Improving Accessibility and Inclusion of Hybrid Events with People with Disabilities : removing barriers to enable participation
Ilola, Maj (2023)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023121437203
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023121437203
Tiivistelmä
There are inequities in the access to culture for people with dis/abilities. This is a problem because culture and arts are a human right, and they are proven to promote health and wellbeing, and in a broader scale even prevent societal issues like marginalisation and poverty. Due to the COVID-19-pandemic people, companies, and organisations were forced to take a big digital leap forward and start using digital meeting solutions. As a result, the culture and arts field also started to organise online events, which were also more accessible for some people than the predecessor.
In this empirical, mixed-methods study the focus was to research how the accessibility and inclusivity of hybrid events could be improved. This was done in a participatory way with a focus group consisting of people with different dis/abilities. The data was constructed through field notes from four focus group meetings, event planning documents, survey research conducted in the end of the event together with the event participants, and a textual description of a researcher-made-collage. Data analysis was done by qualitative content analysis and statistical data analysis.
The findings suggest that to improve the accessibility and inclusion of a hybrid event one needs to consider accessibility in all aspects of the physical and online parts of the event and use the principles of universal design to achieve it. To improve the inclusion of the event the participants should be made feel welcome and like a part of a community. Furthermore, to enable inclusion barriers for participation should be removed. For example, providing the opportunity for remote participation, free of charge or budget friendly event pricing, and the accessibility and inclusion of the event contents and language.
In this empirical, mixed-methods study the focus was to research how the accessibility and inclusivity of hybrid events could be improved. This was done in a participatory way with a focus group consisting of people with different dis/abilities. The data was constructed through field notes from four focus group meetings, event planning documents, survey research conducted in the end of the event together with the event participants, and a textual description of a researcher-made-collage. Data analysis was done by qualitative content analysis and statistical data analysis.
The findings suggest that to improve the accessibility and inclusion of a hybrid event one needs to consider accessibility in all aspects of the physical and online parts of the event and use the principles of universal design to achieve it. To improve the inclusion of the event the participants should be made feel welcome and like a part of a community. Furthermore, to enable inclusion barriers for participation should be removed. For example, providing the opportunity for remote participation, free of charge or budget friendly event pricing, and the accessibility and inclusion of the event contents and language.