Widening the Welcome: Stephen Cutchins on Elevating Event Accessibility
Great Events
May 15
29 min 25 sec
Are your events and content truly accessible for all who’d like to participate?In honor of tomorrow’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we’re dedicating this episode of Great Events to just that - improving event accessibility. And we have just the expert to help us. Stephen Cutchins, Senior Manager of Accessibility at Cvent, has been working in accessibility for over twenty years. In this episode, he sits down with Host Felicia Asiedu to share his latest insights. They discuss how creating inclusive and accessible events can not only better serve a diverse audience but also significantly boost business revenues. We'll also explore the tangible steps and strategies organizers can implement for better inclusivity. Plus, Stephen shares about upcoming initiatives, including a groundbreaking “No Attendee Left Behind” webinar and the exciting launch of his book "The Big Book of Event Accessibility." So, whether you're a seasoned event planner or just starting out, this episode is packed with valuable information that will help you ensure no attendee is left behind. Here are a few key takeaways from Part 1:Companies that are more accessible make 60% more revenue than companies that are not inclusive of people with disabilities. That’s a remarkable return on the roughly 2% extra it costs to make your products more accessible.The first step to better accommodating event attendees with disabilities is to ask them what they need. Not sure what to say? Ask if they require ADA (American Disabilities Act) accommodations and, if they do, inquire about specific needs. While fantastic tools can help, a planner’s top priority should be ensuring that their software enables them to create accessible content.