Checklist for Disability Friendly Conference

Registration

• Website is accessibility-friendly

  • • Do a thorough analysis of the PyCon India 2019 site with Accessibility Checking tools such as AChecker with every major updates . (https://achecker.ca/checker/index.php)

• During registration, a textbox to specify their needs. We will accommodate requests on a best efforts basis.

• Allow for a caretaker to accompany them

• Information on limitations and the capabilities of the conference

Content

• Kindly ensure the accessibility of text in the promotional materials (like posters, brochures) that you circulate before the conference.

• Any pdf / ppt / word documents (soft copy) circulated to the participants shall follow the accessibility standards (atleast all images have alt text, proper section headings).

• The presence of blinking text can be avoided in the presentation / announcements. (Mostly they are not accessible).

Venue Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible main entrance, meeting rooms and lunch area

• Make sure that the wheelchair ramps are not blocked by any parked vehicles etc.

  • • Maybe no parking signs near the ramps?

• Wheelchair restrooms near meeting rooms

• Are doorways and important routes at least 32 inches wide?

• Podium is accessible on wheelchair.

• Empty spaces in front and back of meeting rooms for wheelchair users

• Rooms set aside for attendees to rest?

• Does the venue have Braille labeling, especially in elevators?

• Plenty of direction signage with optional distance information.

• The sign boards shall be designed with good contrast between background and foreground so that its visible clearly.

• Proper lighting in the pathways can make the navigation easier.

• Curb cuts to move from pavement to road

• Keep the pathways obstacle free

• Avoid spotlights, loud music, strobe lighting or strong smells in the presentation room or other conference/social areas

• Provide layout information and the session schedule in advance.

• Gather information on local emergency doctors, hospital facilities

Hotel Accessibility

• [] If we have registrations, we will recommend places of stay that are wheelchair accessible and have braille room numbers.

During Session/Conference

• Make lapel mic available for people with disabilities

• Keep a few chairs reserved in the front for people with visual and hearing disabilities

• The printed session schedule should also be available electronically, in large print, and if possible Braille (1 Braille copy is sufficient).

• In the audience with vision impairments, remind presenters that all slides, videos and visual demos will need to be described as part of the spoken presentation.

• volunteers to help with slide advancement

• If there is any video displayed, kindly ensure presence of Closed Captions. (CC).

• Test LiveTranscribe as an option for live subtitling. Failing which we will try to have Sign language interpreters for persons with hearing impairments.

• Try to provision/rent closed loop system that directly connect to the audio system.

Volunteers

• A dedicated contact number to call in case of any need or issue.

• Enough volunteers to help visually impaired attendees to read out signs

• Volunteers/Office Bearers should be sensitivised to the needs of the Physically Challenged and Neural Divergents.

• Collect the feedback from the participants with disabilities so that the best practices can be emulated in future events as well.