Office of Inclusive Design

Accessible In Person Meetings

Physical Accessibility and Mobility-aid Friendly Space 

  • If the accessible pathway to the building is not clear, provide participants with instructions on how to get to the meeting space. 
  • Ensure the building is accessible (push-button doors, accessible bathrooms, ramps, functioning elevators, clear signage, accessible parking nearby etc.) 
  • Ensure meeting space is a mobility-aid friendly e.g., furniture should be spread out enough to ensure a wheelchair can navigate the space easily. 
  • Ensure accessible seating is available, such seating should allow wheelchair users to attend meetings and feel meaningfully included, NOT just in the corner or back of the meeting space.  
  • Ensure no hazards like loose cords or items are on the floor. 

Low Stimulation Meeting Space 

  • Avoid the use of strong fragrances in meeting space. Make the meeting space “scent sensitive”. Do not use scented products such as candles, wax melts, and Glade plugins and ask meeting participants not to attend meeting while wearing strong fragrances such perfumes, colognes, and body lotions. 
  • Avoid using bright LED lights. If possible, use alternative softer lighting or lamps. 
  • To avoid over-stimulation, try to keep the space quiet with little background noise. 
  • Limit the amount of visual stimulation in the meeting space by keeping posters, banners, and photos to a minimum. 

 Miscellaneous 

  • Make meetings hybrid whenever possible to allow participants with varying access needs to attend. (Ask OID about Zoom remote accessibility and hybrid best practices) 
  • Provide participants with an agenda of the meeting prior to meeting. Ensure agenda is in an accessible format e.g., Word Doc, tagged PDF, etc. 
  • Adjust the temperature in the space so it’s comfortable for as many people as possible. 
  • Stick to scheduled start and end times as much as possible. 
  • If using visual aids such as presentation slides, make it easy-to read by using large bold text with high contrast. Audibly describe any images and ready any text on screen. 
  • Provide meeting participants with a 5–10-minute break during lengthier meetings. 
  • Provide ASL or other language interpretation whenever applicable.
  • Include content warnings for any potentially triggering content. 

If you need any additional support or resources, please contact the Office of Inclusive Design (asuwoid@uw.edu)