THE GOAL of any business event should be to ensure everyone has a great time. This means, ensuring the event is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.
When you have so much to plan, it’s easy to forget that some attendees might have special needs. So, to help, here, we’ll look at some of the top ways to improve accessibility within your business event to ensure it caters to everyone’s requirements.
If you’ll be sending out invitations to your business event, it’s worth using this as an opportunity to ask guests what they need. Let them know they can also book travel and accommodation if required and provide a number they can call to arrange it.
You can also ask guests not to wear strong fragrances to the event to accommodate those with potential allergies. Also be sure to add an endnote that those who do have special needs or requirements can contact you to enquire about accessibility.
Some guests may have issues with mobility. So, it’s a good idea to provide wheelchair accessible transportation from a company such as Allied Mobility to ensure they can get to and from the event. You don’t need to buy a vehicle, though it would be useful if you host a lot of events. You can simply hire a vehicle for the duration of the event.
As well as organising transportation, you’ll also want to assess the accessibility of the venue. Will there be temporary ramps if required and is there enough dedicated seating? It’s important to avoid seating everyone with a disability together, as this could unintentionally make them feel excluded or different from the other attendees.
For those who will be driving to the event, is there accessible parking on offer? If the car park is situated quite far from the venue, you’ll want to provide transportation to and from the car park.
Other things consider when you’re assessing the venue, include adaptive technology, ensuring the acoustics are suitable for those with hearing impairments, and providing access for service dogs, including providing fresh water.
Finally, you’ll want to make sure the food you’re serving up is suitable for everyone. Is there a good choice of vegan, gluten free and allergy-free foods?
There are a lot of different dietary requirements you’ll need to cater for, so make sure any food provided at the event is well labelled with allergen information for example.
These are some of the most important things to consider when trying to make your business event more accessible. Taking the time to ensure everyone can be included will help to ensure your event’s success.
