Accessible events, meetings and documents checklist

For HR, D&I, admin and event teams. The everyday choices that decide whether a person with disability can take part, from booking the room to sharing the slides.

One page to hand to whoever books your next event.

Download the checklist (PDF)

About a 5 minute read. Free, no sign-up.

Decided at booking, not on the day

As a wheelchair user, the first thing I check before any event isn't the agenda. It's whether I can get into the room, and whether there's a toilet I can use once I'm there. If the answer is no, the session could be brilliant and it wouldn't matter.

Most of this is decided weeks earlier, by whoever books the venue, writes the invite or makes the slides. None of it needs a big budget. It needs someone to ask the right questions at the right time. That's what this checklist is for.

What this doesn't cover: a full building or website accessibility audit needs a trained auditor. This list is about the everyday choices your team makes, which is where most people get left out.

The checklist

Tick what's already true. Whatever's left is your list for the next event or meeting.

1 Booking the venue There's a step-free route from the gate and parking to the room, by a gentle ramp with handrails or a working lift. There's an accessible toilet on the same floor, unlocked and not used as a store room. Accessible parking or a drop-off point is close to the entrance. The stage can be reached by ramp, in case a speaker or award winner uses a wheelchair.

2 Invites and registration The invite asks "Do you need anything to take part fully?" and names a person to tell. The registration form works with a screen reader and a keyboard alone. The agenda and venue access details (entrance, lift, toilet, parking) are shared in advance, with photos if you can.

3 On the day Wheelchair spaces are spread through the room, next to seats for companions, not only at the back. Everyone uses the mic, even in small rooms, and audience questions are repeated into it. A sign language interpreter or live captions are arranged when asked for, with seats that have a clear view. There's a break at least every 90 minutes, and a quiet room at larger events. Volunteers and security staff know where the lift, ramp and accessible toilet are.

4 Online meetings Live captions are switched on by default. Teams, Meet and Zoom all have them built in. Slides are sent before the meeting, so people can follow on their own screen or screen reader. Speakers say their name before talking and describe what's on screen ("this chart shows sales doubling since March"). Questions in the chat are read out loud before they're answered.

5 Slides and documents Text is large with strong contrast, and colour is never the only way meaning is shown. Images and charts have alt text that says what they show, not just "chart". Documents use real headings and are shared as Word files or proper PDFs, never as scanned images. Every video you share or play has captions.

6 Afterwards Recordings and slides go out with captions, in formats people can read. Attendees with disabilities are asked what worked and what didn't. At least one thing gets fixed before the next event.

On campus, also check Classes for a student who needs step-free access are timetabled in rooms they can reach, every term. Hostel rooms, labs, the library and the canteen can be reached and used. Exam papers are available in accessible formats, such as large print or screen reader friendly files. The learning platform and recorded lectures work with a screen reader and have captions.

The walk-through test

Before your next event, walk from the gate to the room as if you couldn't use stairs. Then find the nearest toilet you could use. Time it.

If it takes more than a few minutes, or ends at a locked door or a service lift that needs a key, fix that first. It's usually the single biggest barrier, and it's often a phone call to the facilities team.

A line you can copy into every invite

"We want everyone to be able to take part fully. If you need any support, such as captions, a sign language interpreter, step-free access or materials in advance, please let [name] know at [email] by [date]."

Part of the BELONG framework

Where does your organisation stand on disability inclusion?

Spaces, events and documents sit under L for Landscape: the physical and digital places where people work and study. The free self-assessment shows you where you stand across all six BELONG areas.

Take the self-assessment Book a free call