How to Plan an Accessible Event
By: Andrew Gurza
Over the years, I have attended several accessible events and I have had the privilege to be involved in the planning of a few. At every event, there are always areas that could have been improved upon. So, for this blog, I want to answer the question, “How do you plan an accessible event?” Let’s dive in, friends!
Put Disability First
When events are planned, we have to think of so many things; food, music, keynote speakers, ticket sales… there is a lot to manage, right? Typically, if we think about accessibility or access needs, those usually come at the end of the process, or they are mandated through laws like the AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act). They usually become an afterthought and as a result, accessibility may not get a chance to join the party. The way that we can change that is to put disability first. Before you plan anything at all, talk about access needs and build the rest of the event around them. Allow access to lead the party planning, and everything else will follow. In my opinion, by putting disabled people’s needs first, you set the tone for a safe space for all.
Hire a Broad Range of Disabled Folks
As a Disability Awareness Consultant, I have been hired to consult on event spaces. As a powerchair user who has Cerebral Palsy, I have a very important perspective, but still just one perspective. I think it is critical to hire a broad spectrum of disability consultants to ensure that your event meets the needs of a wide swath of disabled folks. It will make the event more inclusive, and help organizers identify areas of accessibility that they may not have previously considered. It should go without saying here, but it is important that you pay these consultants for their time. Disabled people are often asked to do this for free, and it sucks. Put money in your budget for our consultation, you won’t regret it.
Hire Attendant Care at the Event
One of the biggest things that gets completely overlooked when events think about access is attendant care. I have been to events that say they are “fully accessible” only to discover that once I got there by myself, I had no help at all. What a lot of organizers may not realize is that many disabled people only have care at certain times in the day, or the care is only available in their home, not outside. If a disabled patron wants to come to your event, but can’t bring an attendant of their own, this immediately means they can’t go to the event at all. By hiring attendant care (like Whimble) and making that part of your budget, you are sending a very clear message that disabled people’s care matters to your event. This is such a rarity at accessible events that it will, without a doubt make your event stand out.
Rent Accessible Equipment
One of the ways to make your event truly accessible is to rent and hire accessible equipment, and I don’t mean just portable ramps (which are great - rent them too). Your event should also have patient lifts and slings and extra walkers and rollators and battery packs, etc. Why? As so many disabled people know, anything can happen to our mobility devices, especially when we least expect it. I remember once at a Pride event, in the hot July sun, my chair stopped working. I didn’t bring my charger and had to go home early. If you provide accessible equipment, you ensure that everyone can have fun, no matter what happens. These access accoutrements (if you will) put disabled people’s needs at the forefront, and what event doesn’t want that?
Hire Disabled Entertainers
So much of the talk around accessibility events is limited to patrons. Very rarely do the accessibility and representation efforts extend to who disabled people see on stage. At your event, consider hiring a disabled entertainer or disabled keynote speaker. This will show your disabled patrons that access is a throughline that carries authentically across your entire vibe. Plus, it puts money in disabled creatives pockets too, and that is so needed and necessary. Put a call out for disabled talent! You might just find someone who will make your event accessible AND legendary.
These are just a few ideas of how to create an accessible event. I hope they spark some new initiatives for your next event, and I hope they help you think of access at events as more than just ramps and elevators. Go forth and give these a try! Until next time!
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Header image (a male attendant opening an accessible washroom door for a female powerchair user) taken by Alana Winchester Photography for Whimble
Andrew Gurza is an award winning Disability Awareness Consultant and the Chief Disability Officer and Co-founder of Bump’n, a sex toy company for and by disabled people. Andrew uses they/he pronouns and identifies proudly as disabled. Their work has been featured on BBC, CBC, Daily Xtra, Gay Times UK, Huffington Post, The Advocate, Everyday Feminism, Mashable, Out.com, and several anthologies. He was the subject of an award winning National Film Board of Canada Documentary “Picture This”. Andrew has guested on a number of podcasts including Dan Savage’s Savage Love and Cameron Esposito’s Queery. He has spoken all over the world on sex, disability and what it means to be a Queer Cripple.
He is also the host of Disability After Dark: The Podcast Shining a Bright Light on Disability Stories which won a Canadian Podcast Award in 2021, a Queerty Award and was chosen as an Honoree at the 2020 Webby Awards. The show is available on all platforms. Andrew is also the creator of the viral hashtag #DisabledPeopleAreHot. You can find out more about Andrew by going to www.andrewgurza.com and connecting via social media @andrewgurza1.
