Event Coordinators

Resources to create and provide accessible meetings

Practical guidance, tools, and best practices to help plan and deliver accessible meetings and events that are inclusive for all participants.

Accessible Meetings Resources

UIC Online Events Accessibility Guide

Best practices UIC event planners can implement to make their online events more inclusive for all, in particular for participants with disabilities. This guide was created by the UIC Disability Resource Center and the Disability Cultural Center.
Create Accessible Meetings (Section 508)

This guidance is intended to provide information on how you can make your meetings accessible to attendees with disabilities in compliance with Section 508 and other disability rights laws.
Accessibility Guidelines for Presentation

Presentation Accessibility Requirements from University of Illinois WebCon.
15 Tips to Make Meetings More Accessible

PC magazine article about making virtual meetings better for everyone involved.

Checklist: Finalize Planning Accessible Meeting

Reference:

Select the optimal venue and communications platform to meet your guests needs, of those available to me (Example: Registration, building entrance and rooms, telephone, virtual meeting software).
Secure support staff, technology and services necessary to accommodate your guests’ needs (Example: Captioning, ASL interpreting, Braille, large print, assisted listening devices, ushers/guides, seating).
Update the meeting’s promotional material, registration and agenda with any updates and additions to venue and communications platform accommodations (Example: Meeting links, captioning links, platform help files such as test meetings, keyboard controls documentation).
Verify that all electronic presentation materials conform with their applicable accessibility standards, and have been distributed to attendees (Example: Documents, audio/visual media, no flashing or blinking).
Conduct a dry-run or practice meeting and affirmed hosts, moderators and presenters understand how to:
- Access and operate the controls and interactive features of the communications platform selected for use in the meetings.
- Control and manage accommodations such as captioning, ASL interpreting, audio descriptions.
- Support for on-site activities and amenities.
Example:
- Login, audio and video, screen sharing, chat, polls/surveys, whiteboards, etc.
- Enabling or turning on captions, pinning the ASL interpreters camera, describing visual information.
- Building access, seating, lighting, noise mitigation, assisted listening devices.