Accessibility At Corporate Events And Beyond
The Proscenium team is recently back from EMS where we were honored to speak at not one, but two panels! Proscenium's Chief Creative, Chuck Santoro, and T-Mobile’s Senior Manager of Events, Danielle Thompson, gave an informative talk on Impactful Employee Incentive Events.
Then, Chuck and Managing Partner Mark Shearon gave the closing keynote: Lessons From Broadway On Event Accessibility. They were joined onstage by Lead Producers of the Broadway musical How To Dance In Ohio, and the show’s explosive musical talent, Collin Hancock who closed out the panel with an emotionally riveting and unforgettable performance.
Proscenium was one of the Co-Producers of this groundbreaking show which featured a cast of young autistic performers, and broke barriers in accessibility. We are so proud of this musical which is inspiring conversations about what accessibility means, who it’s for, and how we (as event professionals) can make our events more inclusive for everyone.
According to the CDC, an estimated 5,437,988 (2.21%) adults in the United States have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The events industry has made great strides in accommodating physically disabled and hearing-impaired attendees, but neurodivergent audiences often do not feel comfortable in the overly-stimulating environments our events can create.
The good news is, making our events more accessible is easy and can have a big impact on a large segment of society. Some simple takeaways include:
- Ask open ended questions
- Offer a sensory kit
- Provide cooldown spaces
- Include detailed accessibility information
EMS continued the conversation, and we are keeping it going! We’re working with Ava X. Rigelhaupt, a How to Dance in Ohio Autistic Creative Consultant, to build a webinar about accessibility in events.
If you want to learn more about actionable steps you can take to make your event more inclusive, and get more info about our upcoming webinar with Ava, sign up for our mailing list.
Accessibility is at the core of Proscenium’s mission, and we are thrilled to be broadening awareness, continuing the dialogue, and helping to make ALL events more accessible and inclusive.
