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Physical Accessibility
Accessibility Advisory for Planning or Sponsoring Events
Planners have an obligation to consider the needs of people with disabilities in connection with all Harvard events. Planning in advance is essential. There is usually more than one solution for a particular situation. People and resources are available to help you- just call.
Introduction
The purpose of this advisory is to assist planners in understanding the University's obligation and commitment to take into account the needs of people with disabilities in connection with events sponsored by the University. Harvard University is committed to facilitating the participation of people with disabilities in all of its programs, including conferences, meetings, lectures, and other events.
The following are guidelines and suggestions about how to make events accessible and accommodating to people with disabilities. These guidelines are not an exhaustive catalogue of suggestions or obligations, although the absolute minimum requirements are described.
What Events?
The University's obligation to consider the needs of participants with disabilities extends to any event sponsored by Harvard, whether held on or off campus and whether or not members of the public are invited to attend. In a very few circumstances, such as a private social function or an employee-only meeting, where you know exactly who is expected to attend and that no accommodations will be required, it may not be necessary to plan for the needs of participants with disabilities.
In most situations, you will have to plan for the possibility that someone will need accommodation. For example, services for people with disabilities must be considered in connection with a week-long arts festival, a speech by a visiting scholar or celebrity, or a conference at one of the graduate schools. As the event planner, it is your responsibility to plan for and provide the required services for participants with disabilities at any event sponsored by the University or members of the University community.
There are also obligations that extend to events that are sponsored by a person or organizations from outside the University but held in a Harvard facility. If you are involved in making Harvard's facilities available to outside groups, you should be sure to discuss accessibility and accommodations obligations with the organization using the space. The arrangement should clearly specify which party will assume responsibility for these obligations at the event.
What are the general obligations?
In general, you must try to ensure that people with disabilities are able to attend and participate in your event. There is no one method of accommodating individuals with disabilities. Where outright access and full accommodation cannot be accomplished, you will need to explore alternatives for serving people with disabilities. Given the University's diverse resources, this can be accomplished in almost all cases with little or no expense, although advance planning will be required.
Responding to Requests for Accommodation
You are encouraged to communicate as much as possible with participants and event presenters prior to the event. Individuals with disabilities include those with mobility or sensory impairments (e.g. wheelchair users or those with hearing or vision impairments), and "hidden" disabilities (e.g. those with learning disabilities, chronic illness, or environmental illness). When questions concerning accommodations and particular requests come up, you will want to respond as soon as possible.
However, certain situations may require several communications between the event planner and the person requesting the accommodation. It is possible that you may encounter difficulties providing a requested accommodation of you may be uncertain if a particular request must be met. You are strongly encouraged or consult with the University Disability Coordinator before denying any requests related to access or accommodation.
Guidelines
These guidelines are intended to help event planners understand how to choose a physically accessible location, provide accommodations, and use advance communication to serve people with disabilities. A common sense approach should guide you. The fundamental goal is to facilitate the participation of people with disabilities. While the answer to every question and situation may not be simple, the key is to remain respectful, responsive, and flexible.
Choosing a physically accessible location
Whenever possible, you should hold your event in a wheelchair accessible building. Locating your event in a wheelchair accessible building will facilitate the participation of wheelchair users and people with other mobility impairments as well. Many of Harvard's buildings are wheelchair accessible. If you cannot hold your event in one of the accessible buildings, you should try to locate your event in a space in which physical barriers are kept to a minimum.
Removing communication barriers
In almost all cases, the University will be legally obligated to provide some type of auxiliary communication aids and services to enable people with visual and hearing impairments to participate in events. The cost of providing these auxiliary aids and services should be anticipated in the event budget. Participants may not be charged a fee for them.
Sign language interpreters
Sign language interpreters are usually booked weeks in advance. We suggest that event planners use pre-event communications and publicity to invite people who may need this service to notify the event planner by a specified date.
Assistive listening devices
A number of Harvard auditoriums and halls are equipped for assistive listening devices (headsets which amplify and/or filter sound). Building managers can be contacted and should be able to tell you whether the selected location is equipped with assistive listening devices. If not, you can arrange to obtain them from Instructional Media Services (See Accessibility Resource list).
Transcripts of Speeches
For events which include speakers, you might ask the speakers to prepare transcripts of their speeches in advance and to give their permission to make the transcripts available in advance to people with disabilities. Transcripts can be helpful to people with hearing impairments. They are also useful for sign language interpreters, especially when they are provided prior to the event.
Alternate formats of meeting materials and other information
Large print, Braille, audio tape, and computer disk versions of speeches, lectures, and general emergency information, prepared in advance of the event, can be useful for participants with visual impairments or learning disabilities. On-site readers an also be a helpful alternative.
In the occasional circumstance when it is impossible to provide the most appropriate aid or service to remove a communication barrier, you must still make a reasonable effort to provide an accommodation that will enable the person with a visual or hearing impairment to participate in the event. If you are unclear as to how to make an accommodation, you can call the University Disability Coordinator.
Modifying Policies, Practices, and Procedures
Event planners should also be aware that policies, practices, and procedures may need to be modified in order to accommodate a person with a disability. It may not always be easy to anticipate such accommodations in advance; the key is to remain responsive and flexible.
For example, a policy prohibiting animals at an event would have to be modified to allow a blind person to bring a guide dog. Likewise, the practice of people serving themselves at a buffet meal might have to be modified by having a staff person available to offer assistance to people who may have difficulty in serving themselves. There may be instances where modifying a policy, practice, or procedure is not required, but if you receive a request to change a rule or practice on account of a disability you should consult with the resources available to you before denying the request.
Using Publicity and Pre-Registration for Planning
The key to making events accessible and meeting legal obligations is communication prior to the event. Pre-event publicity and pre-registration should invite potential participants to request any special accommodation that they may need. This will enable the event planner to organize many, if not most, services and accommodations in advance.
- Pre-event publicity should include the name and telephone number of
a person to contact for more information. Use of the access symbols is helpful in
highlighting accessibility information in written publicity. For example, you may
want to use the following on you pre-event publicity:
"Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact [name} at [telephone TTY] as far in advance of the event as possible."
If you have a TTY, that number should be included in your literature. If you do not have such a device, you may want to consider mentioning the availability of a telephone relay service in which an operator receives a message from a TTY and relays the message to you by voice. - Pre-registration for an event provides an opportunity for event
planners to describe the event in more detail. This allows for a potential participant
with disabilities to consider what accommodations he or she might need. The fullest
description possible, including location, environmental conditions, services available,
etc. will provide for the most effective planning.
For events involving overnight lodging, the event planner may want to investigate what accessibility features and accommodations the hotel or motel provides. - Presenters at your event may also require accommodations. As the event planner, you should communicate with all presenters so that they can inform you about any special requirements that they may have.
Staff Awareness and Sensitivity
Even with the most diligent efforts to communicate prior to the event, there will be times when unanticipated accommodations for participants with disabilities will have to be made during the event. Staff awareness and sensitivity are essential to successfully complying with this obligation.
- On-site registration
Registration workers should be well-informed about how to provide accommodations and where to obtain services. Staff should know the answers to common questions such as:
"Where is an accessible bathroom?"
"Is there parking which is accessible for wheelchair users?"
"Is there an amplified telephone TTY phone nearby? Do you have the number of the telephone relay service?"
"Where can I get a drink of water?" (Many people with disabilities take medications.)
"Where should I tell the driver to pick me up?" - During the event
Event staff should be apprised of the general obligation to provide accommodation for people with disabilities. Staff should be prepared to offer assistance (such as with seating or using the amenities of the building, etc.).
Emergency procedures
Harvard buildings vary widely and emergency procedures in them also vary. The building manager should be able to inform you about the general emergency procedures for a specific building.
You should consider how any special needs of people with disabilities will be handled in case of an emergency. All on-site staff should be informed. For instance, if people with hearing impairments will be attending your event, you may want to designate a staff member to be responsible for communicating with them in the event that an emergency alarm sounds (such as in the case of fire).
Conclusion
Many experienced people are available at the University to help ensure that your events run smoothly and with maximal participation of people with disabilities. Please seek out those resources. Your efforts to advance Harvard's commitment to people with disabilities will help a number of valuable contributors to events sponsored by Harvard.
