Next month, my husband and I are planning to visit the Oregon coast for a long weekend. Hooray! But also a little bit ugh because I offered to book the hotel.
Why is this difficult?
Unless it’s part of a large corporate entity, finding clear information about accessibility features on a hotel website is hit-or-miss. To fill in the gaps, I scrutinize photos on the hotel’s website as well as guest photos on travel sites like Trip Advisor. Sometimes I check tagged photos on social media.
I read as many reviews as I can manage, looking for any mentions of stairs, non-functioning elevators, the words “steep” or “uneven” - anything that gives me a hint about whether I can manage with my crutches.
Spoiler alert: after hours of research I found a lot of beautiful but not-very-accessible hotels.
Discouraged, I tried one more time.
And finally! I discovered a lovely hotel that is also accessible! Expensive, but accessible. How do I know it’s accessible? Because they provided the information I needed to decide for myself. How great is that?
I was grateful they took the time to lighten the burden for people with disabilities. All of us can do the same in our spaces. We can start with a simple accommodation statement.
What it is + why it matters
An accommodation statement is a few sentences that provide information on how an individual can request accommodations.
They can be found in places as varied as marketing materials for events, college syllabi, job applications, employee handbooks, conference registration forms, venue websites, and meeting invitations. You can include one anywhere that people need to access a space, even your book club!
An accommodation statement accomplishes three goals.
First, it communicates your values. It tells people with disabilities or neurodivergence that their participation matters to you.
Second, it provides practical information. It explains the process to request accommodations for spaces or materials that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Third, it reminds all of us that some people still experience barriers unless they go to the effort of specifically requesting to be included.
Inclusion takes time, effort, and awareness. Accommodation statements matter because they help bridge the gap between our inclusive values and the practicalities of our current spaces and knowledge. It’s an acknowledgement of existing inequality while also being an opportunity to make things better.
What to include - the basics
Although it’s optional, starting with a sentence that shares your intentions or values is a good way to set the tone.
Example: “We are committed to making our [events / programs / meetings / etc] accessible to everyone.”
The most important information to include is practical: a contact person’s name, their contact information, and by when the request should be made. When possible, name a specific person as the contact and include more than one communication method to accommodate different disabilities.
Example: “To request accommodations, please contact [name] at [email] or [alternate contact method] at least [x] business days before the event.”
You may include a statement clarifying that requests submitted after the deadline will be honored if possible but are not guaranteed.
Putting it all together, an accommodation statement might read:
“We are committed to making our events accessible to everyone. To request accommodations, please contact [name] at [email] or [phone] at least 5 business days before the event. Requests submitted after the deadline will be honored whenever possible.”
What to include - optional details
If you have capacity to do more, it’s helpful to include some of your current inclusive actions. It’s okay to start with just a few. You can share them in a bulleted list of general accessibility features or in a sentence.
Example: “To accommodate specific dietary needs, we label all foods with their allergens and designate one allergy-free dining table.”
Example: “For greater accessibility in Zoom meetings, we use captions, live transcription, and the raise hand feature. We also read the chat aloud.”
Example: “Additional accessibility services: move or remove furniture to create more open space, provide refrigeration for medications, and relocate equipment in the room to a more accessible position.” (from the Oregon hotel’s website).
Example: “There are three accessible parking spots in the lot on the building’s north side. There is one accessible, all-gender bathroom 50 feet from the entrance. It has an automatic door and an adult changing station.”
Listing even a few actions shows you are already working to make your space more inclusive. It also helps us decide whether we even need to request accommodations. Perhaps your space already meets our needs. That saves time for you and stressful effort for us!
Does the wording have to be formal?
There are many different ways to word your accommodation statement, as long as you keep your tone positive and respectful. Beyond that, feel free to tailor it to your own voice or context. The accommodation statement for your neighborhood block party will be different from what appears on the invitation to a corporate fundraising gala.
I do recommend that you avoid using the term “special needs” because many people in disability communities find it offensive and ableist.
Our needs aren’t “special.”
We have the same fundamental needs as nondisabled people. We want to attend events, read, learn, work, eat, sleep, and communicate - like everyone else. If anything, it’s the barriers that are “special,” not our needs.
What if I don’t know much about accommodations?
It’s okay to not have all the answers. The goal is to have an open, honest, respectful conversation with the person requesting accommodations.
An inclusive mindset is more helpful (and achievable) than encyclopedic knowledge.
After all, bodies and minds are unique; two people with ADHD might need different accommodations. And don’t worry - we’re used to explaining what we need and offering suggestions. Approach any accommodation request as the beginning of a conversation.
One of my favorite “getting started” accommodation statements from a business I helped reads “This is a space for everyone. If you need accommodations to participate, just contact [name] at [email address] 7 days ahead of time and we'll figure it out together.”
What if I can’t accommodate the request?
This might happen. Every time I offer a workshop I worry that someone will request an accommodation that I’ve never provided before or don’t think I can meet.
Despite my worries, I’d rather offer and have the conversation. What’s the best that could happen?
Recently I saw someone on social media asking for advice on finding affordable sign language interpreters for a free community event. Understandably, the economics of that were challenging.
Thankfully, most accommodations are free or relatively inexpensive. Even better, many accommodations can become integrated into your general accessibility features.
The first time someone asked me to enable live transcription on Zoom, I spent about an hour learning and testing it with a friend. Now live transcription is my default, making my spaces more accessible for anyone who might need it.
What if the accommodation inconveniences nondisabled or neurotypical people?
This one is about values and expectations.
In terms of values, how much is inclusion worth to you? Just like each of us has to decide how much money or effort is “worth it” to improve accessibility, we get to decide our tolerance for potential pushback if our inclusive actions make a space less ideal for nondisabled and neurotypical people.
Yes, they are the majority in our spaces and as such, they are used to having environments that prioritize their needs. However, we know that our spaces currently exclude some disabled and neurodivergent people. That’s our status quo.
What is it worth to us to change that?
I manage potential pushback by addressing accessibility directly. Many people want to be more inclusive, even though they don’t always know what that looks like. But if they understand why something is different than the “norm” or less optimal for their needs, they are more likely to accept it.
For example, when I host larger Zoom meetings with new people I often say, “if you’re wondering why I’m reading the chat aloud, it’s to provide greater accessibility for people who are blind or have low vision or for people who do better keeping their focus in one place.”
Not once has someone complained. The optimist in me also hopes that they will carry that inclusive practice into their own spaces. When we know better, we can do better.
Wrapping up
Creating accommodation statements that are appropriate for specific spaces is one of the ways I help professionals and businesses looking for individualized guidance on inclusion.
To learn more about how my consulting services might help you, check out my offerings. I would love to support your efforts.
P.S. Transparency matters. I did not use generative AI for any part of this post, from initial idea to final product.