How do I determine whether a conference will be accessible to me?

Learn about where the conference will be held.  Are the facilities accessible? Does it feel safe going to that destination? Are they providing security or taking measures to be prepared for emergencies? Will being your authentic self place you at risk in any way?

• Consider how easy it is to register for the conference.  If the process requires long forms and excessive amounts of information or is not accessible to screen readers or other assistive devices, this could be a good indicator of the accessibility of the conference itself.

• Look for the length of sessions and the level of interactivity in order to judge whether there is a enough downtime to allow you to participate fully while also taking care of your needs.. 

• Check to see if a meeting is at capacity as crowded spaces can make some attendees uncomfortable or less accessible and can negatively impact the conference experience.

• Check the amount of detail available on the conference website, or resources and information such as an FAQ. These can help show how organized and prepared an organization is for the event, how much thought they’ve put into attendees with varying degrees of accessibility needs, and can indicate how your personal experience may be. 

Resources:

• https://inklusiv.ca/making-your-event-truly-accessible-to-all-a-guide-to-disability-inclusion-part-1/

• https://dboudreau.medium.com/making-your-event-truly-accessible-to-all-a-guide-to-disability-inclusion-part-2-ddad141d5f23

• https://www.cvent.com/en/blog/events/event-planning-accessibility-tips-and-best-practices

• https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist/

• https://www.sigaccess.org/welcome-to-sigaccess/resources/accessible-conference-guide/

• http://www.accessiblecampus.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/A-Planning-Guide-for-Accessible-Conferences-1.pdf

• https://www.attendeeinteractive.com/accessible-conference/

• https://accessibility.cornell.edu/event-planning/accessible-meeting-and-event-checklist/

• https://ods.rutgers.edu/resources/creating-accessible-events

• https://www.accelevents.com/blog/how-to-make-an-event-accessible-for-all-attendees