Event technology specialist Cvent offers insight and advice for making your events more accessible and inclusive for all.
Accessibility and inclusion have always been important, but with rising numbers of people living with a disability, it is now, more than ever, a fundamental part of your event planning.
Some 16 per cent of people worldwide have a disability, according to the World Health Organisation. Across the EU, this rises to one in four adults; in the UK, it’s around 24 per cent of the population (or 16 million people).
If your events aren’t welcoming and accessible for everyone, you’re likely missing out on the opportunity to reach a much wider audience. That’s not only disabled people either; it’s also their family members and supportive friends who may refuse to come to your events unless all their needs are met.
What is an accessible event?
Creating an accessible event means designing it to be open to anyone regardless of their physical challenges or hidden disabilities (such as ADHD or Asperger Syndrome). Similarly, inclusion involves making everyone feel welcome in a diverse setting that supports equity for all those involved.
Keep in mind you’re legally obligated to make your events fully accessible. Disability is one of nine ‘protected characteristics’ defined by the 2010 Equality Act — making it illegal for any UK business to discriminate against persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Moreover, in June 2025, the European Accessibility Act will come into force, bringing in common rules on accessibility requirements across EU member states.
So, how do you plan more accessible events?
First, create a culture of inclusion by ensuring everyone involved in the planning and execution of your events is given the same level of awareness and empathy training.
Then, consider each event element from the perspective of a PWD.
When sourcing venues, for example, consider both the accessibility within the venue and how your attendees may travel to your event. Then, work with your chosen venue to ensure additional measures can be added, and specific requests are supported.
When creating an event registration website, check that the platform used to design and host your site is accessible. A platform like Cvent’s Attendee Hub lets you know when colour combinations don’t meet accessibility guidelines to help you support attendees who may have visual impairments or be colour-vision deficient.
When designing your site, add alternative text to images and make it easier for those using assistive technologies, such as screen readers and braille displays, to navigate your event website and registration process.
Your registration page should also ask the right questions with checkboxes.
These could include questions such as:
- Do you require captions?
- Do you require a sign language interpreter?
- Will you be accompanied by a service animal or Personal Care Assistant (PCA)?
- Do you require wheelchair access?
By asking more detailed questions at the registration stage and contacting anyone who has requested certain requirements, you’ll create a positive first impression of your event and give yourself more planning time to incorporate additional accessible elements.
Next, consider the attendee journey. For example, to accommodate visitors in wheelchairs, you’ll need to widen the aisles and add lower poseur tables. You’ll also need a dedicated wheelchair area in your conference hall or break-out rooms.
Some visitors with physical impairments may be accompanied by a PCA, who is there to assist the attendee. In this case, you’ll need to ensure that:
- The PCA is given free entry
- They’re always able to sit next to the person they’re looking after
- You’ve factored them into catering numbers and room capacities
The same goes for service animals such as a guide dog for a visually impaired attendee. You’ll need to ensure that:
- There’s a reserved space for them at the end of an aisle so that their dog can remain alongside
- You provide facilities such as drinking water and somewhere for a dog to go to the toilet
- Staff are made aware not to distract or fuss over a service animal
Quiet rooms and wellness spaces for anybody to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the show floor are also a great addition to your event. But if you have anxious or neurodivergent attendees, you may need to reconsider audio-visual elements such as strobe stage lighting so that it doesn’t trigger photosensitive epilepsy.
Also, make sure ice-breakers, breakout sessions, competitions, and other activities at your event are accessible or multi-sensory.
Making your events accessible also extends to virtual formats. Here are some tips:
- Ensure that online presentations meet certain colour contrast ratios to be accessible for the visually impaired or people with colour blindness.
- Not everyone can see or interpret presentation slides. Ask presenters to explain visual content.
- Attendees with a hearing impairment may require online presentations to show more detail, offer live captions or have someone in the chat who can answer their questions in real time.
The ROI (Return on Investment) of making your events more accessible is both reputational and compliance with the laws of the land.
If your organisation needs additional motivation, remember, in the UK, 40 per cent of households have at least one disabled person, which puts the value of the ‘purple pound’ at around £274billion, according to the charity Scope.
Everyone can make accessibility improvements to their event programmes. Even if it’s something small, it could make a world of difference to someone’s experience of your offer. So, metaphorically, walk the floor of your event in the shoes of a person with a disability and embrace the help that technology can offer. Together, we can make all types of events a more accessible and inclusive environment for everyone to enjoy.