A Practical Accessibility Checklist for Our Community Events

Disability inclusion is often discussed in abstract terms. In practice, it comes down to a short, specific set of planning questions we now ask before every event, whether a health outreach day, a mentorship session, or a community baraza, rather than treating accessibility as an afterthought raised only when a problem surfaces.

Why We Built an Actual Checklist

Good intentions alone weren't enough. We found that unless accessibility questions were asked deliberately, at a specific point in planning, they tended to be forgotten in the rush of organising a venue, volunteers, and turnout. A short, written checklist forces the question to be asked every time, regardless of how busy the planning process gets.

What's Actually on the Checklist

Is the venue physically accessible, with step-free access wherever possible, checked in advance rather than assumed. Is printed material available in larger, clearer print, or read aloud for anyone who needs that. Is seating available and clearly signposted for anyone who can't stand for extended periods. Have we asked attendees directly what would make the event easier for them to attend, rather than guessing on their behalf.

Why Asking Directly Matters More Than Any Standard List

Disability covers an enormous range of different needs, and an accommodation that helps one attendee may be irrelevant, or occasionally counterproductive, for another. Asking directly has repeatedly surfaced needs we wouldn't have anticipated on our own, and signals to attendees that their specific circumstances are actually being considered.

What This Has Actually Cost Us

Larger print handouts cost marginally more to produce. Checking a venue's accessibility in advance costs a phone call and, occasionally, choosing a slightly less convenient location. The financial cost of taking this seriously has been genuinely modest, far smaller than the cost of a participant being unable to meaningfully attend an event we claimed was open to everyone.

Where We're Still Learning

We don't claim to have this fully figured out. We've adjusted our checklist more than once already based on specific events where something was missed, and we expect to keep adjusting as we encounter needs we haven't yet anticipated.

How This Connects to Our Wider Commitment

Our Constitution names persons with disability specifically among the groups we exist to serve, and we think that commitment is only real if it shows up in these small, practical planning choices, not just as a line in a founding document.

Why We're Sharing This Checklist Publicly

We're publishing the checklist itself, not just describing it in general terms, because we think other small community organisations might find it a useful, low-cost starting point, and because writing it down publicly holds us more accountable to actually using it every time.

A Specific Example of the Checklist in Action

At a recent mentorship session, a volunteer running through the checklist realised the planned venue had a single step at the entrance that hadn't registered as a barrier during a casual walkthrough. Moving the session to a step-free room down the hall took five minutes to arrange once flagged, but would likely have gone unnoticed without the checklist prompting the question at all.

Training Volunteers to Use It Without Prompting

We're working on making the checklist a habit volunteers apply without needing a coordinator to remind them each time. This means walking new volunteers through real examples, like the step at the entrance, rather than simply handing them a written list and assuming the reasoning behind each item will be obvious.

What Other Small Organisations Have Asked Us

A couple of other small community groups have asked how we built this checklist, assuming it required specialist consultation. It didn't. It came mostly from paying attention after a few early events where something was missed, and writing down what we wished we'd asked beforehand.

Why We'll Keep Revising This List

We expect this checklist to keep changing. Each new event type we try, a larger gathering, an outdoor venue, a session for a different age group, tends to surface a question the current list doesn't cover, and we'd rather keep adding to it honestly than pretend it's finished.