Ensuring Accessibility for Virtual Events

WHY DOES MY EVENT NEED TO BE?ACCESSIBLE?

“Accessibility” is not just a buzzword, but is essential to making your event as user-friendly as possible. Participants with?accessibility?needs have always existed, but the industry is only just catching up to making it a baseline requirement for events. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing?corporate?and?event planners?to shift online,?digital event management companies in?Singapore?and beyond are realising that?accessibility??enhances the experience for all participants.

Providing accommodations widens the potential audience you can reach and encourages participants to engage with your event and build deeper connections with your brand. Here are some simple?ideas?to make your?virtual event accessible:

?1. PRE-EVENT

Remember to incorporate accessibility throughout your event planning, including?technical production, to enhance the full experience for all. You can also find lists of common and easily implementable adaptations online, including:

• Closed captions or subtitles
• Accessible?style and design guides (e.g. tips on font size and readable fonts)
• Physical accommodations (e.g. wheelchair ramps)
• Disclosing details such as use of strobe lights in event pamphlets

Where possible, ask participants during sign-up if they require specific accommodations – work hand in hand with them, rather than assuming their needs will be met by basic measures. Participants may be able to provide specific?ideas?to enhance your?virtual event.

2. EVENT DAY

In-person segments may require:

• Live captioning (online software can perform this with 80%-90% accuracy)
• Sign language interpreters (Reach out to us for more information on?artiste management)

Gather participant feedback to determine if the measures are adequate, as venue or personnel requirements may affect their execution. However in most cases, these can be pre-empted or resolved immediately.

3. POST-EVENT

Accessibility?doesn’t stop once the event ends. Incorporating it into post-event feedback gathering can increase audience engagement and connection with your brand. This can include:

• Transcripts of live segments (e.g. Q&A sessions)
• Uploading recordings of live segments with subtitles or closed captions

PLAN?AN?ACCESSIBLE EVENT?EXPERIENCE FOR ALL

These measures are just some?ideas?for your?virtual event, and can be modified for?hybrid events?to suit both your objectives and your participants’ experience. Reach out to us to find out how?Unearthed Productions?can make your?virtual event?welcoming for all participants.