Accessibility for spaces

Lit, Theory and More Info

The following is a copy and paste that we found somewhere and did not document well so we cannot attribute but the information is useful so we are including it here.


What is Disability Justice?

Ok, so what can I do to make my events more accessible to people with various disabilities?

  •     Start doing research!

Some basics:

Fragrance Free Spaces: people with chemical injuries/sensitivities/asthma can become severely ill if people smoke or wear scented/perfumed products to your event (more likely, they will just stay home)

What if I do most of my organizing/work online?

  • Also, consider including trigger warnings for topics that could be deeply unsettling to people who have experienced various kinds of trauma (sexual assuault, domestic violence, child sexual abuse; trauma related to: war, racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, audism, etc.)

And a couple more things for the road:

  • “But why are they so upset/angry?” Be patient, be sensitive. People with disabilities have been systematically excluded from so many social spaces (not to mention being imprisoned, killed, selectively aborted, institutionalized, involuntarily sterilized, mocked, denied basic rights, abused and sexually assaulted at high rates, denied education,and fired from jobs, etc.) for a very long time. If people with disabilities you work or consult with sometimes seem frustrated when you don’t prioritize making your event accessible, try and remember there’s a long history of discrimination and oppression at play (which has also shaped your assumption that it’s ok/understandable not to spend the energy/resources needed to fully include and value people with disabilities.)
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