Accessibility

When you send out the invitation or notice, include a welcome message to let invitees know they can contact the planner regarding accommodations.  Your message might include text such as:

“We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To be respectful of those with allergies and environmental sensitivities, we ask that you please refrain from wearing strong fragrances. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact (name, email, phone).”

One or two days before your event or meeting, send out a reminder about refraining from wearing strong fragrances.  Another approach is to include a checklist in your meeting RSVP. For example:

I will need the following accommodations in order to participate:

      Assistive listening device
      Captioning
      Reserved front row seat
      Large print
      Advance copy of slides to be projected
      Wheelchair access
      Wheelchair access to working tables throughout room
      Scent-free room
      Lactation room
      Gender neutral bathroom
      Diet Restrictions. List:                                                                 
      Other:                                                                                                

Make sure you follow up on all requests received. If it appears you will be unable to meet a specific request, follow up with the individual who made the request to determine whether an alternative arrangement can be made.  Contact ADA & Accessibility Services for further guidance at adaaccess@vt.edu or (540)231-2010.

Look for these features when inspecting your meeting/event space:

Ensure that presenters are aware of HR’s commitment to disability – inclusive meetings, and ask them to prepare and deliver their presentations with accessibility in mind.

Have questions about accommodations or accessibility for your event?

Review other sections of this website on accessible event planning.

Other useful websites that can help make your event or large meeting inclusive:

• Making your Webinar Accessible
• Accessible Web Conferences and Webinar Best Practices
• How to Design and Deliver and Accessible Webinar

“If you are an individual with a disability and require an accommodation, please contact        (insert name)          at       (insert phone number)       or        (insert email)       during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.”

If you are an individual with a disability and require an accommodation in order to fully participate, please indicate here                                                                .

How would you like to be contacted to discuss your needs?                                                              .

I will need the following accommodations in order to participate:
      ASL Interpreter
      Communication Access in Real Time (CART services)
      Large print
      Braille
      Wheelchair access
      Assistive Listening Device
      An Assistant will accompany me
      Closed captioned videos

Pre-registration for an event provides an opportunity for event planners to provide important details about the event. A comprehensive description of the event, including location, environmental conditions, services available, etc. will help participants determine what types of accommodations may be needed. Information that is helpful to know includes the distance to parking areas, the availability of transportation services, whether the venue is air-conditioned, if assistive listening devices are available, scooter or wheelchair availability, and the availability of food options for persons with food allergies.

If an event includes overnight lodging, the event planner should investigate the accessibility features of the lodging.

Focus on the access issue and needed accommodation, not the disability of the participant. When a participant requests an accommodation, respond as quickly as possible. It may take several communications to work through the details of a particular request. In some circumstances, several options may be available to address an access need. The option preferred by the participant should be given primary consideration. If that option proves difficult to provide or you have a question about whether it is a reasonable accommodation, consult with a member of the ADA & Accessibility Team by contacting adaaccess@vt.edu.

Websites are commonly used to convey information about events and as a means to register to attend an event. Creating accessible websites and registration forms is critical to ensuring that persons with disabilities have equal access to information about events. Following the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines will guarantee that your web content is accessible to the broadest range of users.

Essential elements of accessible web design include:

• Providing alternate text for visual content;
• Providing text alternatives to audio content (including captioning with multimedia);
• Cascading style sheets rather than HTML tables;
• Avoiding the use of color to convey important information;
• Using high-contrast foreground/background colors;
• Specifying the language of the content (English, Spanish, or some other language);
• Avoiding flashing animation;
• Using relative units rather than absolutes (e.g., percentages instead of pixels); and
• Making all functionality available from a keyboard.

Attendees who require communication access often cannot use the telephone and are able to convey their needs more effectively by email. Attendees should be asked for their preference of communication access and every effort should be made to meet this request.

The primary types of communication access includes the use of an Assistive Listening System (ALS), sign language interpreting or Communication Access in Real Time (CART). ALS devices are available at many large lecture halls on campus and information of their availability should be on display at the event.

• Provide reserved seating in the front of the event for the attendee and companions.
• Sign language interpreters should be situated in the front of the room proximate to the speaker and within the sight line of the Deaf attendee so that both the interpreter and speaker can be viewed simultaneously.
• A spotlight should be on the interpreter if the lighting in the room is dimmed.
• Provide an advance copy of presentation so that the interpreter will be well prepared to sign any specialized vocabulary and names

• CART reporters will require some space for equipment set-up.
• Reporters using projection equipment should be situated in close proximity to the projection unit.
• Provide an advance copy of presentation to CART reporter to prepare him/her for any specialized vocabulary and names used in presentation.

Schedule your event in wheelchair accessible buildings and rooms. Conduct an on-site visit to evaluate the facility. Wheelchair access must be available in all portions of the venue that participants will be using, including the speaker’s area. An accessible restroom should be within 200 feet of the event location. Braille and tactile signage should be available for directional assistance.

Accessibility begins with parking—how people on and off campus are able to navigate to your event. Given the topography of our campus, many people with disabilities navigate campus with accessible parking and drop off areas. Survey the location for accessible parking and an accessible path of travel from the parking area. If the event is held in a location with no close available parking, identify a method of transportation that will assist attendees with getting to the event location. When planning an event with 50 or more guests, it is recommended that you contact VT Parking Services , for assistance with addressing the parking needs of your guests. The Interactive VT Campus Map can also assist you with identifying parking options for participants with disabilities.

If you must host your meeting in an inaccessible location or one in which access is not easily achievable, communicate the access plan for participants with disabilities in your pre-event publicity. Be sure to include a contact number for questions about access to the venue.

Once an accessible site is selected, the meeting room furniture must be arranged so that people who use mobility devices (e.g., wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, crutches, canes) can maneuver throughout and use the amenities independently; people who are blind or have low vision can navigate easily and safely; people who are deaf or hard of hearing can use assistive listening systems and see speakers, interpreters, and captioning; and all participants feel comfortable and ready to be engaged in the event.

Registration workers should be well-informed about how to provide accommodations and where to obtain services. Staff should know the answers to common questions such as:

• “Do I need a VT permit to use an accessible parking space?”
  (Answer: Yes, between 8:00AM-5:00PM. Accessible day permits are available at Parking Services. Car owner must have a state accessible permit or obvious temporary disability.)
• “Where is the accessible restroom and water fountain?”
• “When traveling around campus, how do I find accessible paths of travel?”
• “Are there Braille directional signs in the building?”
• “Will there be a wheelchair or scooter available to use. If not, where can I rent one locally?”

Event staff should be apprised of the general obligation to provide accommodation for people with disabilities. Staff should be prepared to offer assistance (directions for drop-off and accessible parking, seating, or using the amenities of the building, etc.).