inexpensive!)

•  All optional parts of your event, including off-site social activities, that may
    not be fully accessible

See how they built it:



Do you have what it takes to leverage event technology? Learn more from Matt Burton in this 20-minute video.

event-team-collaboration-app

Not only is it helpful to quickly solve any issues (and there are always issues), but it’s also helpful to communicate with your team inside the venue on the status of check-ins. Most importantly, alert your sales team that their VIP guests have arrived.

5  |  Let your speakers know about any special accommodations beforehand.

The speakers at your event should know about any special accommodations so they can be prepared. Some accessibility notes to provide speakers may include:

5. Dos-and-Donts for Not Breaking The Law: Keep Count Of Your Attendee Numbers

The last thing you want to think about is hitting capacity. Because hitting capacity for your event would be a good thing… right?


Unfortunately, not keeping track of the number of attendees, and subsequently, violating fire permit laws, is a common problem for many event planners. Avoid this by using an old-fashioned clicker or the Splash App using the “checked out” status -- that’s key for tracking who’s in and out of the space.


Pro tip: have the fire permit in hand and contract printed out. And have another person keep track of how it feels inside the event, whether it’s hot in the venue or too crowded.


A couple good questions to consider asking the venue manager about the space:


• How many people in the venue makes it feel full?

• How many people makes it feel empty?

• Where can lines form?
• How many people can be at the bar at a time? (A typical drink order takes about 2 minutes. Alleviate bar crowds by having cocktail waitresses holding pre-made drinks.)

•  Speak clearly (ideally facing forward without covering your mouth)

•  Avoid acronyms and colloquialisms as much as possible

•  When addressing someone specifically, ask for his/her/their name and pronouns
    to confirm

•  Specify when you’re finished speaking

•  For interpreters, always look at and address the participating attendee

Bonus Details:

Timing: Start Door Duty an Hour Before Event

Sure, attendees may arrive late. Sure, you may still be organizing right up until the last minute. But people will begin showing up 25 minutes after starting time, which means, security has to be ready for the flow of arrivals. Some people will also arrive early and if the door isn’t staffed, you don’t want these people sneaking in before it’s time.

Become an Advocate

Staff Up: The Golden 1:50 Ratio

To maintain organization, have a 1:50 ratio between the company and guests. This may vary based on how complex the on-site registration is.

Making your event more accessible and inclusive opens up a space to begin a much-needed conversation around accessible event marketing and becoming an advocate. This may require some thought and work, as it will force you to rethink how you typically host events.


Part of this rethinking might also include reaching out to your attendees both during and after the event to see how things went and if they were comfortable, informed, and able to fully participate. Always get event feedback and continue to improve your planning practices around accessibility.


Once you’ve hosted some events with these accessibility tips put to the test, we also encourage you to educate others within your business and within the event marketing community. It’s up to us all to create a conversation around accessibility in order to spread best practices and host events that are that much more inclusive and, in turn, that much more extraordinary.

Learn actionable ways to build diverse and inclusive events by watching this on-demand webinar.

Veterans know: there is no such thing as too many RSVPs

When I was a rookie planner, I remember being very nervous that there were too many RSVPs and the right people wouldn't get in.

 

As much as the experience at the door matters, remember: a packed event is a good thing. A very good thing. A line makes you look popular, and people don't really mind waiting (if it moves). Much worse than over crowding is UNDER crowding... no one likes an empty room.  And when someone on your team is stressing, tell them to chill. You got this.

author

Caitlin Charniga

Cait is a Product Designer at Splash, working across a variety of different product initiatives. Previously, she focused heavily on user experience in the advertising world. Along with pushing product pixels, Cait also works on creating fun and bold Splash brand illustrations. In her spare time, you can find her playing video games, dabbling with watercolors, or trying to work her way through her podcast queue.

About the Author

Ben Hindman is co-founder and CEO of Splash, the country's fastest-growing event marketing platform that helps businesses and brands more effectively market through their events. An event planner turned tech entrepreneur, events are in Ben’s DNA. Prior to starting Splash, Ben was the Director of Events at Thrillist, where he produced large-scale events from concerts to mystery fly-aways.

Make sure you consider every detail of your event program. Our comprehensive event marketing guide covers it all. 

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