inresponse to aglobal health epidemic，how agencies gather，collaborate，discuss，share，and learn has changed from largely in-person meetings and conference calls to virtual meetings where the audience participates remotely through voice and video from their homes.As federal employetures，meetings are expected to be ahybrid of in-person and remote participants，accessibility can and should be seamlessly integrated into your meeting
This guidance is intended to provide information on how you can make your next meeting accessible to attendees with disabilities in compliance with Section508 and other disability rights laws
目录，目录
未完成的用户审计
It’s important to plan meetings so that they are inclusive of people who have vision，hearing，mobility，cognitive and other disabilities.Some individuals are unable to distinguish colors and need charts and visualizations to include other ways to comprehend the graphical information.Others may use a screscen，ifier， or their computer’s keyboard instead of the mouse to access and navigate content.People who are deaf or hard of hearing may rely on speech to text translations-commonly through captioning-to understand speech and other meaningful sounds.Not all platforms support screen readers，keyboard accessibility（oped）ioning， which must be taken into consideration.Additionally，similar challenges must be addressed when meetings are held in-person。
欠负荷负荷accommodationS not the same asaccessibility：
- Accommodations are forindividualsand arereactive。
- 可访问性为功率，功率and is主动，主动。
- 可访问性表面生成content可操作的，可操作的单击功能区上，in equally effective ways，at the安全时间。
- Accessibility is the goal，accommodations are just tools to reach it。
Begin Planning和Considerations
With accessibility in mind，consider the following when planning your meeting：
- 数字文件：Going forward，most meetings will see one or more attendees joining virtually。
- 选择a venue/format:Determine if your meeting will be in-person，over the telephone，using a virtual meeting space，orahybrid of two or more methods.Keep in mind that different venues require different planning and accommodation solutions。
- Know your audience:Because no two disabled people experience their disability in exactly the same way，it’s important to know who the audience is andhow people with disabilities use the web.If possible，those in charge of handling the accommodations for the meeting should speak with the disabled person（s）in question to inquire what their specific limitations are and what can be done to best accommodate their needs。Be sure to ask for accommodation needs upfront in the registration process.Ask for specific needs for captioning，ASL interpreters，etc.You will always need to plan for other unexpected accommodations，but it is vital to have an estimate of the audience’s accessibility needs as part of your meeting planning。
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Interactive features：What communications tools and interactive features do you plan on using？
- Audioinformation commonly includes human speech，music，and sound effects
- Visualinformation would include video feed/profile image，screen sharing，documents，animations and videos
- 互联电源may include chat，polling，Q&A，whiteboards，and breakout rooms
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平台兼容性：Identify which of the features are accessible，and how you will accommodate equivalent access for attendees who are unable to access or use any features.Unfortunately，no virtual meeting platform is perfect.To select a platform to use for your meeting event:
- 检查with your agency/organization to identify which platforms you already have access to；and if you are co-hosting an inter-agency event，identify which platforms your partner agencies have access to
- Engage people with disability to test and evaluate those platforms with you
- 在weaknesses in your platform中，实施meeting management strategies to compensate
- Utilize other accessible services where possible to compensate for weaknesses in your platform（e.g.separate captioning streaming website，hand raising tool，polling/surveys）
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平台可用性：Due to mission，security and other considerations，not all agencies use or allow the use of virtual communications platforms on their network。
- Confirm that your attendees can access the platform selected for your meeting in some way（e.g。，desktop，tablet，mobile，web browser）。
- Confirm that the availability and accessibility of features is available for the platform selected。
- Platform features may vary depending on how attendees access your meeting.Typically，the client software（requiring download and install）is more feature rich than the web-based version of a communications platform。For example，automated captioning may be available on the client software version，but not available to those using the web-based version。
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单处理能力：when hosting individuals in-person，your guests may require building access，auxiliary aids，and other services，which you will need to address before the meeting takes place:
- Wheelchair access to the building entrance，meeting space，stages，lecterns，seating，tables，including registration，displays，food and beverage，and other services
- 服务animals，such as guide dogs，must be permitted to accompany the individual with a disability to all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go
- Ushers and guides who may provide oral or electronic descriptions/maps of meeting room layouts，emergency exit locations，and amenities prior to the beginning of the conference/presentation
- 高控制色和large print for materials，maps，books，signs，menus，forms，and displays
- Real-time captioning，translators，ASL and foreign language interpreters，and note takers
- Prefered seating for individuals making use of sign language interpretation.Take into account that the interpreter needs to be either next to the speaker/presenter or seated in a sight line to allow the deaf person to see the speaker/presenter beyond the interpreter
- Assistive Listening device availability for participants to improve the auditory reception of speech or sound information.These devices，which can be used alone or in conjunction with personal hearing aids，involve a microphone-transmitter unit，either worn by the speaker or placed close to the sound source and a receiver worby the
- Adjustable room lighting to increase the contrast-and thus the visibility-of audiovisual materials
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Accommodate Audience Needs
将用户分配给用户，并将用户分配给用户，并将用户分配给用户：
- 可访问文档：Presentation documents such as PowerPoint，Word，and PDF must be accessible and，whenever possible，distributed ahead of the meeting to allow attendees to pre-read or reference at their own pace during the meeting.For more information，visit可访问数字产品。
- 捕获：For attendees who are deaf or hard-of-hearing，conference materials that include an audio component should have a text version accompanying it（e.g.，open or closed captioning）.This includes all training and informational video and multimedia productions which suport the agency’s mission（seth and recordere）。
- 实时：Provide real-time，two-way captioning（e.g。，通信访问实时翻译（CART））to enable participants to interact and participate in the meeting via a professional captioner。
- 自动：Virtual platforms have increasingly integrated automated speech to text translation into their products.While these solutions may be serviceable for some，others may lack a human captioner’s ability to translate heavily accented speech，acronyms and jargon，as well as provide an indication of speaker change， grammar and punctuation.Be prepared to provide professional real-time，human-generated captions。
NOTE：Some virtual meeting platforms allow an untrained participant to type captions.This method is not recommended due to the difficulty in providing quality，synchronized translation。
- 签名语言接口（ASL）：Some deaf and hard-of-hearing participants may find it difficult to participate using captions（e.g。，lots of reading is tiring，quality of captions due to garbled speech，reading or comprehension disabilities）and may request a sign language interpreter.Conversely， be aware there may be individuals who are deaf/hard-of-hearing in attendance who prefer not to use sign language to communicate and thatthey may require real-time captioning services。
- 审计说明：Blind and low-vision users who are unable to see visual information will rely on oral or pre-recorded audio that describes the text，images，graphics，charts，animations and video that comprise the visual portion of the presentation。
- Other Communications Services：While captioning and ASL translation services are most commonly know，there are a number of other services that are available to individuals with disabilities such as Video Relay Service，Video Remote Interpreting，Captioned Telephone，and more.Additionally，print media may be made available in Braille and print。
- 冗余后台节点和Other Sounds：For virtual，in-person，orhybrid meetings，host must ensure that the meeting environment is free free from background noises and other sounds that may distract，discomfort，orpotentially harm participants.As attendees adjust their speaker volume，and use headphones or hearing aids to amplify sounds， speakers and participants should select onsite venues，and prepare virtual meeting space that are free of extraneous noises and sounds such as traffic and construction，desktop and device alerts and notifications，office equipment，and our pets and little ones。
- 维护灵活性：Allow for as many different types of connections as possible（e.g.internet-based audio，telephone audio，audio only，video only）assome users'interpretation services might only be available via voice/telephone or might be the best option to meet their particular needs。
- 模数和技术支持：Ensure that all participants have access to someone who can help them navigate the technical environment.Remember that not everyone uses，or is familiar with the platform being used for your meeting。
NOTE：When the participants are a group of individuals known personally by the organizer as not having any communication impairments，and when the meeting is not intended to be recorded or rebroadcast，accommodations services may not be required.Generally speaking，if you are not sure，ask。
后退，后退
Invitations，Registration&Agenda
Whether you are hosting a teleconference，virtual meeting，training or large conference，individuals are best able to participate when they can independently access the information，venues and tools being used for the meeting。
To avoid erecting barriers to independent access，make sure meeting invitations，registration and agendas include information from organizers to help them understand how to register and attend meetings.Pay particular attention to：
Invitations
- 说明：Creative and engaging titles should be grounded inplain language单击功能区上，with event purpose and description，costs，and seating limits clearly marked
- 日期和时间：列车运行时间和行车时间
- 位置说明：建筑和virtual/remote access availability should be detailed up front-including parking，metro，and other transportation information
- Duration of the event：开始和结束时间allow individuals to plan their day to participate-whether it’s to block out the appropriate amount of time，coordinate with colleagues or family，or secure access to accommodations
- How to register:Include a clear indication of the website link，email address，and/or telephone number people can use to accept your invitation or register for your meeting
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可访问性：Specify what accommodations will be made available to all participants，and information on how（and by when）individuals may request additional accommodation based on their needs。Enable online registration features that allowusers to indicate accommodation needed.For email-based invitations，it is recommended that an inquiry statement similar to the following be included:
“We strive to host inclusive，accessible events that enable all individuals to engage and participate fully.To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility，please contact[name，email，telephone].“
区域，区域
The tool invitees use to register should include the same information provided in your invitation，announcement and promotional materials.Some tools like email calendar invites are simple，whereas webinars and conferences may require people to visit a website and take extra steps to register。
- Forms：All users must be able to access the meeting information and online forms inorder to fully complete the registration process.（Note:The21 st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act（21 st Century IDEA）required the digitization of paper forms）
- 确认：Provide an indication of completion and successful registration.Email confirmations should contain a summary of the event details and other materials for easy reference。
Agenda
Depending on whether you are hosting a routine meeting or a large event，you may attach the agenda and other materials to the invitation，or send these details to only registered attendees.In either scenario，consider providing attendees with information on:
- Purpose:Topic，issues and objectives
- Speakers：列表of attendees and presenters；include speaker biographies for larger meetings，webinars and conferences
- 标题：Specific dates and times of how the meeting has been organized；including speakers，breaks，etc。
- How to Join：Provide detailed information on the ways attendees can participate in the meeting（e.g。，links to virtual platform，alternate telephone number）
- Accommodations：Include detailed information on how individuals can access available accommodations，（e.g.，Communication Access Realtime Translation（CART），ASL interpreters，assisted listening devices，alternate print formats）
- 匹配：Whenever possible，distribute electronic presentation documents and media to invitees and attendees in advance of the meeting
- 测试检查：Provide ways for participants to test platform access prior to meeting（e.g。，zoom test meeting），从外部隔离隔离
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预成形材料
Discuss with each presenter，prior to the meeting，in the planning phase，the importance and expectation of developing a presentation that will be accessible to all participants.Materials intended for electronic distribution（e.g.meeting platform，website，email）must meet Section508conformance criteria for the accessibility of the format in which the materials are available.The following links contain information on creating accessible content:
Be sure to distribute checklists for the formats that will be used by the presenter（s）and have someone on your team test the documents to ensure accessibility before distributing them to your audience in advance of the meeting。
Screen Sharing and Demonstrations
While virtual meeting platforms differ in the placement and types of controls available to users，most offer similar screen sharing features for both hosts and attendees。
- Screen sharing:By default，virtual meeting platforms only display the visual element（e.g。，document，browser，application，entire screen）selected by the person sharing their screen.Screen sharing is not accessible to persons with vision disabilities，so speak asif the meeting is being conducted via teleconference and verbally describe any visual content。
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Screen sharing with audio:Many of the virtual meeting platforms have included a feature that allows a presenter（who is sharing their computer’s screen）to also share the audio from their computer。This is helpful when the presenter is sharing a video。
- Presenters should mute their microphone while shared audio is playing to avoid causing an echo。
- Consider screen sizes：When sharing screens，keep in mind the various sizes of device screens which may be used by your attendees.Individuals using laptops or tablets may be unable to view the information when the shared screen is large or set to a high resolution。
- Avoid flashing：Some individuals are susceptible to seizures caused by flickering，blinking，orflashingeffects.Most web content is harmless to individuals with photosensitive epilepsy，and most animations，videos，and moving text do not present any danger.Presenters should make every effort to ensure that their content does not have flickering，blinking，or flashing effects。
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查找规划
Incorporate feedback and accommodation requests from your audience into existing plans，adjusting asneeded to ensure equivalent access，participation and comprehension。
| No。 |
Planning Item |
Examples |
| 1个 |
选择的optimal venue and communications platform to meet your guests needs，of those available to me |
区域，区域，区域，区域，区域，区域 |
| 2 |
安全support staff，technology and services necessary to accommodate your guests’needs |
Captioning，ASL interpreting，Braille，large print，assisted listening devices，ushers/guides，seating |
| 3 |
更新过程material，registration and agenda with any updates and additions to venue and communications platform accommodations |
电子束，captioning links，platform help files such as test meetings，keyboard controls documentation |
| 4个 |
验证that all electronic presentation materials conform with their applicable accessibility standards，and have been distributed to attendees |
Documents，audio/visual media，no flashing or blinking |
| 5 |
Conduct a dry-run or practice meeting and affirmed hosts，moderators and presenters understand how to：
- 访问和operate the controls and interactive features of the communications platform selected for use in the meetings
- 控制和管理交流系统实施，ASL interpreting，audio descriptions
- 支持的现场活动和amenities
|
- Login，audio and video，screen sharing，chat，polls/surveys，whiteboards，etc。
- 启用或turning on captions，pining the ASL interpreters camera，describing visual information
- 建筑access，seating，lighting，noise mitigation，assisted listening devices
|
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介质管理技术
Meeting hosts should be familiar with the controls，features and functionality for the platform being used for the meeting.Having a practical understanding of the platform controls mitigates technical interruptions that can wreak havoc on attendee attention and participation。
For Hosts and Presenters：
- Establish communication with support team
- 涡轮增压器，whenever possible，to enable lip reading
- Ensure proper microphone positioning，and enable noise reduction
- 预应力测量空间free of extraneous noises and sounds
- Wear high contrast clothing
- Ensure adequate lighting
- Welcome guests and establish（and enforce）meeting rules
- Inform attendees when meeting is being recorded，allowing sufficient time for individuals to turn offtheir camera and microphone，or disconnect from the meeting
- Ask that attendees ensure that their full name is displayed for reference
- Ask participants who join by telephone to identify themselves by their number
- Note:Captioners typically call in to meetings by telephone
- Ask whether all attendees have what they need for effective communication
- this also helps people who are participating by telephone/audio only
- 使用plain language，avoid jargon
- Ensure speech is clear and well paced
- Read the submitter name and question before answering
- Remind participants to identify themselves before they begin to speak
For Particcipants：
- Confirm access to meeting platform and features
- Familiarizeyourself with platform controls like volume，mute，and reduced noise
- Arrive on time-if not a little early
- 已完成的钢筋混凝土地基
- 不连续性和follow participation rules
- Remain muted when not speaking，and when speaking ensure that your meeting space is free of extraneous noises and sounds
- Participate using speech，chat，polls，Q&A，and“raise hand”
检查，检查
- Fine tune your audio
- 可使用的集热器possible
- 前围或下围（telephone or computer，not both）
- ute when not speaking
- Fine tune your video
- Frame your shot
- Consider an external webcam
- 内部测量，consider turning offyour video when not speaking
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现场记录
Many individuals and organizations record meetings and events，posting them online as on-demand training for others to watch.While this perfectly acceptable，understand that the accessibility standards for live video and pre-recorded video（technically referred to as同步介质）differ in that：
- 预应力预应力介质，and
- Audio descriptions are required for visual content
Visit可创建访问的同步介质内容for more information and tips for planning the production of synchronized media from live event recordings。
NOTE：If you plan on recording the meeting，let attendees know ahead of time and make an announcement prior to the start of the meeting。
后退，后退
背景和学习要求
All programs and activities funded by federal agencies must be accessible to persons with disabilities。
The Architectural Barriers Act（ABA），Sections501and504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973，as well as Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990（ADA）stipublic facilities must make reasonable modifications to avoid discrimination in their policies，practices and procedures， which includes ensuring that such facilities are physically accessible to people with disabilities.Section508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to provide employees who have disabilities access to electronic and information technology that is comparable to the access available to employees and members of upblicave disabilities.These laws mandate certain proactive steps required to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities who are visitors，guests，employees，or applicants for employment。
The meeting planner must work to ensure equivalent access to both the physical environment as well as access to the information which will be presented.Doing so will assure that any person with a disability–be they an invited speaker/presenter or an attendee–will have full and equal access to the facility and the proedings。
其他资源
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已修订/更新：July2023
