A room is accessible only if a person can get to it. Start where people start: at the accessible parking space, the paratransit drop-off and the nearest transit stop. Follow the route to the entrance. Is it step-free the whole way, including the curb, the threshold and any interior level change? Does the door open with light force or a button? Is the route signed? Inside, is there an accessible restroom on the same floor, and is the path to it clear? Can a person using a wheelchair or a walker reach a seat of their choosing, not just one spot by the door, and get to the front to speak? These questions cannot be answered from a photograph or a venue’s assurance. Walk them.
Then consider the room as a sensory environment. Fluorescent flicker, echo, a loud ventilation unit, strong smells from a kitchen, and a crowded layout make a room hard for many people, including people with brain injuries, autistic people, people with migraine and people with anxiety. A quiet room nearby, where a person can step out and still hear the session, is inexpensive and often decisive. Seating people can choose, including near the front for lip reading and near the door for leaving briefly, matters more than round tables.
Sound is the most common failure. A speaker who says “I will just project” is choosing to exclude hard-of-hearing people, people at the back, and everyone relying on captions or an interpreter who cannot hear the question. Use a microphone for every voice, pass it for every question, and repeat anything said without it. If the room has a hearing loop or assistive listening system, learn how it works before the day.
