Planning for Accessible Events

When planning for accessible events, institutions should:

• Determine funding policy and procedures for accommodation requests prior to receiving any requests. Equitable Access Guide: Section 5: Beyond the Classroom: Non-Academic Programs has information on centralized and decentralized funding structures.
• Designate an office or staff members responsible for coordinating event accommodations.
• Have disability inclusion statements and language in event advertisements which explain how to request accommodations and provide contact information.
• Have working assistive listening devices available at events with information available at the venue about how to access these devices. Some of these devices should be hearing aid compatible.
• Provide both speech-to-text and interpreting services for large public events without the need for formal requests. This will provide greater access by considering the audience’s wide range of communication needs.
• This proactive approach will also minimize last-minute requests, as providers are less likely to be available on short notice.
• For live-streamed public events, a single video of an event with captions and a picture-in-picture interpreter is a common practice.
• Have all media used during an event or program captioned, since captions benefit everyone.