Accessibility Guide for World Usability Day Local Events

Considering the theme of our events, it's important to emphasize the close relationship between usability and accessibility. One important way to do this is by making our events as accessible as possible to seniors and people with disabilities. It's easy, and most of it is common sense.

Below is a checklist to assist you with maximizing accessibility, not only for World Usability Day but for any event you will be presenting in the future. You can also download the checklist in the following formats:

WUD Accessibility Checklist (PDF)
WUD Accessibility Checklist (Microsoft Word)
WUD Accessibility Checklist (Text only)

If you need any additional information about accessibility, please
feel free to contact:

Daniela Marghitu, Ph.D.
Accesibility Chair, World Usability Day 2007
Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering
Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
Dunstan Hall, Room 105C
Auburn University Auburn, AL36849
http://www.eng.auburn.edu/users/daniela/
daniela<at>eng.auburn.edu
Phone: +1 334-844-6386    Fax: +1-334-844-6329

For Event Coordinators: Accessibility Checklist for Public Events

Preparation

Involve people with disabilities in the planning process of your event. Make sure you have people with disabilities who are key players in the project.

Reach out to the disability community in your area, through independent living centers, local advocacy organizations, senior centers, and local schools and colleges that have programs for students with disabilities. This will not only increase your audience; it is also likely to provide information and support resources as you implement the rest of this checklist.

Consider inviting an accessibility specialist or people with disabilities to present at your event.

Include funds for providing accommodations as part of your event budget. Provide as many accommodations as possible automatically - e.g., create large print materials and ensure wheelchair access to all parts of the event. Make sure that there are multiple ways to request accommodations - via phone, email, fax, etc.

Promotion

Include an accessibility statement in your promotional materials, such as: "[Event location] is near public transit and has wheelchair-accessible meeting spaces and restrooms. Large-print copies of all speaker handouts will be available. If you require other disabilty-related accommodations, please notify [event contact] two weeks before the event."

Printed promotional materials should follow guidelines for maximal legibility-16 pt. Arial (or other large sans serif font) on very light gray or cream paper that has a non-glossy finish.

Promotional websites should follow accessibility guidelines. See the Web Accessibility Guidelines and Tools for more information.

Location

Select a site that is near mass transit and has accessible parking and restrooms. Consider having local individuals with disabilities evaluate the accessibility features of any potential space before the day of the event.

Ensure that there are no permanent barriers between the building entrance and the meeting space. Ensure that no temporary barriers (e.g., sidewalk signs, construction) will exist on the day of the event.

Provide one or more individuals to assist with registration, finding restrooms, etc.

Create and use consistent signage that fits the environment and is easy to recognize at a distance. Information in text form should be kept brief and clear. Where possible, use color-coding and graphic elements as well as text; e.g., using the universal symbols available at http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/symbol-signs.

Provide signage information in Braille and/or audio formats.

Ensure that there is an unobstructed path into any meeting rooms, restrooms, etc.

Reserve space without chairs and with a clear travel path for wheelchair users. Ensure that wheelchair users have a choice of seating locations throughout the space, and that they can sit with people who are not wheelchair users.

Reserve space at the front of the room for people with low vision or who need accommodations for hearing or learning disabilities. Make sure this area has good lighting, that there are no loud fans/air conditioning units above this seating, and that windows can be closed for noise control and covered for light control.

Provide a microphone for all people to use when asking questions.

Provide a good quality audio system and make sure that it can be picked up by any assistive listening system.

For Presenters: Accessibility Checklist for Public Events

For projected material, use light content on a dark background for highest contrast; no more than 6 lines of text per screen; large, clear, sans serif fonts. Where possible, use pictures to represent concepts on one side of the slide, and text on the other. Duplicate projected materials as large-print handouts for people with low vision and learning disabilities.

Avoid use of any presentation elements that flicker or flash. If these are unavoidable, warn attendees before showing these elements.

Provide good quality audio output or provide text equivalents of any audio on your slide.

Provide any handout materials to event organizers well in advance, so that alternative formats can be created.

Perform a sound check ("If you can hear me, please raise your hand") before starting the presentation. Use the microphone during the entire presentation.

Face the audience while speaking.

If accommodations are provided for attendees with hearing disabilities, spell out unusual names and words the first time you use them. Provide a list of specific technical language, phrases, acronyms, names, or other unusual words to interpreters and captioners ahead of time.

Presenters should not assume that the audience can read and see everything on the screen - provide spoken equivalents or summaries of visually presented information, especially graphics.

If you are considering producing a transcript of your event, this can be performed by Computer-Assisted Realtime Captioning (CART). CART is available in many locations, and it can be used by both deaf and hard of hearing attendees. It is often performed by the same firms that do courtroom stenography.

Discussion Guidelines

Provide a microphone for all people to use when asking questions. After any question is asked, repeat or summarize it.

Treat questioners with courtesy and respect. The following are some common examples of disability etiquette:

Allow all individuals disabilities to finish their questions, even if you think you know what they're asking.

If someone speaks using a sign language or other type of interpreter, look directly at the questioner rather than at the interpreter.

When replying, look directly at the questioner. To assist lip readers, make sure they can see your mouth clearly, and speak normally since exaggerated speech will make lip-reading more difficult.

It is fine to use casual everyday metaphors; e.g., "Do you see what I mean?," "Let's walk together," or "Did you hear the news?"

Bibliography

National Organization on Disability Guide to Accessible Meetings

American Planning Association: Creating an Accessible Meeting

U.S. Congress Office of Accountability: Meeting the Needs of People with Disabilities,

Federal Communications Commission: Section 504 Handbook

New York State Department of Health: How to Plan Events That Everybody Can Attend

Merrill Associates: Planning Accessible Meetings

NC Office on Disability and Health: Removing Barriers

Thanks To

Jim Tobias, Inclusive Technologies

William Stack, Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California

Dr. Nina Ghiselli

Dmitri Belser, Center for Accessible Technology

Dr. Steven Fadden and Julie Strothman, Landmark College