Many of these events are leaving disability off their “diversity statements” and they’re also failing to account for disabled people who might want to participate. We have a lot at stake in the coming years and we’re eager to join our fellow citizens. We’re also tired of repeatedly asking events to foreground accessibility, rather than treating it as an afterthought, or expecting us to come in and clean up their inaccessible mess.

Real inclusive organizing should at a minimum include: Incorporating disability into your values or action statements; having disabled people on the organizing committee or board; making accessibility a priority from day one; and listening to feedback from disabled people.

How to Make Your Social Justice Events Accessible to the Disability Community: A Checklist – Rooted in Rights

✊ Enable Dignity

I and colleagues are working hard on some solutions for buildings that are too loud. Deafening noise prevents access to schooling, healthcare, and just about everything else, for too many autistic people. And it makes life unpleasant for everyone, autistic or not.

Ann Memmott

It’s always fascinating to watch a few people trying to mock those trying to find dignity in all of this.

Society needs to re-enable dignity, doesn’t it.

Because, without it, almost every single person will end their life in humiliation and mess.

So important to get it right.

Ann Memmott

👏🧷🎁 Stimpunks Presents

We occasionally help put on events for our community.

Metal Health Fest: Let’s bolster against stress and pass down bodily survival knowledge.

Collected below are resources and checklists we use to help make venues and events more accessible.

But first, let’s learn about perceptual worlds.

🫀🧠🌍 Perceptual Worlds and Sensory Trauma

Understanding the sensing and perceptual world of autistic people is central to understanding autism.

Everyone has eight sensing systems: the first five being the familiar sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. These five give us information about the world outside our bodies. Three internal sensing systems give us information from inside our bodies – our vestibular system (coordinating movement with balance), proprioception (awareness of position and movement of the body) and interoception (knowing our internal state including feelings, temperature, pain, hunger and thirst). Although not all the external senses are equally affected by the physical environment, we consider them all – as they collectively add to the ‘sensory load’ that many autistic people often experience. Any sensory input needs to be processed and can reduce the capacity to manage and process other things.

As many autistic people process one thing at a time, sensory stimulation can stack up. As the brain’s highways become congested, there are repercussions throughout the entire neural network. This can lead to headaches, nausea and the fight and flight response, this is what causes many meltdowns and shutdowns.

Considering and meeting the sensory needs of autistic people in housing | Local Government Association

Imagine having no choice but to zoom in on life.

Perpetual defense mode – the silent wave

One of the most important findings is that most autistic people have significant sensory differences, compared to most non-autistic people. Autistic brains take in vast amounts of information from the world, and many have considerable strengths, including the ability to detect changes that others miss, great dedication and honesty, and a deep sense of social justice. But, because so many have been placed in a world where they are overwhelmed by pattern, colour, sound, smell, texture and taste, those strengths have not had a chance to be shown. Instead, they are plunged into perpetual sensory crisis, leading to either a display of extreme behaviour – a meltdown, or to an extreme state of physical and communication withdrawal – a shutdown. If we add to this the misunderstandings from social communication with one another, it becomes easier to see how opportunities to improve autistic lives have been missed.

Considering and meeting the sensory needs of autistic people in housing | Local Government Association

If we are serious about enabling thriving in autistic lives, we must be serious about the sensory needs of autistic people, in every setting. The benefits of this extend well beyond the autistic communities; what helps autistic people will often help everyone else as well.

Considering and meeting the sensory needs of autistic people in housing | Local Government Association

The inability to filter foreground and background information can account for both strengths and weaknesses of autistic perception.

Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Different Sensory Experiences – Different Perceptual Worlds

Thus, all features of autism (social interaction impairments, language and communication problems, cognitive functioning, repetitive behaviours, etc.) can be seen as rooted in sensory overload experienced by autistic individuals. Autistic individuals perceive, feel and remember too much. Faced with a bombarding, confusing, baffling and often painful environment, autistic infants withdraw into their own world by shutting down their sensory systems.

Sensory Perceptual Issues in Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Different Sensory Experiences – Different Perceptual Worlds

🌈🤲 Quick Low Cost Things to Make a Difference for Autistic People

Two Minutes to Spare? Just read this:

Quick Low Cost Things to Make a Difference for Autistic People.

Always ask us what may help. Our brains take in too much detail. We try very hard to avoid an overload of sensory or social situations. It’s not us being awkward; it’s a physical brain difference.

Welcoming and Including Autistic People in our Churches and Communities

1. Check the lights in each room. Avoid fluorescent or compact-fluorescent bulbs, if you can, as they appear to flicker like a strobe light, to autistic eyesight. Also, try to avoid bright spotlights.
2. Noise levels. If an event is going to have a lot of background noise and chatting, is there a quieter space to get to, if it is too much? Conversation can be impossible to hear in crowds. What about loud hand drier machines in the loos? Any alternatives like hand towels?
3. The building. Do we know what it looks like, and what the layout is like? Is there information on a simple website, perhaps? Photos?
4. The Order of service – really clear instructions for us e.g. where to sit, when to stand and sit, what to say at each point? Either write it down, or get someone to be with us to quietly say what to do, please. (This also helps those new to church).
5. We are very literal, and our minds may see pictures, not words. Please try to say what you mean.
6. Physical events e.g. shaking hands? Water being splashed onto people in a ceremony? We may find this physically painful, as many are hypersensitive. Please warn us what will happen, and avoid physical contact unless we offer first.
7. Rest area – somewhere quiet to go if we need to, please. Or don’t worry if we wander outside for a while, where safe to do so.
8. Socialising. Be aware we find it difficult and exhausting as we cannot ‘see’ or hear you that well, especially in a crowd. Our body language can be different to yours, and we may not make eye contact. Please don’t think we’re rude. Sitting next to us to chat, somewhere quieter, is easier than facing us. Telling us to ‘try harder’ to make friends is not helpful; research shows that it’s non-autistic people who tend to refuse our offer of friendship, because of misunderstandings and myths.
9. Be Clear and Accurate. If you say you’ll do something, please do it. Those on the autistic spectrum will be anxious if you promise to help but don’t do so, or promise to phone at a certain time and don’t. Or if you use expressions like, “I’ll be back in five minutes” when you mean, “I’ll be back some time in the next half an hour”. If you need to change arrangements, please just let us know. It’s about trying to maintain brain temperature and function, not about being controlling.
10. Support: Find a calm and sensible person who is ready to lend a little assistance if we need it.

Source: Welcoming and Including Autistic People in our Churches and Communities

🌈♿️🎪 How to Make Your Events Accessible to the Disability Community

A person in a wheelchair is at the bottom of a large set of stairs, looking up as we view them from behind.

🕸 Website Accessibility

• Use high contrast and consider using a tool to allow users to switch from dark-on-light to light-on-dark
• Don’t use flashing animations
• Use alt text
• Don’t use images to present text information
• Use skip navigation
• Offer a magnifying tool
• Caption and/or transcribe video and audio content
• Use descriptive link text (“find pictures of cute animals here” rather than “here”), as screenreader users may jump through links and need to know where they lead
• Include a website accessibility statement, like this one from Rooted in Rights’ parent organization, Disability Rights Washington
• Include event accessibility information prominently, with a clear access plan and contact information

Need help? Start with WebAIM and Section 508.

Source: How to Make Your Social Justice Events Accessible to the Disability Community: A Checklist – Rooted in Rights

🚪 Creating an Access Plan

• Vet your facilities
  • In buildings, look for: Ramps; accessible all gender restrooms; doorways of sufficient width for wheelchairs to enter; ample seating; reconfigurable spaces; bright, even light.
  • On march and parade routes, look for: Even, smooth surfaces; sufficient seating for rest breaks; accessible nearby parking; accessible all gender toilets in easy reach; accessible ground transport; cover in the event of rain.
• Designate seating for disabled people in the front of the room or crowd and near the exits, marking space off so nondisabled attendees understand they should not sit there
• Provide sign language interpretation for all events
• Provide Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART), as not all people who have hearing loss or who are d/Deaf use sign language to communicate, and it can provide greater access for people with auditory processing disorders
• Consider providing loaner wheelchairs or scooters, possibly through a third party vendor who can assume liability
• Consider offering wheelchair-accessible shuttles
• Designate a service animal relief area
• Designate an access team who coordinate accessibility issues throughout planning and through to the end of the event, and provide them with readily recognizable markers like shirts, vests, or hats so they’re easy to find
• Develop a scent policy — going scent-free will enhance accessibility
• Consider designating a quiet space or room
• Use a public address (PA) system
• Ensure that anyone who is speaking, including audience members, use microphones
• Consider audio assistance, like hearing loops, for people who have hearing loss and rely on assistive technologies such as hearing aids

Need help? This ADA checklist can be a great resource, as can this guide on designing ADA-compliant events; the Autistic Self Advocacy Network is a good place to start with more inclusive access policies.

Source: How to Make Your Social Justice Events Accessible to the Disability Community: A Checklist – Rooted in Rights

📕 Making Your Event Policies Disability-Friendly

• Include disabled people in your leadership, organization, scheduled speakers and panelists, imagery, and documentation
• Include disability in your anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, and diversity policies, recognizing disability as a social and political category
• Assume disabled people are in the room, even if they aren’t evident, and that they are stakeholders in your event
• Include a disability orientation for all volunteers and staff
• Include a space on your registration form for people to express access needs
• Document your accessibility policy and efforts and make them public
• Have a framework in place for responding to criticism and feedback from the disability community
• Be mindful of your language:
  •  Avoid words that use disability as an insult, like “crazy” or “hysterical”
  • Avoid phrases such as “wheelchair-bound” or “suffers from”
• Pay disability consultants like you would other professionals who are providing services

Need help? Here are some examples of accessibility policies to draw upon: SXSW; NOLOSE; National Conference of State Legislatures website accessibility policy; and Convergence.

Source: How to Make Your Social Justice Events Accessible to the Disability Community: A Checklist – Rooted in Rights

🌏🏗 Universal Design

Accessible event planning includes four steps. These four steps are universal design, physical accessibility, sensory accessibility, and cognitive accessibility.

Here is what each of these steps means:

Holding Inclusive Events: A Guide to Accessible Event Planning

• Universal design means everyone can go and take part at an event. Physical accessibility, sensory accessibility, and cognitive accessibility must happen for everyone to take part.
  • Physical Accessibility: The space has no problems for wheelchair users and people with vision disabilities
  • Sensory Accessibility: The event is safe for people with allergies. There are accommodations for people who are Blind, Deaf, or hard of hearing.
  • Cognitive Accessibility: Give clear information about the event. Provide all material in different formats and plain language. Let people know what to expect in advance.
• Accept and deal with accessibility needs that are different from yours.

Source: Holding Inclusive Events: A Guide to Accessible Event Planning

🧱 Physical Accessibility

All physical space used for the event can be used by everybody. This includes hotels, elevators, and conference rooms.

Examples of physical accessibility include:

🚪 Doors/Entrances

• Signs with braille that say the names of buildings, room numbers, and where accessible entrances and elevators are
• Main entrances have wheelchair accessible ramps
• Working entrance buttons for wheelchair users
• Wide doors and hallways for wheelchair users
• Clear paths in and around your venue for blind people and wheelchair users
• Accessible elevators that work

📍 Surrounding Areas

• No hills around your conference buildings and transportation
• Check for curb ramps that accommodate both wheelchair users and people with vision disabilities (see image at right)
• Restaurants nearby (no more than 5 minutes walking distance)
• Weather: depending on your location, snow and ice during winter can prevent participants from attending your event. Try to schedule your events in the spring, summer, or early fall.

🪑 Seating

• Wheelchair accessible activity tables with room for snacks, medications, and session materials
• Chairs with high backs for people with balance issues
• Everyone can see the front of the room
• Accessible seating should be part of the room set up
• Do not separate accessible seating from the group
• Wheelchair accessible public bathrooms should be next to or near training session rooms

🛞 Transportation

• Accessible transportation near the location (no more than five minutes walking)
• Have a list of accessible transportation options
  • Bus
  • Taxis
  • Subway
  • Local non-emergency cabulance companies (businesses that offer wheelchair accessible transportation)

🏨 Overnight Lodging for Conferences

• Rooms with ADA automatic door opener
• Rooms with enough space for wheelchair users to move around comfortably
• Bathrooms have roll-in showers with a bench
• The beds are high enough for a hoyer lift but low enough for wheelchair users

Source: Holding Inclusive Events: A Guide to Accessible Event Planning

🎧 Sensory Accessibility

There are two types of sensory accessibility:

1. Hearing and visual aids are available (sometimes overlaps with cognitive accessibility)

2. A safe place for people with chemical and light allergies and/or sensitivities.

Examples of hearing, visual, and tactile (sense of touch) accommodations

• Image descriptions for presentations and captioning for videos
• Sound devices for hard-of-hearing attendees
• Microphones
• CART and ASL interpretation
• Alternative formats: braille, digital, easy read (plain language with pictures), large print

Examples of accommodations for chemical and light sensitivities

• Fragrance free policies
• No flash photography policies
• ASL applause (or “flapplause”) instead of clapping
• Noise cancelling ear muffs
• Sensory free rooms
• Working air conditioning

Source: Holding Inclusive Events: A Guide to Accessible Event Planning

🧠 Cognitive Accessibility

Everyone who comes to the event knows what to expect. Everyone knows:

1. What the event is about.
2. The schedule.
3. Where the event is.
4. What accommodations are available.

Examples of cognitive accessibility include:

📆 Detailed Schedules

• Make a schedule for your event available on your website or in emails.
• Send schedules to people in advance of your event.
  • Conferences: send schedules that include airport arrival and departure times, training session names, speaker names, and breaks to participants and speakers at least a month in advance of your event. People who do not use email receive hard copy schedules.
  • One-day events: send a completed schedule/agenda no later than 2 weeks in advance.

ℹ️ Information Packets (for Overnight Conferences)

• Accommodations form with a list of accommodations people can request
• Include two types of event schedules: An event schedule and daily schedules (see appendix for example)
• Include information about quiet spaces
• Provide the name, email, and phone number of main contact person for the event
• Provide a list of local medical equipment stores with rental fees
  (for commodes, hoyer lifts, and other types of equipment event organizers cannot reserve)
• Add a brief note about expectations for support people
• Note: information packets should be sent to confirmed participants 3 to 4 months before your conference.

🧠🎪 Cognitive Accessibility at the Venue

• Use nametags for everyone.
• Present sessions in different ways.(i.e. written and verbal instructions, visual aids such as photographs, drawings, and charts)
• Schedule many breaks throughout the day. Do not schedule sessions that go beyond an hour and a half.
• Allow people to move around to stim or pace.
• Provide and explain color communication badges.
• Make sure presentations are viewable from different angles.

Source: Holding Inclusive Events: A Guide to Accessible Event Planning

Reducing Transmission of COVID-19 Through Improvements to Indoor Air Quality: A Checklist for Community Spaces

Here’s “a plain language, step-by-step guide outlining how community spaces can use indoor air quality measures to help reduce transmission of COVID-19.”

Improvements to indoor air quality can help limit transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases. We’re working with researchers with expertise in engineering, indoor air quality, epidemiology, public health and knowledge translation to help share practical information about improving indoor air quality with community spaces in Toronto and beyond.

Sharing practical information about indoor air quality with community spaces – MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions

Here’s a quick list illustrating what a building looks like when best indoor air quality practices are in place. We share details about each of these points in the following sections.

• HVAC system is regularly maintained by an HVAC professional.
• HVAC system uses filters that have a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value or “MERV” of 13 or higher (check with HVAC professional before upgrading filters).
• HVAC filters are surrounded by a good seal, so that no air by-passes them. Each room has a minimum of six total air changes per hour.
• Where you are not confident that your HVAC system provides six total air changes per hour, or where there is no HVAC system, each room has appropriately-sized portable air filters.
• HVAC system brings in some outdoor air and, at a minimum, meets ventilation standards.
• HVAC system provides ventilation and filtration at all times while building is in use.
• In higher-risk spaces, such as communal eating or sleeping areas, additional measures are used to achieve more than six total air changes an hour. For example, additional measures may include:
  • If possible, HVAC system brings in 100 per cent outdoor air.
  • Where room conditions such as ceiling height allow, a professional has installed upper-room ultraviolet disinfection.
• Bathrooms are equipped with appropriate-sized fans that exhaust to the outside.
• Room air is changed over at least three times between appointments or groups.

Sharing practical information about indoor air quality with community spaces – MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions

✅ Access Survey

We like this simple access survey for assessing venues from ATX Go.

Click to access ATX-Go-Access-Survey.pdf

We expand upon this with our own access survey and access Field Guide.

☑ Other Accessibility Checklists

• Accessible Conference Guide | SIGACCESS
• Inclusive and welcoming events – Make WordPress Communities
• Accessibility for WordCamps – ryelle codes
• Accessibility Checklist for SFWA Spaces – SFWA
• Increasing Diversity at Your Conference | ashe dryden
• Increasing Neurodiversity in Disability and Social Justice Advocacy Groups
• How to Make Your Presentations and Meetings Accessible to All | Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) | W3C
• Venue Accessibility Checklist – Make WordPress Community
• Creating Neuro-Inclusive Events – Do-IT Profiler
• Access Is Love Reading List
• Guide to Inclusive Meetings for People who are Blind or have low vision
• Accessible Syllabus: Accessible classroom resources promote student engagement and agency
• A Planning Guide for Making Temporary Events Accessible to People With Disabilities
• How to Make Your Virtual Meetings and Events Accessible to the Disability Community
• Disability Accessibility Event Checklist
• Outdoor accessibility guidance: supporting inclusive outdoor access in the UK
• Outdoor Accessibility Guidance in a nutshell, our two guiding principles

♿️ Standards and Guidelines

The Access Board is an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards.  Created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the Board is now a leading source of information on accessible design.  The Board develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, information and communication technology, and medical diagnostic equipment under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and other laws. It also provides technical assistance and training on these requirements and on accessible design, and continues to enforce accessibility standards that apply to federally funded facilities under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA).

The Board is structured to function as a coordinating body among federal agencies and directly represent the public, particularly people with disabilities.  Twelve of its members are representatives from most of the federal departments.  Thirteen others, who are appointed by the President, are members of the public, and most of them must have a disability.

About the U.S. Access Board

The U.S. Access Board website is a useful resource for practical inclusive design that meets standards and law.

• ADA Accessibility Standards (enhanced single file version)
• About the ADA Guides
• Revised 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines
• Architectural Barriers Act ABA Standards (enhanced single file version)

Create a Real Access Page

The logistics of disability and difference are overwhelming. Reduce that overwhelm with information. Provide an access page on the website for your venue that provides what disabled people need to know. This is one of the best things you can do to further accessibility. Just tell us what we’re up against, and be honest. So many access pages are nothing but “call this number for accessibility details”. When you call the number, you get someone who doesn’t know anything about accessibility. Over and over. We shouldn’t have to call.

Visit the access page for our home to see what we like in an access page.

Irie Smial Preserve

Visit “Five Ways to Welcome All Bodyminds to Your Learning Event” for our top five list of ways to enable dignity.

Five Ways to Welcome All Bodyminds to Your Learning Event