Rethinking Event Inclusion

Each July, Disability Pride Month invites us to reflect not only on how we recognise people with disabilities but also on how we meaningfully include them in our lives, work, and events.

In the business events industry, "accessibility" is often reduced to physical infrastructure: ramps, elevators, and wheelchair-friendly bathrooms. While these are non-negotiable, true inclusion goes far beyond compliance. It demands cultural awareness, intentional design, and the centring of lived experiences from the very beginning.

Inclusion is a process, not a checklist. Here's how the events industry can move from surface-level accessibility to genuine disability inclusion, with inspiration from the organisations that are leading the way.

Start with Voices, Not Assumptions

Accessibility is not a monolith. Needs vary, from physical and sensory access to cognitive, neurodivergent, and mental health considerations. Yet, too often, event decisions are made without the right people at the table.

The Harkin International Disability Employment Summit, held in 2022 at ICC Belfast, set a new benchmark by centring over 100 speakers with lived experience. This was genuine co-creation. Attendees, speakers, and local organisations all contributed to shaping the content, addressing access needs, and achieving legacy outcomes.

👥 Action Tip: Invite lived experience consultants, speakers, and participants to co-create your events and compensate them for their expertise.

Bake Inclusion into the Design from the Start

Don't retrofit accessibility; design it from the start.

At TechShare Pro, Europe's most extensive accessibility and inclusive design conference, Inclusion is the foundation. Live captioning, audio description, screen-reader-friendly content, and intentionally diverse panels ensure all participants feel not just welcome but seen and heard.

The Harkin Summit in Belfast also stood out:

• ICC Belfast installed a Changing Places restroom for people with complex needs.

• A social narrative video helped participants navigate the venue in advance.

• The hybrid platform offered CART captioning, screen reader support, and alternative formats.

🛠️ Tool tip: Platforms like Access Rider templates, JAM Card training, and social narrative videos are powerful tools when implemented with care.

Make Everyone Part of the Inclusion Effort

A truly inclusive event is only as strong as the people running it.

At the Harkin Summit, over 80% of ICC Belfast's staff received JAM Card and autism training, allowing them to support attendees respectfully and discreetly. The training extended to hospitality and security teams, not just front-facing staff, ensuring consistency and dignity at every touchpoint.

💡 Best practice: Train everyone—not just AV techs or event managers. Every role shapes the participant experience.

The BBC's Events Accessibility Guidelines echo this: inclusive events require entire ecosystems, staff, suppliers, and stakeholders all working from a shared values base, not just a set of rules.

Design for Neurodivergence and Sensory Access

Inclusion isn't always visible. At the Neurodiversity in Business Summit, small, thoughtful design choices, such as quiet zones, colour-coded communication badges, and "no-surprise" agendas, enabled neurodivergent attendees to engage on their terms.

In Scotland, the EICC, in collaboration with ABPCO and neurodiversity consultant Welcome Brain, launched a free-to-use Neurodiversity Events Toolkit in 2024. The guide offers practical recommendations on a range of topics, including sensory-friendly design and lighting, agenda structuring, and communication preferences. It's a brilliant example of how venues and organisers can collaborate to lead the industry forward.

📚 Read the toolkit →

🎧 Simple wins:

• Offer noise-cancelling headphones.

• Label high-stimulation zones.

• Share agendas and venue maps in advance to ensure a smooth event.

  
  

Recognise Hybrid as Essential, Not Optional

For many disabled people, hybrid participation is a necessity.

At SXSW, a long-standing commitment to hybrid options, detailed accessibility guides, ASL interpreters, and shuttle services ensures that participation isn't limited by mobility or geography. They also regularly update their offerings based on feedback, proving that Inclusion is a living, evolving process.

Build Legacy, Not Just Events

What happens after the closing keynote matters just as much as what happens on stage.

The Harkin Summit left a profound legacy in Belfast:

• 300 ring-fenced jobs for young disabled people

• 100 on-site mentoring sessions

• An entrepreneurship course and Dragons' Den-style pitch session for disabled-led businesses

  
  

This commitment helped Belfast win the Best Equality, Diversity & Inclusion award at the ABPCO Excellence Awards 2022. And more importantly, it created real opportunities.

🎯 Legacy tip: Design inclusion outcomes that outlast your event.

Who's Getting It Right? A Snapshot of Inclusive Events

Harkins Summit 2022, Belfast

Harkin Summit (Belfast, 2022) Changing Places toilet, staff training, hybrid platform, legacy jobs/mentoring.

TechShare Pro (UK): Audio descriptions, live captions, inclusive UX, and diverse speakers.

Neurodiversity in Business Summit (UK) Sensory zones, badge preferences, advance agendas.

EICC / ABPCO / Welcome Brain: Neurodiversity Events Toolkit, offering scalable design guidance.

SXSW (USA): ASL, accessibility team, public guides, shuttle transport, and quiet spaces.

BBC Accessibility Guidelines: Staff Toolkits, Supplier Accountability, and Inclusive Documentation.

Final Thoughts: From Compliance to Belonging

Accessibility is the bare minimum. True Inclusion is about creating spaces of dignity, trust, and belonging where people with disabilities are not just accommodated but celebrated as co-creators, leaders, and change-makers.

As we honour Disability Pride Month, the question isn't "Are we compliant?" It's:

"Are we building events that reflect the richness and diversity of the world we live in?"