The proliferation of event platforms and their respective technology has enabled event organizers to host truly diverse and inclusive events. Where physical boundaries and on-site governance were once an issue, today’s organizers can seamlessly host a global event which can be delivered instantaneously around the world. As organizers learn to quickly scale their virtual events, they also need to learn and take into consideration the accessibility of their virtual venue. With online audiences growing, there is a greater need for technology to be accessible to all.

When selecting an online platform, one must ensure that the virtual venue is an accessible place for all attendees, including those with disabilities. It is vital for event organizers to understand the capabilities that the platform has to offer and how it can tailor its offerings to accommodate a truly diverse audience.

Understanding Web Accessibility

Web accessibility looks at how websites, online tools, and technology, are designed and developed to accommodate to individuals with disabilities. More precisely, people should be able to: perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the web but also be able to contribute to their overall online experience.

In many cases, web accessibility also benefits individuals without any disabilities, such as:

• People using mobile phones or technology with smaller screens and different input methods

• Ageing people with changing disabilities

• Individuals with ‘temporary disabilities’ (injuries for example)

• Individuals facing ‘situational challenges’ (such as sunlight or in an area where they cannot listen to the audio)

• People experiencing connectivity issues with limited/expensive bandwidth

Web accessibility allows for all individuals, including those with disabilities, to consume web content with ease. However, how do you accommodate to everyone’s needs?

First, you need to ask!

While it is important to always provide the most accessible options for all attendees, it is also vital to know exactly what features and capabilities will need to be leveraged prior to the start of the event.

How? Simply ask!

During the registration process, you can edit registration attributes and ask your attendees if they need any accommodations for them to take part in the overall event experience. As an organizer, you can easily collect this information in the back end and work with your event technology supplier to make sure you are providing all the necessary help and accessibility options for these specific attendees. Furthermore, make it easy for your participants to interact with you and your team: pre, during, and post-event. You can do this by sharing your contact details and explaining to attendees how they can reach out to you if they seek help and support.

Finally, it is important to include any information about the accessibility options at your event within the FAQ section of your virtual platform. The more informed your audience is, the better the experience for everyone participating!

What accessibility features does Canapii have to offer?

In accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1), Canapii covers a wide range of the recommendations for making web content more accessible to everyone.

Check out the table below for more information on accessibility with Canapii tools and solutions.

Visual impairment

• Video transcription

• Labels and names for all interactive content

• Screen reader compatibility

• Non-text contrast (color images should have a minimum ratio of 3.1 between the background and foreground for colorblind users)

• Colored map (add a pie chart to On Console dashboard and Analytics page so that colorblind users don’t have to differentiate between different shades of green in the map)

• Skip to content button

• Pause/stop/hide buttons on moving graphics

Auditory impairment

• Audio transcription

Physical disabilities

• Content directly accessible by keyboard

• Keyboard shortcuts

• Pointer cancellations

• Motion actuation for the mobile app

Neurological disabilities

• Flashing/strobing effects to be removed

• Input elements remain the same

• Focus elements remain the same

While some accessibility features have already been developed by the team, many more are yet to come. If you do not see the feature you are looking for in the above list, please reach out to the Canapii team for more information at help@canapii.com.