Planning an inclusive and accessible event

The holiday season is just around the corner. We all look forward to gathering with colleagues, friends, and family to socialize, celebrate accomplishments, and enjoy each other’s company. However, if accessibility is not prioritized, it’s easy for a joyful event to turn into a disappointment when not everyone can participate.
We connected with Jennifer Do (she/her), Marketing & Communications Manager at Open Door Group, to discuss ways to put inclusion front and centre in event planning.
Jennifer says, “A lot of the time when people design an accessible event, immediate attention goes to physical barriers, but invisible barriers are also important and are often underestimated.”
This blog delves into ways to create inclusive experiences where everyone can be merry and enjoy the holidays.
Common ways people can be excluded from holiday events
There are many ways in which guests may be excluded from a holiday event. Reasons may include disabilities and invisible barriers. Let’s take the example of an evening cocktail party with a gift exchange. Guests may not join due to factors such as a lack of evening childcare or challenges accessing transportation at night. Some folks may avoid loud settings that cause overstimulation or events with alcohol. The gift exchange may also exclude guests who have financial barriers to participating.
To honour the spirit of inclusion during the holidays, it’s important to consider details throughout the planning process. An accessible holiday event will make guests feel welcome from the moment they receive an invitation, create a sense of belonging during the event, and have guests leave with a feeling of connection. It takes a proactive approach to ensure this smooth and inclusive experience.
Building accessibility into event planning
Considering accessibility can start in the budgeting stages. Larger events may require additional planning for accessibility services. For instance, a large event may get quite loud and overwhelming for people with cognitive disabilities or anxiety. Such an event would benefit from a sensory-friendly room for people to relax, and complimentary earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones to support noise management.
When planning an event’s logistics, consider the time of day and the length of the event. Long events can be cognitively draining and socializing can demand a lot of attendees, especially if they are managing a non-apparent disability like chronic pain or neurodivergence.
Also, consider how accessible the location will be for those who require parking or access to public transit. Jennifer suggests asking yourself this question, “How easy is it for people to navigate from the parking and venue entrance to the event room?”
To support wheelchair users and guests with low vision, work with venue partners to ensure that ramps are available and any stairs or stages are well marked. “If an event has a stage, make sure it’s accessible with a ramp. For venues that have stairs, such as hotels or rooms on an upper floor, make sure they have elevators,” Jennifer advises. “Any stairs should have strip stickers to make them very visible to wheelchair users. Signage is important as well.”
Fostering a culture of inclusion
With all the accessibility preparations done, it’s time to promote the event. Jennifer recommends posting accessibility information on the event page and amplifying the information through social media channels. By clearly laying out accessibility details, people are more likely to feel included and participate. The public information also helps to foster a wider culture of inclusion.
Engaging guests before and after an event
One of the best ways to create an inclusive event is to ask guests what they require. Jennifer shares two essential questions to include in an event registration form:
- Are there any accessibility features that would enhance your overall experience of this event? Following this question, it’s helpful to include some examples of accessibility features in brackets. Examples like wheelchair accessibility, all-gender washrooms, live captioning services, and ASL interpreters help prompt ideas for guests.
- Do you have any diet restrictions that we should be aware of? Special attention should be paid to food allergies. It’s also important to know about special diets, such as the need for vegan or halal meals. This open question is also an opportunity for guests to share personal information, such as sensitivity to alcohol, while respecting everyone’s privacy. By requesting this information early, organizers will have time to plan for accommodations.
Furthermore, since holiday events happen annually, it’s valuable to collect feedback after an event via a follow-up survey so that improvements can be made for the following year.
Small actions can make a big difference
Most of us can relate to the awkwardness of being at an event with people we don’t know. This is true for people with disabilities too. There are several ways to promote social and emotional inclusion in a group setting.
Small gestures that can make a big difference include being the first to say hello, and introducing two people who may not know each other yet. Wearing a nametag, facing someone while you’re speaking, and taking the time to listen can support folks with speech, language, and communication disabilities.
An event’s seating arrangement can also contribute to accessibility. Seats near the front can be reserved for guests who need a clear view of live captioning. If someone has a dog allergy and there will be a service dog in attendance, efforts can be made to create distance between the two.
Creating an inclusive and accessible event doesn’t have to be complicated. “It’s often about the small things and learning along the way,” says Jennifer. The result will be creating a wonderful environment and opportunity that allows guests to form deeper and genuine bonds with others. Any extra effort will be well worth it!