From the ground up we wanted to organise a conference that placed accessibility at the fore front. We are fortunate for our conference to be held in The Spine Building a state-of-the-art facility with several technological adaptations that can enable us to facilitate this accessibility.
Registration will be available several hours in advance of the conference opening enabling a staggered, swift onboarding process removing the crowd.
Signage throughout the building will be displayed with built in QR Codes, enabling you to scan the program straight to your device, with large print and bold text available.
The building is equipped with a full hearing loop, where sound throughout the conference spaces can be heard through your mobile device, enabling those who are hard of hearing or may find the conference rooms too busy.
Additionally, to reduce possible Sensory overload we will stream several of the conference talks in real time to smaller breakout spaces, these spaces can be fully customised to assist neurodiverse attendees. With blackout blinds, cooler temperatures and dimmable lights.
The refreshments provided will be available from a separate service counter in a smaller area, to assist any neurodiverse attendee who may wish to eat in a calmer environment.
A variety of breakout rooms will be available also for those who wish to reduce the stimuli and relax in a quieter environment.
Finally, we will have a selection of digital posters, enabling people who may find public speaking difficult to express their findings in a manner that can be accessible.
Thanks to Alistair Barfield, Information and Advice Officer, The Brain Charity for advice about accessibility and inclusion matters.