Accommodating People with Disabilities at Meetings and Events

0.2 CSEP Points | ILEA Core Curriculum: Venue - Development
1 Clock Hours | Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

(Also aligned with Rental - Pre-Production)

In 2019 it’s a legal, social, and professional responsibility to adapt your meeting venue to accommodate speakers and attendees with disabilities. Having been paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury, Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. speaks from her wheelchair sharing her own dramatic personal story. She now presents to audiences throughout the U.S. and beyond as a recognized expert on inclusive design. She has also earned recognition for her home that is the top-rated universal design home in North America. In this presentation, Rossetti addresses crucial points you need to know to anticipate challenges in order to achieve a smooth, gracious, and respectful event experience for every participant. She will focus on: why disability inclusivity is so important, how to set up your meeting rooms, adapting to dining and networking challenges, accommodating speakers and guests with wheelchairs, and important resources designed to ease your way as a successful meeting planner.

Learning Outcomes: 

• Identify problems and challenges that people with disabilities experience at meetings and events so they will be more aware and be able to plan more inclusive meetings and events.
• Develop solutions to solve problems and challenges that people with disabilities experience in order to plan more inclusive meetings and events.
• Create an inclusive, easy access environment for people who use wheelchairs and scooters in and around meeting and dining rooms including layout, aisle width, easy access, table heights, and more in order to better accommodate people with disabilities.