Before Your Event

As you begin to plan your event, here are some considerations for making your event welcoming and inclusive.

Choosing a Venue

IN-PERSON & DIGITAL SITE SELECTION

Choose a venue that meets ADA requirements. For a physical space, that includes elevators, ramps, and automatic doors. For a digital space, that includes access to video, audio, and captions.

Additionally, as you choose your venue, think about what kinds of activities you’re planning on hosting at the event, and what your ideal physical set-up for those events is.

FOR IN-PERSON EVENTS:

Activity Spaces to Consider

  • Rooms, tables, and chairs for small group work or discussion
  • Clear floor space for large group activities
  • Low chairs and couches plus clear floor space for socializing
  • Reserved seating for users with mobility aids, service animals, and ASL interpreters and their clients
  • Chill-out space for decompression, with controllable lights, closeable door, and plain walls
  • Space to hang large signs, or set them up on stands that does not block the flow of traffic
  • Food service area: will it be in the same room? Is it buffet-style or sit-down service?
  • Ability to move and arrange chairs and tables to preserve wide aisles for mobility users
  • Indoor and outdoor spaces for eating

Registration & Accommodation Requests

CHOOSE AN ACCESSIBLE REGISTRATION SYSTEM

Registering for your event should be both accessible and easy for people with and without disabilities. It should also be accessible and easy for people to create an event listing in the system.

Most event registration is done online. While there are many choices of online registration systems, we recommend UVM’s Qualtrics system.

  1. Log into Qualtrics at http://qualtrics.uvm.edu
  2. Create a new survey, and add your standard event registration fields: Name, Email Address, Phone Number, number of tickets.
  3. Publish the survey.
  4. Under the Post-Survey section, you can create an email response that will be sent to guests when they register: “Send a Thank You Email”. This will help guests know that they have confirmed a seat at your event.

Eventbrite.com does not meet UVM’s standards for accessibility. Google Forms do not comply with UVM’s legal requirements for gathering information.

MAKE THE REGISTRATION EASY TO UNDERSTAND

When you create your registration form, make sure it includes the following information:

  • Event Title
  • Start Time
  • End Time
  • Location
  • Sponsoring Group Name

You want guests to have the most amount of information about your event right from the start.

ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS

Here are some frequently requested accommodation requests:

  • Virtual event: ASL interpretation, live captioning (of both the presenter and any materials being shown during the presentation), being sent the materials beforehand, a recording of the event afterwards.
  • In-person event: ASL interpretation, captioning of any audio or video materials being shown at the event, Braille signs to the venue, multiple methods of signaling the start and end of the event, and a map of the venue showing elevators, ramps, and restrooms.

You can make your event run more smoothly by planning for these types of requests at every event you organize.

At UVM contact the Campus Access Center to request an ASL interpreter or a live captioner. You can also choose buildings and rooms on campus that you know will be more accessible to guests.

HOW TO WELCOME ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS

You should make it easy and welcoming for guests to let you know what accommodations they need before the event.

  • Easy: it should be obvious on your registration form how to submit an accommodation request.
  • Welcoming: no one should be made to feel bad or awkward for asking for accommodation.

You can make your registration form easy and welcoming with something as simple as:

“We will provide ASL interpretation, live captioning, advance notice of the materials, and a recording of the event afterwards. If you’d like any additional accommodations, please request them in the box below. If you have any questions on accessibility for this event, please contact This Person, at this.person@uvm.edu, or (802) XXX-XXXX.”

Make sure to reach out to the person who requests accommodation, so that they know the status of their request, and so that you fully understand what they’re asking for.

Advertising, Flyers, and Websites

After you open registration for your event, you want to promote it. Remember that all your event promotions, such as online ads, social media posts, printed and electronic flyers, and websites, should be accessible.

At a minimum, this means:

  • Alt-text for images
  • Plain language everywhere
  • Large, easy-to-read text with strong color contrast (see Fonts and Readability for details)
  • Accessible .pdfs
  • Mobile-responsive websites

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR ADVERTISING

In promoting your event, you want to include enough information to attract people to the event, but not overwhelm them with details. Include:

  • Event Title
  • Speaker Name (if applicable)
  • Sponsoring Group Name & Logo
  • Date and Time
  • Location
  • Virtual or In-Person
  • URL for more information

Pro Tip 1: Use a URL-shortening service, such as go.uvm.edu to create a short URL for your event or your group. Short URLs are much friendlier for screen readers, easier to type in for people with hand, wrist, or arm mobility issues, and easier to remember.

Pro Tip 2: if you’re printing flyers, strongly consider including a QR code. QR codes make it possible for people with hand, wrist, or arm mobility issues to avoid having to type a URL into their device. Instead, they can simply swipe the QR code to access the event information.

You can generate an independent QR code from inside Adobe InDesign. InDesign is available to use for free on computers in the Howe Library.

PLACES TO PROMOTE YOUR UVM EVENT

At UVM, if you are a registered student group, you can promote your event by:

  • Creating a printed flyer to tack on bulletin boards around campus
  • Running a simple, compelling message on the Davis Center video screens
  • Adding your event to the UVM Campus Calendar through ETS
  • Dropping off a printed announcement at the campus radio station, WRUV (in the Davis Center)
  • Asking your College or Department whether they can include promotion for your event in their newsletter or social media

Program & Schedule

TBD.

Communicating with Attendees Before Your Event

THE EMAIL FLOW

It’s important to keep your guests updated about your event, and many people appreciate reminders. At a minimum, you want to email your guests:

  • A confirmation email when they register
  • An email a week beforehand, reminding them they registered, and letting them know important details such as time, date, Zoom link (if applicable), Code of Conduct, parking and transportation information, and the presenter’s materials. Also let them know how often you’ll be emailing them.
  • An email 24 hours beforehand, reminding them they registered, and letting them know you’re excited they’re choosing to attend.
  • An email one hour beforehand, reminding them they registered, and letting them know you’re excited to see them.

A NOTE ABOUT ONLINE EVENTS

Because people are busy, and most online events will send you the recording afterwards, many people register for online events even when they know they can’t make the event. Don’t get discouraged!

When people register for your event, you can let them know up front if it’s okay they just want the event recording. Make that an option on your registration form, so you can get a more accurate idea of the number of people who are really planning on attending.

With free online events, on average, half the people who register will actually show up.

On the plus side, you’re building your email list for your next event!