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title: "Best practices for an inclusive and welcoming conference" |
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linkTitle: "Inclusive conference best practices" |
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date: 2023-10-01 |
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description: > |
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This is a living document, so please be sure to check regularly for updates. |
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--- |
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If you're not familiar with the needs and preferences of deaf and hard of hearing (deaf/hoh) individuals, hosting a conference that is truly inclusive and accessible can feel overwhelming. This document will guide you to ensuring that deaf and hard of hearing attendees can fully participate in your event and have a great overall and complete experience. |
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The first step of being more inclusive is understanding that deaf/hoh are not a one-size-fits-all group — we have different needs and preferences, so it is important to provide multiple options for deaf/hoh. If we can't participate, we will likely not return, reinforcing the vicious cycle of deaf/hoh individuals not participating in the community. |
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We also recommend providing attendees, speakers, and sponsors the opportunity to specify their accessibility needs as soon as possible, so you can plan for it in advance. Use your website, registration and call for papers forms to get that information early. Conference organizers often don't budget for accessibility until a request is made. This can create uncomfortable situations for event planners who don't know how to budget for a sudden request. Accessibility is rarely a static budget line item, and it can be hard, especially when planning it for the first time. One of our aims in documenting best practices is to learn and share cost information to make planning more predictable. |
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To make the process as straightforward as possible, we've listed as much as we could to make a conference truly inclusive to our community but also included alternatives if a particular accommodation is not feasible. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with us at cncf-tag-contributor-strategy@lists.cncf.io. |
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**Note**: This document is open source. If we missed anything, please submit a pull request or issue so we can update it — thank you! |
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## DEIA: Diversity + Equity + Inclusion + Accessibility |
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We encourage you to include the A in your DEI efforts: **Diversity + Equity + Inclusion + Accessibility (DEIA)** — all too often is our community an afterthought. We want to change that and need your support! |
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## ADA coordinator/specialist role |
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We recommend appointing a designated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator to handle any prompt communications involving accommodations before and during the conference. This includes communication with attendees, speakers, facilities, and other event organizers. |
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### Be ADA-compliant |
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While nearly all buildings in the United States are ADA-compliant, we often see a gap at conferences: risers/stages generally don't have ramps, making them inaccessible for people with physical disabilities. Carpets make it harder for wheelchair users, physically and battery draining. Provide assistance when asked and have charging stations available. |
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## Website, registration and CFP form, and program information |
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### Event website |
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On the registration and call for papers (CFP) pages, state that accommodations will be made for speakers and attendees with disabilities. Clearly and prominently stating that will make us feel welcome and motivate us to participate. Don't bury that important information in a registration form we might never see. Here's some suggested copy: |
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> Interested in attending or speaking but require special accommodations? Please inform us through the registration or CFP form about your specific needs, and we will make every effort to provide the necessary support. For accommodation-related questions, please reach out to [accommodations@yourevent.com](mailto:accommodations@yourevent.com). |
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Consider creating a dedicated email address (e.g., accommodations@) to signal you take this seriously. |
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### Registration and CFP form |
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Include a field asking if accommodations are needed (yes/no) and a free-form text box to specify. Everyone's needs differ; it's hard to discern from a fixed form/dropdown. |
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### Program Information |
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On the program page, include session accessibility information, such as whether captioning will be provided and in which language. Also, mention that interpreters will be available upon request if requested in advance, and specify which sign language (e.g., American Sign Language, International Sign Language, etc.). |
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## Pre-conference best practices |
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### Reach out to attendees/speakers before the event |
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* Set up notifications or monitor registration and CFP forms for accommodation needs and ask for clarification if needed. |
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* Connect attendees with sign language interpreters to ensure they understand communication needs and style. |
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* For dedicated interpreters (see the [sign language interpreters](#sign-language-interpreters) section), provide both sides with contact information to communicate directly during the event should they run late or if a meeting place changes. |
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### Connect us with our peers |
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Provide a way for deaf and hard of hearing attendees and speakers or people with other disabilities to connect for peer support and potentially pool resources (e.g., an event Slack channel). |
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## Day of best practices |
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Needs vary. Interpreters, captions, or both may be necessary for different individuals. |
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### Reserved seating at the front |
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Have some reserved seating at the front for deaf and hard of hearing attendees. Many rely on lip-reading, so you want to be sure they can see the speakers well. If speakers are wearing masks, it inhibits many deaf/hoh attendees from reading lips. Opt to provide speakers with clear masks if they prefer to wear a mask when speaking, or provide social distancing opportunities instead so they may speak maskless. |
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### Sign language interpreters |
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Provide interpreters upon request and in advance. We also recommend having two sign language interpreters on-call to accommodate last-minute registrants or miscommunications. Ask interpreter agencies about their cancellation policies — these can vary significantly. A week's notice, 48, or even 24 hours with a fee, are all possible, depending on the agency. |
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Obviously, a big conference like KubeCon has more resources than a local community event — we get that. Since we also want to be included in smaller events, we'll offer various options. To be clear, the more cost-effective options aren't as inclusive, meaning we'll miss out on many opportunities our hearing peers benefit from. Do only go the more cost-effective route if the alternative is no accessibility. We deserve to be included and appreciate your support. |
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Sign language interpreters are the most valuable but also the most expensive accommodation. Incorporate the cost into the overall conference cost. It should be no different than including audio/video equipment, swag, food, refreshments, etc. into your budget. |
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#### Include interpreters in recording |
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If you record your sessions, be sure the interpreters are on screen so deaf attendees can benefit from your accessibility effort even when watching them on-demand. |
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#### Global or national conferences |
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If you only have a few deaf individuals attending, provide two interpreters per individual (they always come in tandem for engagements longer than one hour). Wherever the deaf person goes, they'll follow. This will allow deaf individuals not only to attend sessions, but also network with their peers, walk the showfloor and talk with vendors. This is particularly important if they are the only or one of a few deaf people attending, as any interaction is contingent on the availability of an interpreter. |
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Of course, this approach doesn't scale well. If you have more deaf attendees, you'll need to share accommodations among more individuals. |
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Before the conference, ask attendees to sign up for sessions in advance so you know which sessions must be staffed by interpreters. But allow for last-minute changes and be prepared to inform interpreters about these. While you'll want to plan ahead, you also want to offer attendees the flexibility to change their minds. Maybe they met someone who's giving a talk, and they'd like to attend that session. If you have multiple deaf attendees, have interpreters at keynotes by default. |
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##### Accommodation desk |
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Set up an accommodation desk and/or communication channel where attendees can ask questions, request changes, or get an interpreter spontaneously, if available. Be sure to staff it with people familiar with deaf/hoh needs and have assistive technology available to assist with communication when needed. |
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##### Networking events |
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As mentioned in the [conference networking opportunities section](#conference-networking-opportunities) below, networking is one of the key reasons people attend conferences, so be sure interpreters are also available during networking sessions. |
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When it comes to networking events outside of the official program (e.g., sponsor happy hours), try to find a way to fund interpreters, too. If you can't use the conference budget, consider creating a sponsorship add-on to fund networking interpreter services. Don't underestimate the importance of these valuable opportunities. |
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#### Regional/single-track conferences |
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It's easier to share accommodations among speakers and attendees at smaller or single-track conferences. Provide live captions and a pair of sign language interpreters. |
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If your budget is tight, consider offering an **accessibility sponsorship add-on** and mention throughout the conference that interpreters are made possible thanks to that company. That will motivate them or other companies to participate next time. |
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#### Local and community events |
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For local and community events where attendance is free or low-cost, we recommend offering an accessibility sponsorship add-on (see prior section) to try to have interpreters on site. If that doesn't work, live captions are certainly the minimum you should offer. Be sure to let the deaf attendee know before the event that you couldn't raise funds for interpreters and that only captioning will be provided. Also, offer a refund if desired. |
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You could also try to incentivize the employer of the deaf attendee to pay for the interpreters and offer to list them as an official event sponsor. |
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### Captions |
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There is no need to provide interpreters for every session, but captions should be available for all sessions in order to give attendees the flexibility to join a session spontaneously. While there are lots of live captions software options, not all work well. Using a tool with low accuracy can be very confusing for deaf/hoh individuals, so select one that has proven to work for us. |
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Keep in mind that, for a deaf person whose preferred form of communication is sign language, captions won't help when they want to ask a question or participate in a conversation with the speaker(s). You will need an interpreter to support interactions. |
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Some caption tools work for virtual events only, others for in-person and virtual. We've created a [list with different vendors](https://docs.google.com/document/d/13rYZIXMlMSpdbu2wYVzgShj7ZwiXEjOX5nwZLp0PV50/edit#heading=h.ngl0kcvzm9ym) for your convenience. |
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#### Caption use cases beyond deaf/hoh |
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Some attendees can hear but may be on the autism spectrum and have a hard time processing auditory cues — captioning is incredibly beneficial for them, too. Additionally, non-native speakers who aren't fluent can benefit from having words on the screen. |
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### Microphones for speakers and Q&A |
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Provide microphones for speakers and audience questions — even in small rooms. Hard of hearing attendees or speakers will struggle to hear the question without a microphone, and the captions tool won't be able to capture it either. If you can't provide a microphone for audience questions, have the speaker or someone else repeat the question in the microphone, "This person was asking …" |
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### Meeting point area |
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Especially at large conferences, if you have multiple deaf and hard of hearing attendees, create a meeting point area where deaf and hard of hearing attendees can find each other, meet with interpreters, and/or coordinate which session they will attend next if they share interpreters. |
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## Conference networking opportunities |
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### Interpreters during networking sessions |
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One of the main reasons people go to conferences is to network. That is no different for deaf and hard of hearing attendees. Yet, most conferences only provide support during sessions, denying us this important event aspect. |
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Networking is key for job opportunities, professional growth, and learning from peers. It is hard enough for people with disabilities to find or change jobs, making these networking events even more important. It is an important channel for professional growth and shouldn't be overlooked in your inclusion efforts. |
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Having the opportunity to network with hearing peers is not only important for the individual, it also helps break down prejudices and change attitudes towards us. These one-on-one connections are invaluable for fostering inclusion overall. So please be sure to allow your deaf and hard of hearing attendees and speakers to participate. |
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Thank you for taking the time to review our best practices recommendations. We hope this was useful and that you'll be able to implement them at your next event. If your conference is accessible to our community, please be sure to add it to this [accessible tech conference list](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kQmhwQc45S6SC2fYsULue4our72TLH86kVD5KA0EC-4/edit#gid=0) so more people from our community find out about it. |