ACCESS GRANTED
Gabrielle Austen-Browne , founder of Diversity Alliance and co-founder of Diverse Speaker Bureau , talks accessibility in tech
ockdowns during the pandemic helped us experience ( in a tiny way ) what it feels like when the world becomes less accessible . It forced us to quickly adapt the way we worked by adjusting our digital worlds to be more accessible , which in turn , highlighted the need to make our virtual , hybrid and in-person events more accessible too .
Discussions around accessibility on panels and with clients have highlighted some gaps in knowledge and common concerns and misconceptions around introducing accessibility into the workplace and events . Including ; that accessibility is too costly and complicated , concerns that additions may impact event budgets , and that accessibility will impact the flow of events .
There are 13.9m disabled people in the UK ( with approximately 2-3 % working in the events industry ), failing to address workplace accessibility means we are ignoring a large portion of the workforce ( workforce shortages anyone ?) and a big population of our potential event audience ( loss of potential revenue .)
But there are many actions we can take and tools we can utilise in the digital and tech space to help
“ The voice of disabled people is frequently missed in the decision-making process , which is why we need diversity in the workplace and part of the decision-making process .”
Gabrielle Austen-Browne
make the event experience more accessible , such as :
• Ensuring websites and event listings are accessible – this is the first part of the event experience and if we don ’ t get this right , those who may experience events in a different way to us are less likely to engage .
• Ensuring any event platforms built comply with the web accessibility requirements established by Web Accessibility Initiative ( WAI ) and are compatible with ‘ assistive ’ technology , such as a screen reader .
• Adding captions and transcribing videos .
• Structuring online content so that it is easily decipherable by accessibility technology .
When it comes to in-person events and selecting venues , there is plenty of technology out there to support this . Such as digital-accessibility maps which make finding venues that are accessible , easier .
The ability to engage with content is also incredibly important for those with visual and hearing impairments , using subtitles , offering closed captions and translation services in real time need to be standard where possible .
So , what ’ s the best way of ensuring we are inclusive and accessible ? This starts with what DEI professionals always talk about - representation . The voice of disabled people is frequently missed in the decisionmaking process , which is why we need diversity in the workplace and part of the decision-making process .
Planners need to be proactive in the way that they approach accessibility and work with venues , AV companies , and event tech providers to ensure this happens for each and every event . Many are not aware that we have a legal duty to consider accessibility when planning an event and from a moral perspective – equality means allowing for the financial wellbeing of people with disabilities which benefits the overall economy . CN www . conference-news . co . uk