We want all event-goers to have the best possible experience at our events. Virtual events have come a long way in the last few years, we tout their broad reach and inclusivity for a good reason. Hybrid and virtual events make geographic boundaries and high costs give way to global access and affordability. But inclusivity has a broader definition and should include people with disabilities.

Forty million Americans, and many more outside the U.S., live with disabilities. Research shows that 70 percent of this population will not attempt to participate in an online event that doesn’t accommodate their disability. Event planners would be wise to facilitate their participation. Neglecting accessibility issues up front means that a portion of your event population could be inconvenienced, disappointed, or just downright left out.

Being accessible also makes it easier to sell your goods and services. If you sell B2B or B2C technology, having an accessibility conformance report will rank your product higher in the minds of your buyers, especially in highly regulated industries or the government.

Many virtual event platforms provide assistive technology that help planners accommodate people with disabilities. The technology is evolving quickly and is addressing both the easily recognized disabilities as well as the invisible ones.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has defined disabilities and the rights every individual has to participate in any event. This gives us an added incentive to focus on this issue.

Here is a short list of disabilities covered under the ADA:

• Deaf or hard of hearing – representing 9% of the US population
• Mobility impaired – representing 7% of the US population
• Blind or visually impaired – representing 2% of the US population
• Non-obvious disabilities such as asthma, epilepsy, or allergies
• Chronic health conditions such as diabetes, autism, or morbid obesity

Strategies

First, communicate early, let inclusivity be a stated goal of your event, and on registration forms ask what kind of accommodations attendees need. Create pre-event materials describing how you can accommodate individuals. This may include platform features, software, or real-time help from support staff. Communicate with attendees before the event. You might also provide all presentations and materials, in formats optimized for people with disabilities, in an area where they can easily be downloaded at the start of the event.

Hearing

As I’ve written many times before, audio is critical to any virtual event. Always have a quality sound system and filter out background noise such as music and applause to give hearing-impaired attendees access to the content presented by guest speakers. Consider including closed captioning or live transcription. ASL interpreters during presentations might be helpful. Make transcripts of chats and Q&A available for questions and networking.

Visual Impairment

Accommodating virtual event participants with visual impairment issues requires specific planning. Encourage color contrast in presentations and event platforms. Font styles and size could be considered and the tools to facilitate this. Screen readers could describe and augment the experience for the visually impaired. Have chat and Q&A comments read aloud by a moderator.

Invisible impairment

Invisible disabilities should be addressed as well. Keep the event running at an even pace. Be predictable. Allow short breaks and enough time between specific events to allow for those using additional software or who need time to refocus. Avoid strobe lights and startling noises. For those with learning disabilities, providing a video recording of the event to experience at their own pace.

You want event attendees with disabilities to have the exact same experience as everyone else. It is helpful to educate yourself before planning a virtual event, but an experienced producer should be capable of recommending the right mix of platform features, software, and real-time support to meet your requirements. Designing and producing the blended technologies and managing the event to give the participants the best possible experience is a technical challenge. With adequate planning time and the support of an experienced producer, you can pull off the inclusive event that you envision.

Lee Deaner is President of Leading Edge Training Solutions,, a leading producer of virtual and hybrid events, informational meetings, and training programs since 2009. He is also co-author of The Virtual Events Playbook, available on Amazon and from Amplify Publishing.

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