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In-Person Events & Trainings

Planning for Access

Promotion and Materials

  • Include all pertinent information in the meeting invitation
  • Send invitation early enough to schedule ASL interpreters and/or captions if needed (ideally 10 days in advance)
  • Provide well-designed, accessible materials and resources
    • Visit the UW Accessible Technology website for.
      • Resources include lists of keyboard shortcuts and instructions for assistive technology users and accessibility documentation for specific products (e.g., Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams)
      • Information on creating accessible documents, including presentations

Facilitation

  • Start and end the meeting on time
  • Welcome participants as they arrive
  • Ensure all participants can see and/or hear all other participants, as appropriate
    • Have ASL interpreter and caption windows up and running if needed
  • Ask participants to do introductions and restate their names again before speaking
    • Allows anyone using an interpreter or listening only to voices knows who is speaking
  • Provide accessible alternatives for collaboration if needed (e.g. voting, hand-raising)
  • Facilitate to make sure all are included and heard
    • Describe/explain any visuals not provided ahead of time
    • Describe/explain any processes that are occurring (e.g. simulations, demonstrations), if necessary

Participation

  • Set computer up with meeting software ahead of time
  • Arrive in the meeting room on time
  • Participate from a quiet location; reduce distractions by muting phone and messaging apps
  • Say your name before speaking to the group to help tracking of participants; this also helps ASL interpreters and captioners
  • Speak clearly and not too fast; this will benefit many, including ASL interpreters and captioners
  • Avoid talking over others – this makes interpretation or captioning very difficult if not impossible
  • Limit side conversations and multitasking so all participants are able to acquire the content
  • Share all content within the video conferencing connection and using online tools (e.g., Google docs) whenever possible to ensure all participants have access.

Follow up

  • Send a recap that includes a summary of topics discussed and links to relevant websites, online resources, and other materials discussed during the call

Additional Resources & References

ASUW Student Disability Commission: Accessible Events Checklist