SOCIAL EVENTS
Conference often have official social events in
the evenings. There are also social events organized by sponsors or attendees.
These events are part of the conference experience, whether official or not and
should be as accessible as possible. When selecting a venue for a social event,
whether it is the speaker’s diner or a networking meetup, keep in mind the
accessibility of the venue, like you would for your conference venue.
I remember being invited to a speaker dinner,
held on the second floor of a posh restaurant that had no elevator. There were
a couple tables setup on the ground floor for “overflow”, and that is where I
ended up eating, with a handful of other people. It was an embarrassing
experience for me, and I imagine for the event organizers as well.
TRANSPORTATION
If you offer transportation from the airport to
the venue, consider whether or not the shuttles are wheelchair accessible. It
is obviously not always possible to organise accessible shuttles or busses
(lack of availability or high cost). When that’s the case, think of alternate
solutions: Can you organize taxi vouchers for your attendees/speakers who are
using wheelchairs? Can you rent an accessible van to organize pick up and drop
off at the airport?
SCENT FREE
More and more people are having problems dealing
with scents. Some people may have allergic reactions that cause lips to tingle,
nausea, severe headaches, or full blown asthma attacks. Even for those who
don’t have such strong reaction, it can be really unpleasant to be sitting near
a guy who bathed himself in Lynx!
Make your event scent free. Advertise this on
your website and on the registration form so everyone is aware ahead of time.
How have you made
your conference more accessible for all people?
If you are interested
in learning more about Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural
part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra
Broekhof @ 416-579-1035 orsandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca
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