I recently attended my favorite annual event. It inspired me to create this post about how to run or attend an event for diverse people.

Some things I had noticed made this event less accessible:

Knowing when/where aspects of the event are – Information about the event location were only provided in the Ticketholder FB group. If you don’t have Facebook, I guess you’re SOL 🤷‍♀️ I am a member of the ticketholder group and still didn’t know where the first day of events were. The venue was shared but not the conference room, despite there being many rooms.

Seating – This event didn’t have enough chairs for all of the ticketholding attendees. This was an event that required tablespace and encouraged building relationships with people at your table. People even brought gifts for their tablemates! After they ran out of chairs at tables, they started seating people at the vendors’ tables. Once they ran out of chairs, attendees who couldn’t sit left. These tickets were pricy and attendees were incredibly disappointed and embarrassed.

Temperature Regulation – These rooms were HOT. A friend brought a neck fan and I felt encouraged and empowered to overnight one for Day 2. It was great! But not everyone had the opportunity to buy one and ship it that quickly. The event encouraged people to move, dance, and cheer but didn’t even supply enough water for the attendees to do so safely, typical or atypical. This may not have been the fault of the event-owners, but it’s a consideration they should learn from.

Schedule-keeping – We started late. An itinerary was shared with ticketholders, but we didn’t stick to it well. After starting 30-45 minutes late, speakers and presenters spoke over time, resulting in a major restructuring of the itinerary with no notice. Some speakers were moved to the afternoon. Speakers and giveaways were added unexpectedly, adding to our delay. When given our lunch break, they told us we would only get an hour (different from our 90 minute lunch on the itinerary), but we ended up with more than 90 minutes due to the lunch lines being too long.

General/Wheelchair Accessibility – The event was held in a convention center with an attached hotel. A friend of mine needed a wheelchair to attend this event safely. The wheelchair accessible rooms at the hotel were at least a 10 minute walk/ride from the check-in desk and 20 minute walk from the event.

Food – We were notified a week ahead of time that there was no food being served. Keep in mind, I (and others) bought our tickets a year in advance and food was served last year. With a 90 minute lunch break, I expected to step out to a local quick-service restaurant that I knew I could eat at (with food allergies and preferences), but with the knowledge that I only had 60, I opted to eat at the food court with a long line, no limited/inaccessible food allergy information, and limited options that seemed safe. This whole situation could’ve been better dealt with.

Accommodating Myself:

At the event, I brought my Loop Earplugs. I needed them the WHOLE time. At the party portions, I used my Loop Switches on the experience/quiet settings depending on the situation and I used my purple Loop Engage during speeches and presentations. They were lifesavers and really saved my brain space for the challenges and information presented.

Neck fan – I mentioned above that another attendee encouraged me to get a neck fan for the temperature in the room. I helped a lot. In addition, I brought a light sweater for when the chill reached me.

Accessible Parking – Of course, I utilized my handicap placard. With how long the event was and the amount of swag I brought home, I definitely found my mobility limited by pain and fatigue.

40oz Cup – I brought my insulated Juggy cup (looks like a Stanley cup). Yes, it’s Swiftie. It kept my ice all day, was easily accessible (no flipcap or lid, plus it has a handle). It kept me hydrated and cool. Additionally, I packed some flavoring packets for my water to encourage myself to drink it. Dopamine!

No Tote/Backpack Only – A lot of my peers brought tote bags to this event to carry their belongings. I opted for a backpack. It kept the weight of my stuff balanced across both shoulders instead of throwing my back out of alignment with a heavy tote.

Snacks – I brought safe snacks to ensure I had chances to eat and maintain my attention all day.