Updated resources for planning accessible events available online
“Planning Accessible Meetings and Conferences: A Suggested Checklist and Guide” is a free resource developed by the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies in partnership with Speaking Up for Us, a Maine organization run by and for adults who live with developmental disabilities. The checklist is designed to help people, groups or organizations plan a meeting or conference that is inclusive and welcoming by providing practical suggestions that promote meaningful participation for everyone.
Originally published in 2014, the checklist was updated in November 2020 to include information on the following topics:
- Online meetings and conferences
- Conflicting accommodations
- Cultural competence
- Plain language
- Service animals, emotional support animals and the ADA
- Exceptions to person-first language
- Ethical photography and vulnerable populations
- LGBTQ inclusion
- Gender identity and personal pronouns
The updated checklist also includes a new resource section, an expanded glossary and a fresh design. It is a fully accessible PDF that can be printed or completed as an electronic document using free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software.
The checklist is available online.