Accessible Meeting Planning

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Accessible Meeting Planning

• OVW Training Technical Assistance Providers
  Meeting
• August 21, 2007

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Presenter Information

• Erin Volk
• Program Manager Event Planning Administration
• Accessing Safety Initiative
• Vera Institute of Justice
• Voice 646-457-8057
• Email evolk_at_vera.org
• AIM Erin at Vera

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Importance of Providing Access at OVW TA
Sponsored Meetings

• OVW has a commitment to providing highest level
  of access to all participants
• Legal requirement Title II of the ADA
  (Americans With Disabilities Act)
• Moral obligation It is the right thing to do
• Movement philosophy The inclusion of
  traditionally underserved populations

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Scenario Exercise

• On each table there is a scenario
• What steps would you take to address the problem
  outlined in your scenario?
• In your groups 8 minutes to discuss
• Assign a recorder and take notes on the
  flipcharts
• Report back

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Scenario 1- Last Minute Interpreter Request

• You are holding a meeting in a rural state. Two
  days before the meeting, you find out that two
  participants are Deaf and will need interpreters.
  When you review your OVW approved budget, you
  confirm that it does not include funding to cover
  the costs of contracting for interpreters.

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Scenario 2- Insufficient Number of Accessible
Rooms at Hotel

• You have to hold a meeting in a specific city.
  You have checked every decent hotel in the city,
  and none have enough accessible rooms. You will
  have to place some participants in an overflow
  hotel.

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Scenario 3-Inaccessible Accessible Rooms at
the Hotel

• When choosing your hotel, you called an asked if
  the hotel had accessible rooms. The hotel tells
  you that they have just finished a major
  renovation and they now have 10 accessible rooms.
  You need five of these rooms, which the hotel is
  happy to assign to you in your contract. When
  people begin arriving on the day before your
  meeting starts, you are informed by one
  participant who uses a wheelchair and one
  participant that is Deaf, that their "accessible"
  rooms are not accessible.

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Goals of Scenario Exercise Discussion

• Demonstrate real life accessibility challenges
• Damage control/crisis management model vs.
  pro-active approach to planning
• Emphasize on prevention

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Scenario 1-Pro-active Management

• Research the availability and quality of
  interpreters. Get referrals.
• Start building a relationship with recommended
  interpreter agencies.
• Place a tentative hold on a set of interpreters
  until you can complete your registration period.

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Scenario 1-cont.

• Include a line item for interpreters in your
  budget.
• If not budget not included, see if you can use
  discretionary funds from your organization.
• Have all your participants complete a
  registration form- two months prior to the event.
• Include questions that ask about the
  accommodations participants may need.

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Sample Registration QuestionInterpreting Needs

• American Sign Language (ASL)
• Cued Speech
• Oral/English Speaking
• Signed English
• Simulations Communication
• Other _____________________
• None

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Sample Registration QuestionAlternative Formats

• Braille
• Large Font
• Simple Language Program
• None of the above
• Other_______________________
• Please inform us of any additional
  accommodations you require for the meeting
  sessions. Be as specific as possible.

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Scenario 1-Follow-up/Follow through

• Run weekly reports from your registration
  database on accommodations
• Follow up with participants about all
  accommodation requests received.
• Follow up with participants about what
  arrangements have been made to meet request.

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Scenario 1-cont.

• Send Interpreters as much specific information on
  the as possible PRIOR to the meeting.
• Facilitate the introduction of the Deaf
  participants and Interpreters on site.

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Scenario 3-Proactive Management

• In Hotel RFP Process include an ADA
  questionnaire.
• Conduct an on-site accessibility audit of
  potential hotels that meet your accessibility
  needs.
• During site audit ask to see equipment included
  in their Deaf accessible kits.

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How can you tell if a room is really accessible?

• Several codes in ADAAG that specify ADA
  guestrooms.
• Furniture placement- 36 inch aisle ways/transfer
  room
• Lowered features (air controls, blow dryers,
  closets, light switches, peepholes, towel racks,
  ect.)
• Toilets should be 17-19 inches from floor to lip
  of seat
• Pipes should be covered under sink.
• Should have accessible transfer bars in tub and
  around toilet.

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Cont.

• Tub should have adjustable hand controls for the
  shower with a 60 inch hose.
• Preset tub bench (for ADA tub rooms)
• ADA roll in shower rooms should have affixed
  shower seat 17-19 inches from floor.
• Look for inconsistencies in installation from
  room to room.

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How can you tell rooms are accessible for Deaf
Guests?

• Deaf Rooms/ADA Rooms often combined.
• Make sure all TVs have closed caption option.
• Kits include flashing doorknocker, bed shaking
  alarm clock, TTY/TDD (install prior to check in)
• Make sure hotel staff is familiar with
  installation of Deaf kits as well as how to
  operate the equipment

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Anything wrong with this picture??
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Scenario 3-Follow-up/Follow through

• Conduct a walk-thru of the hotel the week of
  your event, PRIOR to guests checking in.
• Assess the spaces for accessibility and make note
  of changes to be made.
• Conduct a training for key hotel staff about
  accessibility.
• Include questions about the hotels accessibility
  in your participant evaluation.

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Scenario 2-Pro-active Management

• Assess your groups needs How many Deaf Rooms
  vs. ADA rooms will the group use.
• Send out the pre-site questionnaires and get the
  most accurate data on individual Hotels ADA
  Rooms.
• Identify 2-4 hotels within close proximity of
  each other to assess potential for overflow hotel

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Scenario 2-cont.

• Do site visits of all the hotels, even the
  overflow ones.
• Guarantee ADA rooms in hotel contract.
• Include a clause that prohibits from walking
  guests in your group who have requested ADA
  rooms.
• If overflow is too far from main hotel provide
  accessible transportation.

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Take-Away Points

• Achieving accessibility in a proactive way
  minimizes the amount of damage control on-site.
• Plan ahead for all accommodation requests.
• Follow up on all accommodation requests you
  receive- infuse customer serviced approach.
• Accessible meeting planning practices increases
  the experience of all participants.

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Resources

• Accessing Safety Initiative Website
• www.accessingsafety.org/
• US DOJ, Office of Civil Rights
• ADA Business Connection
• www.ada.org
• 800-514-0301