Guide inclusive and accessible events
Introduction
We know that our society is only becoming more diverse. This is also increasingly reflected at our university. As a university, we want to create a safe inclusive culture that seeks and promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a positive environment that respects the rights and dignity of all members of the university community.
If you want to reach a large and diverse audience, it is important to organize your events as inclusively as possible. A golden rule when organizing inclusive events is not to wait until a request for a particular adaptation comes from an individual participant. We strive to remove as many obstacles as possible beforehand, so that there are far fewer individual adjustments to be made.
We provide many tips in this guide for making your event as inclusive as possible. There can be a lot involved in organizing the most welcoming event possible. Indeed, there are many different forms of inclusivity: this can include financial issues, wheelchair accessibility, sustainability, gender inclusive communication, measures against transgressive behavior,... Not everything will be equally relevant, as it depends on the format of your event. Not everything will be practical, financial,... feasible either. While organizing an event, recognize your limits and communicate them to your audience. At the same time, the guidelines in this guide are not exhaustive. In many cases, you probably know your target audience best, so be sure to take specific needs into account.
In each case we distinguish between things that do not require much time/energy/money (with 1 asterisk), and adjustments that are a bit more difficult (with 2 asterisks). The things in bold are points of attention that ideally every event should meet.
Finally, we'd also like to refer you to the following webpage, which has a lot of tips on how to organize the most sustainable event possible: https://www.ugent.be/nl/univgent/missie/duurzaamheidsbeleid/medewerker/duurzaamheidspact/duurzaamevent.htm
When do you schedule your event?
Depending on when you schedule your event, different groups will be able to attend. The evening is probably the best option for most students and working people. It is also important to avoid overlap with cultural and religious holidays.
What should you pay attention to when choosing and preparing your event venue?
The location of an event is very influential in determining the possible level of inclusion. We therefore recommend visiting the venue in advance. Among other things, note gender-inclusive restrooms, whether there are chairs available for people who cannot stand for long periods of time, and whether the venue is easy to get to.
Is your event venue wheelchair accessible?
When choosing a venue, it is also important to consider wheelchair accessibility. Ideally, check if there is a wheelchair-accessible restroom, as well as an elevator (if needed), if doorways and aisles are wide enough, if doorsteps are not too high and if ramps are not too steep.
Is the food and drink you offer suitable and appropriate for everyone?
The food and drink you offer will obviously depend on the time of day. Provide free water, and try to offer other non-alcoholic or non-caffeinated beverages as well. When choosing food, try to accommodate as many diets and allergies as possible (vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free, kosher, halal,...).
How do you communicate inclusively?
How you communicate is very crucial to how welcoming your event will be. After all, certain word usage can be (unintentionally) sensitive and hurtful to some people. Therefore, avoid biases and stereotypes in your communication.
UGent already has a comprehensive webpage around inclusive communication: https://bit.ly/45zoiFP. In this section, we highlight the most important issues, and complement them with concrete tips on communication for your event.
Is your communication clear to people with visual impairments?
The golden rule in designing your communications is to strive for simplicity and good readability. For people with visual impairments (some of whom use a screen reader), it is important to use high-contrast colors, a sufficiently large, non-cursive font, and clear formatting using titles and subtitles.
How do you reach as many people as possible with your promotion?
Publicizing your event can be done in many different ways. Communicating all the relevant measures you have taken to organize an inclusive event and making your contact information available will help you reach more people. Some events require participants to register in advance. Be sure to dwell here on what information you need from them, and what information they need from you.
Is your communication with participants and speakers/artists clear and complete?
To make your event truly inclusive, it is obviously important that participants and any speakers/artists are aware of your goals. Whether your participants need to register in advance or not, always try to reach them with important information about the inclusivity of your event (via a facebook event, instagram post,...). For example, think about a code of conduct or information about the accessibility of your venue. The speakers/artists/... you invite can work with you to ensure that your event is as welcoming as possible. It is therefore important to let them know in advance what measures you are taking in the organization of your event. If necessary, you can set up a meeting in advance to review the organization together. Also try to commit to an evaluation afterwards: you can learn a lot from this to make your next events even more inclusive.
How do you make sure your event is a safe environment for everyone?
To organize an inclusive event, it is important to aim for a safe and welcoming environment. This can include a truly physical separate space where people can go if they don't feel comfortable, but this is certainly not always necessary (and certainly not always feasible). Small things you can do include trigger warnings, providing time for dialogue, and raising awareness around transgressive behavior and alcohol use.
How do you organize a virtual or hybrid event as inclusively as possible?
Organizing your event virtually or hybrid can allow more people to participate (think about commuter students, for example). When organizing a virtual or hybrid event, there are some additional concerns. For example, it is extra important to make sure that presentations are clearly visible and to include sufficient breaks.