01Planning an inclusive event: questions to ask early
Access starts before anyone arrives. These questions can help you plan the invitation, venue and programme together, with time to act on what you learn.
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Who can help you understand what is needed?
Give participants and speakers a clear way to tell you about access requirements when they register. Ask what would support their participation. People with the same disability may need different arrangements, so avoid making a plan from a label alone.
For example, you could ask: ‘Is there anything we should arrange to help you take part?’ Name the person who will respond. A request is the start of a conversation: follow up to agree what you can provide and how it will work.
What will the whole visit involve?
Look beyond the entrance. Walk through arrival, registration, the meeting room, refreshments and toilets. If someone is speaking, consider access to the stage too. Involve disabled people in reviewing the route and arrangements where possible.
Ask the venue specific questions about routes, seating, lighting and noise. Allow time to check answers before describing access in the invitation. A general statement that a building is accessible tells a visitor much less than a clear description of its facilities.
How will people follow and join the discussion?
Ask speakers for accessible materials in advance. Plan microphones for audience contributions as well as presentations. Discuss any captioning, interpreting or listening support with participants and providers early enough to arrange and test it.
For an online or hybrid event, check how people join, use captions and ask questions. Share presentation materials directly; a shared screen alone may not give everyone access. Ask speakers to explain important visual information aloud and give people time to respond.
What should people know before the day?
Send practical information about the location or joining link, schedule, breaks and access arrangements. Describe known limitations plainly so people can make their own plans. If an arrangement changes, tell the people affected promptly.
Imagine receiving the invitation for the first time. Could you find the room, know when you can take a break and contact someone with a question? Use that small exercise to spot information your team may have taken for granted.
Who owns the next action?
Turn unanswered questions into tasks with a named person and a date. Brief the event team on agreed arrangements and where to direct questions. Afterwards, invite feedback on what helped and what needs to change.
These questions are a starting point. The detailed resources below can help you develop a plan for your particular event.
Further reading
Talking about disability: start with the person’s preference
You do not need to memorise a perfect script. Listen to how someone describes themselves, use clear language and be willing to change your wording.
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Why do people use different terms?
You may hear both ‘person with a disability’ and ‘disabled person’. The first is often called person-first language; the second is often called identity-first language. The National Disability Authority recognises both as valid terms. There is no single preference shared by every disabled person.
Employers for Change also recommends listening to the individual or asking about their preference. If you are writing about someone, check the wording with them. A style guide can help an organisation be consistent, but it should not override the way a person describes themselves.
Keep the description relevant
Ask whether disability needs to be mentioned in this particular conversation or piece of writing. A speaker biography might focus on the person's work and expertise. An event planning conversation might focus on the access arrangements they want.
Avoid assuming that ordinary activities are heroic or that disability makes a person's life tragic. Describe what someone did, said or achieved. Let them decide how their experience features in their story, rather than adding an interpretation on their behalf.
Ask a practical question
A useful workplace or event conversation starts with what would help the person participate. You might ask, ‘Would another format work better for you?’ or ‘How would you like us to share the meeting information?’ Leave space for an answer you had not anticipated.
For a public introduction, a simple question could be: ‘Here is the paragraph I plan to use. Is this how you would like to be introduced?’ This gives the person something concrete to review without asking them to explain their whole experience.
Explain unfamiliar words
A term that is familiar to your team may be new to a parent, colleague or customer. Write an organisation's name in full before using its initials. If a specialist term is necessary, explain what it means in that sentence.
Compare ‘Contact the relevant service’ with ‘Contact the team named in your appointment letter’. The second gives the reader a more specific next step. Clear wording helps people act on information as well as understand it.
Keep listening
If someone corrects your wording, acknowledge it and use their preference. You can make a brief correction without turning the conversation into a long explanation of your intentions.
Language changes, and people can disagree about it. Use the resources below as guidance, keep asking when it matters, and make room for the person in front of you.
Further reading
A personal perspective
I am your Mom - Vicki's personal article, originally published 13 October 2023.
Helpful organisations and guidance
Information about rights, services and supports for people with intellectual disabilities, their families and supporters.
Information for families of children with disabilities, including early information and links about entitlements and benefits.
An Irish disability information service for employers, with resources about recruitment, employment and supporting staff.
Guidance on disability language and terminology, informed by consultation with disabled people's organisations.
Irish guidance on designing buildings, communication and digital services so more people can use them.
