Accessible Meeting Venues for Group and Individual Needs

Accessible Meeting Venues for Group and Individual Needs and Enhancing Collaborations Sharon Romelczyk, MPA, Adriane K. Griffen, MPH, MCHES Association of University Centers on Disabilities Introduction The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) plays an integral role in connecting disability researchers and advocates, policymakers, and community partners throughout the year at different venues. AUCD considers venue and meeting accessibility fundamental to building collaborations within the disability field. Accessibility impacts the success of meetings and the ability for leaders within the field to connect and share current research. Methods Venue selection is multi-tiered and includes self-advocates and multiple perspectives, to anticipate and accommodate for individual needs of every attendee, and provide a space for meaningful collaborations. AUCD’s planning process for the 2012 CDC Disability and Health Partners Meeting (described below) is a model for planning and hosting accessible events. The typical planning period begins 10 -12 months in advance of the event. Step 1: Consider Multiple Perspectives The site selection process should reflect multiple perspectives as all people have different experiences and understandings of disability and accessibility. Site selection consulting company solicits detailed hotel bids for price, amenities, and accessibility Self advocates and program staff Site selection company versed in ADA requirements Self advocates and AUCD staff tour facilities, evaluating physical access to hotel and guest rooms, signage, staff training and customer service and emergency procedures Meetings are tailored to the individual needs of attendees including accommodations, food allergies and sensory issues to allow for maximized comfort and access Meeting attendees with diverse needs Step 2: Check (and Double-Check) for Accessibility AUCD program staff, with the help of self advocates, performed accessibility assessments to ensure hotel facilities met standard accessibility requirements. Results showed that venues that report being fully accessible oftentimes do not meet one or more of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, which may prevent guests with disabilities from entering, staying in, or maneuvering throughout the hotel. The following are sample accessibility checklist items taken from the 2012 Modified Hotel Accessibility Checklist developed by AUCD. Use this checklist to check (and double-check) the meeting site will be accessible to all attendees. ü Does the front lobby registration desk have an accessible counter? (no more than 36” high) Step 3: Accommodate Individual Needs Ask meeting registrants about their individual accessibility needs so they can be anticipated and accommodated prior to and upon their arrival at the meeting site. Accommodations may include: • Sign language interpreter • Open captioning • Assistive listening devices • Note takers • Braille, large print • Audio cassette, disk • Wheelchair access • Lodging, if applicable • Transportation • Environmental concerns: (Allergens, etc. ) When working with hotel staff to negotiate a meeting space and contract for an event, be sure to articulate the anticipated needs of attendees. Advocate for the needs of meeting attendees. Consider providing event staff with basic training on working with people with disabilities and the size and needs of your group. Staff at the meeting venue should be informed and attentive to details related to your guests. ü Do the entrance doors have a clear width of 32”? ü Does the lobby provide an accessible bathroom/stall? (Stall door that opens outward, grab bar and side transfer that is 42 -48” wide, sink set 29” from floor with clear space underneath of 30” wide by 45” deep, 60” diameter of clear floor space for maneuvering, toilet no higher than 29” from floor, door hardware that does not require twisting) ü Does the hotel have the proper number of accessible guestrooms and accessible guestrooms with roll-in showers, according to ADA Standards? (Reference: Table 9. 1. 2. ADA Checklist for New Lodging Facilities) ü Do the guest rooms with roll-in showers have the appropriate accommodations to support guests using wheelchairs? (Clear turnaround space outside, Stall 3’ by 3’, adjustable height hand-held shower wand with at least 60” long hose, transfer tub seat that can be securely attached to the tub available, horizontal bar at the food of the tub that is at least 24” long, horizontal grab bar at the head of the tub that s at least 12” long) Conclusion Planning accessible meetings is a multi-step process that requires thoughtful consideration of multiple perspectives, demonstrated physical accessibility, and anticipation and accommodation of diverse individual needs. Advanced planning is required to ensure accessibility and a successful collaborative meeting where all may participate. References For more information on the 2012 CDC Disability and Health Partners Meeting and to view these resources in full, visit http: //www. aucd. org/2012 DHPmeeting • Adaptive Environments Center, Inc. for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. (1995). The Americans with Disabilities Act Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal. • Association of University Centers on Disabilities. (2011). 2012 Modified Hotel Accessibility Checklist. • Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office on Health and Disability. (2007). Accessible Print Materials: Formatting Guidelines to Accommodate All Audiences. • Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office on Health and Disability. (2007). Planning Accessible Meetings and Events: Guidelines to Accommodate All Participants. • US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section. (2006). Accessible Customer Service Practices for Hotel and Lodging Guests with Disabilities. • US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section. (2005). ADA Checklist for New Lodging Facilities. This poster has been developed by AUCD in collaboration with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), Division of Human Development and Disability, Disability Policy Interventions and Planning (DPIP) Team as an activity within the AUCD-