When planning the venue of a meeting, it is essential that you ensure the conference room you booked is accessible to everyone, even people with disabilities. This will make sure that all the people attending the meeting feel comfortable. Handicap conference rooms are especially important when organizing a meeting where people with disabilities are involved. Here are some of the things that should be included when booking handicap conference rooms.
Consider people with mobility issues
You want to make every attendee comfortable, even those coming in on wheelchairs. Ensure there is a ramp where the wheelchair can pass unobstructed to get into the room. If the room is on the upper floors of the building, ensure there is an elevator access.
Also, ensure that the hallways and other pathways are barrier-free to allow free movement of the wheelchair. The isles and doorways also need to be wide enough to accommodate tilt-in space wheelchairs.
Consider attendees with hearing impairment
There may be people among your guests who have a hearing impairment and would need for the speakers to be loud enough for them to hear. When considering a conference room hire, it is important that you ensure the room is fitted with speakers loud enough for everyone to hear.
Remember that speaking loudly will only work for those with partial hearing impairment, hence, for those who are deaf, you will need to have a sign interpreter to allow the deaf to follow the proceedings of the meeting.
Make sure to repeat questions asked by the attendees before you answer them. Repeating the question ensures that you understand it and that other participants are looped in.
Take care of the visually impaired attendees
Visual aids like PowerPoint presentations are vital when presenting so your audience can keep up with the topics. Ensure that the font is large enough for those seated at the back and those with visual disabilities. If you have any other printed material made for the attendees, ensure that it is in large fonts for the attendees to easily read them.
You may also consider using braille for the sake of the visually impaired. Having them read on their own gives them a sense of independence and allows them to feel like they are part of the meeting.
For those who cannot view screens on your PowerPoint presentation, ensure that they have the printed version of the information to ensure that they follow every step of the meeting. You can also ensure that you verbally describe every detail on the charts to ensure those who cannot view them are not left behind.
Physically challenged people can live and go about their day-to-day business just like the rest of us. This is only possible when we offer them accessibility to buildings and everything else they need. When holding meetings, ensure that the conference room you hire is accessible to persons with disabilities. Venuefinder can get you the accessible conference room you need.
