At I-ACT, we are committed to working with our partners in mainstreaming Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in our work. Promoting inclusivity and accessibility in events is just one aspect, and we know it isn’t an easy undertaking.
Together with our community of inclusivity champions in the human rights sector, we are continuously learning ways to make sure our attendees feel safe and included in our events. Here are some quick, practical steps as a starting point!
- Give ample time for RSVPs. If possible, send out invites at least one month before the event so that the organizer and attendees have enough time to prepare. This will be helpful as well for primary caregivers so that they can make arrangements for their children or other family members in their households.
- Encourage voicing of needs and plan ahead. In your invites, and updates leading to the event, circulate and ensure all attendees fill out a pre-event assessment form. Give them ample opportunity to flag their accessibility needs, dietary restrictions, requested assistance, and care work requirements.
- Find safe, accessible, and inclusive physical spaces. Give priority to venues that are registered and compliant with policies protecting women, children, persons with disability, and the environment.
- Use inclusive language and visual representations in all program materials. Avoid reinforcing stereotypes and stigmas in words and graphics. Be mindful of language tools and techniques used to discuss sensitive topics (e.g., mental health, substance abuse) and make the use of trigger warnings a habit.
- Serve inclusive food. Accommodate diverse and special diets and properly label dishes (e.g., halal, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free). Provide the exact number of meals with little buffer room to avoid food waste.
Find these tips helpful? Download the full checklist below!
Did we miss anything? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to send us suggestions to improve our GEDSI checklist at humanrightsph@asiafoundation.org.
