Making Plans for the Disabled
So the event you have been so proud of planning is over and seemed like a huge success. Congratulations! You send your client a bottle of fine wine, reward your helpers, and start talking about the next year’s conference. A week later your client calls you in a panic–that successful meeting did not have a closed caption screen or sign language translator and her company is being sued.
“Well,” you stammer, “I didn’t know. Nobody told me.” The truth of the matter is, you didn’t ask. You’re a planner, and planners…well…plan. One of the ways you need to be prepared to do this is by familiarizing yourself with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Lots of people think of wheelchairs and walking sticks for the blind. However, disabilities go well beyond these two prevalent forms and the ADA covers a plethora of them. There are, according to the ADA, has two disability lists: one is the conspicuous impairment and the other is non-visible.
While some disabilities are very clear visually, you may have a participant with dietary restrictions. He may end up not being able to eat anything at a lavish meal simply because you didn’t ask the right questions. Or worse, he could be harmed because he ate anyway without knowing some of the invisible ingredients.
As with anything else in your career, education is key. While the disabled or impaired make up a small percentage of your participants, you will be remembered favorably for having been thorough enough to include a request for detailed information from that minority of attendees. You will also help keep your clients from getting sued. “Who knew” is no longer an excuse.
