Last updated: 2 December 2025
Top tips for running in-person and hybrid events
For more free guidance, see our resource with top tips on running inclusive online events.
- Choose an accessible venue. Know what your accessibility requirements are for a venue before you begin looking. Work with the venue to make any necessary changes to the space to make it more accessible. You can use our premises accessibility checklist as a starting point for assessing a venue’s accessibility.
- Communicate with your attendees. Ask them if they need adjustments before the event and on the day. Share as much information about the event as you can in advance. Ask if they need help evacuating in an emergency.
- Provide captions and/or sign language interpretation. Many of your disabled attendees will not be able to access your event content without captions and/or sign language interpretation. Plan in advance to provide the services your audience needs and integrate them as seamlessly as possible into your event.
- Make anticipatory adjustments. These are changes to the event to remove barriers that you can make proactively, without someone asking. This means looking at all aspects of your event to identify potential barriers, and taking steps to reduce or remove them wherever possible. This means you will be asked to make fewer adjustments that you haven’t planned for, and you will have built accessibility into the core of the event.
- Work with your suppliers and external partners. Ensure that anything provided by external partners meets your disability inclusion requirements. If external staff are involved, find out whether they have received training on disability inclusion and will be able to welcome and support your disabled attendees where required.
- Structure your event. Plan timings to avoid rush hour or times when people may have caring responsibilities. Build plenty of breaks into the agenda, with enough time for everyone to get a drink and/or use the toilet. Avoid excessively long events, which may be too tiring for some disabled guests.
- Plan for emergencies. At in-person events, you need to ensure that all your guests can evacuate safely. Some disabled people may need personal emergency evacuation plans – so ensure that your guests know how to ask for one if they need one.
- Work with your speakers. Ensure that they know how to present in an inclusive way, such as using inclusive language and avoiding inaccessible presentations and other media.
- Ask for feedback. After the event, ask your guests if they had any difficulties around accessibility or disability inclusion. Use this feedback to improve your future events.
Videos about inclusive events
We have a selection of free videos interviews and guidance on how to create inclusive events.
Designing inclusive events
This video explains some of the key things to consider for an inclusive event, including location and venue, screens and captions, sign language interpreters, catering and dietary requirements, and accessible registration.
Anna Gellert – EBRD
In this video, Anna Gellert, Associate Director for Annual Meetings, Protocol and Event Management at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) discusses what inclusive events mean for them.
Things that make events more inclusive
In this video, an event attendee explains what makes an event more inclusive for them, such as signage and sharing accessibility information.
Creating inclusive events
Paul Smyth MBE, Director of Digital Accessibility for Barclays Bank discusses his view of what event accessibility means.
Creating accessible events
Matthew Johnston, Global Program Manager for Disability Inclusion at Thoughtworks, outlines how event organisers can make the experience more accessible to him.
Captioning your events
Matthew Johnston, Global Program Manager for Disability Inclusion at Thoughtworks, talks about the pros and cons of using AI captions compared with human captioners at events.
Top tips for creating accessible events
Georgina Whitehead, Events Manager at Business Disability Forum, shares her own top tips for creating accessible and inclusive events.
If you require this content in a different format, contact enquiries@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk.
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