Accessible events: planning for people of determination, step by step

Ask most clients whether their event is accessible and the answer is: "The venue has a ramp." A ramp is a good start. It does not mean a guest who uses a wheelchair can get from the car park to their seat, or that a guest who is hard of hearing will follow the keynote.

The UAE uses the term people of determination, and the idea behind it is simple: everyone should take part in the same event, not a side version of it. Most of what makes that possible depends on early planning more than on budget.

This guide goes through what to plan from registration to departure, with practical questions to put to the venue.

Step-free routes: walk them yourself

Don't rely on the venue's spec sheet. On the site visit, walk the whole route, ideally with someone who uses a wheelchair: from the drop-off point to the entrance, registration, the hall, the toilets and the catering area.

• Do the lifts work during build-up and on the day, and do they fit a wheelchair plus a companion?
• Is the accessible toilet close to the hall and actually open? Some venues use it as temporary storage during events.
• Are the doors heavy, or do they need someone to hold them?
• At exhibitions, are aisles wide enough to turn a wheelchair, and are floor cables covered with ramped protectors?

Watch out for raised booth floors. A platform a few centimetres high with no ramped edge keeps a wheelchair user out of the stand, and it is one of the easiest mistakes to fix at design stage. When choosing a venue in the first place, make access part of the comparison, as we suggest in choosing an event venue in the UAE.

Seating and sightlines

Wheelchair spaces should not all be in the back row. Spread them across the room, with a companion seat beside each one. Reserve front seats for people who are hard of hearing or have low vision, close to the screen and to the sign language interpreter.

Think about speakers too. Is there a ramp to the stage? Is there a handheld mic, or a lectern that lowers, for someone who speaks seated? Ask speakers about access needs the same way you ask about their slides.

Captioning and sign language

Live captions show what is being said on screen as it is said. The most accurate come from a professional captioner typing in real time. Automatic captions have improved a great deal, but they still stumble over Arabic, dialects, technical terms and sentences that switch between Arabic and English, which is common in our rooms. If you rely on them, test them with a real speaker before the day.

Sign languages differ from country to country, so confirm which one your audience uses before booking interpreters. Place the interpreter in a lit spot near the speaker so people can see both at once, and include them in the stream shot if you are broadcasting. Send the agenda, slides and speaker names in advance. For longer sessions interpreters usually work in pairs and take turns, so budget for two.

A quiet room and clear signage

Large events are crowded, bright and loud. A quiet room is a space with low light, comfortable seats and no music or screens, for anyone who needs a break from the noise, including some autistic attendees. Keep it separate from the prayer room and the speaker room, sign it clearly and mark it on the venue map.

The rules for signage are simple:

• Large type and strong contrast between text and background, in Arabic and English.
• Clear pictograms for lifts, toilets, exits and the quiet room.
• A mounting height that works for someone standing and someone seated in a wheelchair.
• Room names on signs that match the agenda and the app exactly.

Before the day: ask your guests, brief your team

Ask about access needs at registration

The best way to find out what guests need is to ask them. Add an optional question to the registration form in plain words: "Do you have any access requirements we can help with?" Offer options such as nearby parking, a wheelchair space, captions, sign language or a companion place, plus a free-text box for anything else.

Follow up every answer personally before the event, by email or phone. Treat the information as sensitive and share it only with the people who need it to provide the service. For paid events, consider letting companions in free. Building the form itself is covered in the registration page guide.

Brief your staff

The best facilities fail if the person at the door is unsure what to do. Give ten minutes of the morning briefing to these points:

1. Ask before helping. Never push a wheelchair or take someone's arm without permission.
2. Speak to the guest, not to their companion or interpreter.
3. Guide dogs are working. Don't stroke or feed them.
4. Know where the lifts, accessible toilets, quiet room and wheelchair spaces are.
5. Know the evacuation plan for anyone who can't use the stairs, and who is responsible for helping them.
6. If you are asked something about access and don't know the answer, don't guess. Fetch or call the person responsible.

That last point needs agreeing with the venue's safety team, and it belongs in your contingency plan with names against it.

Transport and parking

Reserve accessible parking near the entrance and tell the car park attendants, because these bays often get taken when nobody briefs them. Set a shaded drop-off point close to the door. A hundred-metre walk in August sun is hard for anyone, and harder with a wheelchair or crutches.

If you run shuttle buses, ask for at least one vehicle with a ramp or lift. Check which accessible transport options are available in the emirate where the event is held, and include them in the confirmation email along with a phone number guests can call on arrival.

Field tip: ask the hotel or exhibition centre for its accessible route map, then walk it yourself on build day. One of the most common problems we find is a ramp blocked by a platform or suppliers' flight cases, and that never shows on a floor plan.

Quick checklist before you start

1. You have walked the whole route from car to seat and toilet.
2. Wheelchair spaces spread across the room, with companion seats.
3. A ramp to the stage and a suitable mic for anyone speaking seated.
4. Captions or sign language, based on what registrants asked for.
5. A quiet room and clear signage in Arabic and English.
6. An access question on the registration form, with every answer followed up.
7. A staff briefing and an evacuation plan that covers everyone.
8. Nearby parking and a shaded drop-off point.

If you would like a second pair of eyes on your venue's readiness, get in touch and we will walk the route with you.