Events

A guide to delivering accessible events

Consider accessibility requirements for every aspect of your event, from publicity to venue facilities. This includes thinking about your delegates, event staff, the chair, speakers and exhibitors – all of whom may be disabled.

It will be more expensive and difficult to meet audience requirements and your legal duties if you only consider them at the last minute, so plan for accessibility from the start.

Accessibility modifications will help everyone who attends your event. For example, new visitors and non-fluent English speakers will benefit from clear signage as much as people with learning disabilities.

Promotion

If you mention facilities for disabled people in your publicity, they will know that you want to include them.

Mention facilities for disabled people in your publicity
Use inclusive language
Check your site is accessible and compatible with the specialist access hardware and software used by some disabled people.
Provide a contact point.
If you give a telephone number as your contact point, give alternatives such as a textphone, email address, fax number or postal address.
Make sure that staff at the contact point can answer questions about access.
Use the clear print guidelines for all your printed material.

Application and reply forms

You can use your event application form to let people know what adjustments are in place for disabled visitors, for example sign language interpreters, deaf-blind communicators and large print materials. In addition:

Give disabled people the opportunity to specify anything else they may need: "Please let us know any additional requirements you may have."
Ask for a contact telephone or textphone number or an email address so that you can discuss any requests.
Make the form accessible.

Remember that all information you receive on application forms is subject to the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

Booking forms should be available in Easyread.

Accessible communications

Think about how you will produce written information for your event, like programmes, promotional material, handouts, agendas, tickets, posters and application forms in a range of accessible formats including digital. This includes making sure your event web pages are accessible.

There should always be information in Easy Read at events for disabled people. This should be on paper and also on audiotape or CD-ROM.

Attendees with hearing problems

Deaf and hard of hearing people can be supported by language support professionals (LSP). They include:

British Sign Language interpreters
deafblind communicators and guides
lip speakers
note takers
speech to text reporters (palantypists)
speed text operators.

Consider booking LSPs provisionally as soon as you have an event date and venue, as there is a high demand for them. The more notice you give the better chance you will have of meeting your attendees’ requirements. Agencies and freelance language support professionals contact details are given on the National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People website.

LSPs will be able to advise on the best position for them to work in relation to the speaker and the audience and environmental features such as lighting, which can affect the service they give to deaf people.

They will welcome being briefed on the content of the event in advance. Include copies or details of:

presentations
video material
unusual words, including medical or legal jargon.

Attendees with learning disabilities

Use Easyread
Put the number of the agenda item that any paper relates to on the paper.
For regular meetings, consider colour coding your papers - use the same colour each time you have a meeting, for example yellow paper for minutes and orange paper for questions.

Send people any papers well in advance of a meeting (two weeks if possible).

Film clips

Film clips on DVD or video can add interest to presentations. Audio-description, subtitle and British Sign Language interpretation increases accessibility.

Check if these options are available on any films that you plan to show. If you are commissioning broadcast material, request these formats if the material are included.

Chairs, speakers and presenters

Let the chair, speakers and presenters know about access considerations before your event. For example they will need to voice any slides or presentations they use and provide copies in advance to people with visual impairments or dyslexia.

Brief speakers on working with language service professionals (LSPs) and any other accessibility arrangements. Explain that they should speak slowly so that lip-readers and users of LSPs can understand what they are saying.

Chairs need to describe exits from the audience's perspective, for example “your left”, “your right” and “in front of/behind you” rather than pointing or saying "over there". They may also need to remind speakers to speak up or speak more slowly. If done politely, it is not embarrassing.

Meetings

At small meetings, consider outlining meeting rules at the start, for example only one person speaking at a time. Sometimes it is helpful to get the group of people meeting to agree their own rules.

Using ‘traffic light cards’ can be helpful. These are a set of four cards that mean "Stop", "OK", "Slow down" and "What?" The chair can use these cards to control speakers or attendees can agree how to use them. Using the cards can help people who may be nervous to take part in meetings.

Don't have too many items on the agenda for one meeting. Put the most important agenda items first.

If there are meeting attendees with learning disabilities:

Put the number of the agenda item that any paper relates to on the paper.
Consider putting a picture of each agenda item on the wall and take them down as you finish each item.
For regular meetings, consider colour coding your papers - for example yellow paper for meeting minutes and orange paper for agendas.
Send out any papers well in advance of a meeting (two weeks if possible).

The programme

Make sure your audience are comfortable and can engage with the material.

Include regular breaks and make sure these are long enough. People who use assistance dogs need time to take them outside during breaks.
Keep session length to about 45 minutes. If sessions need to be longer, pause for a few minutes to let language support professionals rest.
Consider that people with continence problems may need to visit the toilet every hour.
Make your agenda easy to understand. If people with learning disabilities are likely to be attending, use easy words and pictures.
Think about discussing some topics in smaller groups. This can help people who find it harder to speak in a big group.
Give people the opportunity to write questions down for the chair to read out.
Keep to the timings you have set. In particular, make sure meetings start and finish on time.

Special effects

Special effects and technology can add impact or overcome issues like the large size of a venue. Consider the effect of any technology for disabled people. Some technology will provide a reasonable adjustment for some disabled people.

Let people know about any special effects before the event, particularly important if your event involves flash or strobe lighting. Give attendees the opportunity to feed back any issues to you. If technology is likely to cause problems for disabled people, consider alternatives.

Lighting

Dimming the lights in a venue may prevent some disabled people taking part - for example, a hearing impaired person will be prevented from lip-reading. If dimming lights is necessary, make sure speakers and language support professionals are suitably spotlighted and that there is good light for reading.

You may need to dim the lights for presentations involving slides or videos to prevent glare, which can make it difficult for some people to read the text. Check if this is possible when you audit the venue. Closing curtains and blinds and keeping some lights on in the room would also reduce glare.

Sound systems

Check the quality and the volume of the PA system for clarity and comfort.
Check the loop or infrared systems.
Check infrared or radio systems used for language translation do not affect the radio or infrared system in use for hearing aid wearers. Ask the suppliers of both services to liaise with each other.
Often only the chair and presenters will have a microphone. If you expect audience members to ask questions from the floor arrange for assisting staff to be equipped with portable microphones.

Palantype

You could consider using speech to text report, known as palantype. This is can be viewed on a laptop screen or a large screen placed on the stage area. This helps everyone to follow what is being said.

Explore

Beyond the Office for Disability Issues

National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People website

Page last reviewed: 04 November 2010