Accessible Meetings and Events A Practical Guide to Planning Inclusive Meetings and Events Anne Mullen Accessibility and Human Rights Manager Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility Wednesday, March 18th 2015

Overview Resources Understanding Barriers & Common Issues Selecting a Venue Signage and Way-Finding Website Identifying Needs Early/To-Do Before the Event Training Volunteers Accessible Documents / Agenda and Materials Helping Presenters Communicate Clearly Resources

Being Inclusive A successful meeting or event is one where everyone is able to participate fully. Barriers exist because of a lack of knowledge about how to be inclusive.

Barriers Barrier means: anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of his or her disability, including a physical barrier, an architectural barrier, an information or communications barrier, an attitudinal barrier, a technological barrier, a policy or a practice; (“obstacle”)

Common Issues When planning a meeting or event, there are some common issues that can be easily overlooked, which create barriers to full participation by all persons, including persons with disabilities. Some examples include: Holding the event in a building or room that is not accessible Not giving attendees an opportunity to provide event organizers with notice of requirements Not having accessible washrooms near the event Only providing information in one format (no alternate formats) Lack of adequate mic system

Selecting a Venue Aspects to consider: Proximity to accessible parking and drop-off areas Building entrances Signs for an alternate accessible entrance are posted at inaccessible entrances and key decision points along the accessible route.

Inside the Building Aspects to consider: Hallways, pathways Meeting Rooms Washrooms Dining facilities

Meeting Space and Room Set-Up Seating locations should include variety and pathways should have a minimum of 72 inches width. Clear all protruding objects from access routes and under tables. Seating for communication: try to arrange furniture away from windows or cover the windows so that participants, speakers, and interpreters are not silhouetted by the natural backlighting, which makes speech-reading challenging. Food table – place all items in locations that are within close reach from the edge of the table. Avoid long-flowing table cloths. Tape or cover all cords to prevent tripping hazards. Ensure a ramp for the stage is provided, if required. If possible, provide an adjustable-height podium.

Signage and Way-Finding Review path from accessible parking to the building. Review the paths and entrances leading into the building. Is the main entrance accessible? If not, put up signage guiding person to the accessible entrance. For each decision-making point, use signage. Signage should have large font that can be seen from a distance, with strong colour contrast (e.g. black writing on white paper) Have volunteers circulating the building starting ½ hour before the meeting or event.

Recognizing Persons’ Different Needs It is important to remember that persons with disabilities might have specific needs. Plan for the event with this awareness and try to imagine the different needs each individual may require.

Website Program for the day Contact information of event organizers Registration information Add presentations prior to the event, if possible Include information about accessible parking, way-finding, FAQs

To-Do Before the Meeting or Event Include the following for Registrants and Speakers: “Do you have any accessibility-related needs or accommodation requirements?  If yes, please provide details” Review accessibility/accommodation requirements and ensure they have been implemented (e.g. Sign Language Interpreters, Closed-Captionist; Assistive Listening System, etc.) Encourage a scent-free environment Email or post presentations Check all building equipment a couple of days prior to the meeting or event (elevators, actuators, etc.) Print-out some copies of materials in large print (14 to 16 point font)

Setting the Agenda for the Day Provide an agenda for the day in advance of the event Ensure adequate breaks (frequency and duration) Provide details about refreshments. If there are no refreshments let attendees know, as some people may need to eat or drink.

Training Volunteers Ensure volunteers have completed Accessible Customer Service Training. Available online at: www.uwindsor.ca/ohrea or training booklets are available through the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility. Prior to the event, review needs attendees may have and questions that volunteers may be asked. If possible, have volunteers wear some type of clothing that is easily identifiable.

Presenting Accessible Content If possible, send an electronic copy of your presentation to participants prior to the event or upload it to the event’s website. Provide an agenda along with the invitation. Use a mic system, if available. If one is not available, at the start of the presentation, ask participants if they can hear you. Explain the location of the washrooms and eating areas. Identify volunteers who can assist with way-finding.

Accessible Electronic Materials Use formatting functions when creating documents (Word and PDF), this includes headings and Table of Content functions. Use Alt Tags when adding pictures to electronic materials (presentations and websites), for example:

Avoiding Barriers in Presentations Some examples: Using only colour to convey information Using font that is too small or Font styles that are difficult to read Colour Contrast that is hard to read Pie Chart Showing Shirt Colours in the Room Times New Roman and Arial are good fonts to use

Resources that May be Required Sign Language Interpreting Services are available through: St. Clair College (519) 966-1656 or the Canadian Hearing Society 519-253-7241 Real-time Closed Captioning Services are available through: CART - email: CART@chs.ca Phone: 1-855-656-3748; or Temmer Enterprises – www.temmer.ca Phone: 866-358-6310 Toll Free Student Disability Services has a Braille printing machine Assistive Listening Systems in Meeting Rooms – for assistance, please contact the Centre for Teaching and Learning

Case Study 1 You are organizing a conference and a delegate who is hard-of-hearing will be attending. The delegate does not speak Sign Language. What are some options you can offer to the delegate to make the conference more accessible?

Case Study 2 You have a meeting scheduled in a building that has one universal/accessible washroom. A few days before the meeting you review the space and find that the accessible washroom is out of order, and will be unavailable for the meeting. What should you do?

Reference Resources Council of Ontario Universities’ “A Planning Guide for Accessible Conferences”: http://www1.uwindsor.ca/ohrea/system/files/A%20Planning%20Guide%20for%20Accessible%20Conferences_0.pdf CNIB’s “Clear Print Guidelines”: http://www.cnib.ca/en/services/resources/Clearprint/Documents/CNIB%20Clear%20Print%20Guide.pdf OCAD University’s “Accessible Digital Office Document Project” http://adod.idrc.ocad.ca/

Questions?