Yale is committed to creating an environment that is inclusive to all people with disabilities, inside and outside of the classroom. University-sponsored events (on- or off-campus, in-person, or virtual) are subject to the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as Amended, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Event organizers have a responsibility to ensure an event's accessibility for participants or attendees with disabilities.
Visit Yale's Student Accessibility Services Office for information on how to facilitate individual accommodations for students with disabilities.
Review Yale's Guidelines for Accessible Events resource page for an extensive accessibility checklist throughout the event planning process.
Venue
Event planners are responsible for ensuring events are accessible.
Ensure that the physical space is accessible to all attendees. Consider: stairs, ramps, aisles, stages, location and height of tables and desks, placement of chairs, and placement of microphones.
Prior to the event, event participants should be able to: obtain directions; be informed about accessible parking, entrances, and restrooms; and request accessibility accommodations.
Avoid the use of strobe lights, unnecessary/unusually loud sounds, and exceptionally strong scents.
Marketing Events
Event publicity should include the following statement: If you or an event attendee requires disability-related accommodations, please contact [Event organizer or OSA or Student Accessibility Services] in advance of the event.
Transportation & Parking
Organizers should provide guidance to event participants regarding parking options, including designated disability parking spaces.
Organizers with events in multiple locations should consider how participants will move between buildings or to different locations on campus and the accessibility of the routes. Campus shuttles run throughout the year and can help to move attendees from downtown hotels to YLS buildings.
Yale Transportation provides shuttle and Accessible Transit Van services to the Yale community within the geographic area of the university. If the event includes students that require Accessible Transit, please contact Student Accessibility Services (sas@yale.edu) to assist with coordinating services.
Additionally, if the event includes faculty, staff, or visitors, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity & Accessibility (OIEA) at equity@yale.edu to assist with coordinating services.
Consider live-streaming your event so there is less of a need to travel.
Accessible Content
Captioning your media makes it more universally accessible. Provide participants with electronic versions of handouts in advance when possible.
You can access trainings, best practices, and other resources through Yale's Usability and Web Accessibility webpage. Explore ways to make multimedia and documents accessible. If you have any questions, email ux@yale.edu (link sends e-mail) for usability concerns, or accessibility@yale.edu (link sends e-mail) for accessibility concerns.
