Planning Accessible Meetings and Events

As a public entity, WCSU has a responsibility to make all sponsored events accessible. Event planners and organizers should help to ensure accessibility for participants or attendees with disabilities. To do so, all publicity and pre-registration materials must have an event accessibility statement. The event accessibility statement must include an event contact email and phone number and a timeframe to request accommodations to help ensure coordination of the requested accommodation(s).

Ask in Advance

When issuing an invitation to your event or meeting, ask whether anyone might need accommodation or assistance.  You could indicate the following:  “For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations please contact (name of event organizer) at (include phone and an e-mail address).”

If you are using a registration form, you can ask the following question and include appropriate options for accommodation.

Please indicate if you need any of the following accommodations to participate in the (event type) due to disability.

• An interpreter
• An assistive listening device
• Captioning
• Large Print
• Copies of notes or other materials in advance
• Wheelchair access
• Dietary Restrictions
• Accommodations for an aide who might be accompanying the registrant

Meals and Receptions

If the event will have a social reception and/or meals:

• Make adequate provisions for seating, allowing all participants to sit in the same area. Do not place persons in wheelchairs or those who use walkers or dog guides on the fringes of the dining area.
• If you choose a buffet, have servers available to assist; buffets can be particularly difficult for persons with mobility or visual impairments.
• Determine the accessibility of any outside entertainment and transportation services offered to participants.
• Include options for food allergies and restrictions

Presentations

Communicate with invited speakers and presenters to ensure that presentations are accessible to persons with disabilities.

• Choose well-lit and easily accessible meeting rooms.
• Control background noise to the greatest extent possible.
• Choose a meeting room with good acoustics and an auxiliary sound system, if possible.
• Provide written materials (handouts, overheads, etc.) disseminated at the meeting in a variety of formats as requested by participants, (e.g., raised print, large print, Braille, audiocassette, or computer disks.) Providing these in advance will help ensure that they can be accessed.
• Discuss with each presenter, prior to the meeting, the importance of developing a presentation that will be accessible to all participants.
• Instruct the presenter to include the key points of the presentation on overheads or slides. Be sure they are completely legible, with large print and sharp, contrasting colors. In addition, ask the presenter to limit the number of overheads or other visual aids used in the presentation and to allow adequate time for the audience to read the visual aids.
• Ask the presenter to accompany materials, including presentations and handouts, with a complete verbal description. If slides, overheads, videos or other visual aids are used, the speaker must describe them orally. Ask the presenter to provide a copy of presentation materials well in advance to allow for large print or Braille transcription.
• Check for the needs of presenters with disabilities (ramping or podium requests, a reverse interpreter, sighted guide for a person with limited vision, etc.)

When a participant requests an accommodation, respond as quickly as possible. Any question about whether an accommodation request is reasonable, or general questions regarding accessibility requirements at events may be directed to the Office of AccessAbility Services at 2003-837-8225 or aas@wcsu.edu.