How the Meetings Industry Can Improve Accessibility for Events

As we emerge from the worst of the pandemic and begin to attend in-person events, there is a renewed focus on the accessibility of meetings, conferences and other events. In an article published in the Small Market Meetings Magazine, Rachel Carter interviewed three accessible meetings experts – Jan Garrett, program manager for the Pacific ADA Center; Sam Evans, certification manager for the International Association of Accessibility Professionals; and Sheri Byrne-Haber, senior staff architect of accessibility at VMware.

In considering how meeting planners should step up their game on accessibility, Garrett encouraged them to take advantage of the resources that are already out there, freely available from the ADA National Network, a congressionally-funded group of 10 regional ADA centers and the ADA Knowledge Translation Center. Those resources include planning guides, articles, checklists and more.

While physical accessibility is key, digital accessibility is important as well, and meeting planners should ensure that their websites are accessible to screen reader software, including providing alt-text to describe images displayed on the website.

Many adaptations are low-cost or cost neutral and can dramatically improve the experience for disabled attendees. To read more about the tips for making your next meeting accessible, see the article in the Small Market Meetings magazine.