Striving to remove barriers that prevent us from building Vibrant, Diverse, Inclusive, Accessible Communities!
This guide is a planning reference for Bahá’í gatherings that People with Disabilities can attend and take part in fully. It brings together two kinds of guidance: the Bahá’í Writings and the messages of the Universal House of Justice, and official disability guidance from the ADA National Network, the U.S. Access Board, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, and Cornell University. Sources are linked throughout, so you can read the original guidance for yourself.
Devotionals, study circles, children’s classes, Feasts, Holy Day celebrations, conferences, and online meetings are all gatherings. Whatever its size, each one is a chance to remove barriers so that each person can take part fully. Use the headings below to go straight to the stage of planning you are working on.
Guiding Principles
These passages from the Bahá’í Writings and the guidance of the Universal House of Justice, together with the standard set under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), shape each step in this guide.
“Every meeting which is organized for the purpose of unity and concord will be conducive to changing strangers into friends, enemies into associates, and Abdul-Baha will be present in his heart and soul with that meeting.”
“The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.”
“Access to knowledge is the right of every human being, and participation in its generation, application and diffusion a responsibility that all must shoulder in the great enterprise of building a prosperous world civilization—each individual according to his or her talents and abilities. Justice demands universal participation.”
-The Universal House of Justice, Riḍván 2010 – To the Bahá’ís of the World
The ADA National Network states the standard for events plainly: People with Disabilities “must be able to obtain or enjoy the same goods, activities, services, and benefits that are available to other members of the public.”
The stories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s travels and encounters offer examples of the care He showed to people from historically marginalized groups, including People with Disabilities.
Why Planning Ahead Matters
According to the CDC, more than 1 in 4 U.S. adults have some type of disability. Some of the friends at our gatherings may have disabilities we are not aware of. The ADA National Network notes that many People with Disabilities assume an event will not be accessible, which is why it recommends including access information in all publicity. If few People with Disabilities come to our gatherings, that is worth reflecting on together.
It is not a person’s disability that keeps them from taking part. It is whether the gathering has been planned for access. A venue reached only by stairs leaves wheelchair users out. Printed handouts, unlabeled online forms, slides that are not described aloud, videos without captions or audio description, and strong fragrances can leave people out in the same way. The ADA National Network advises planning for accessibility from the beginning, because access added after key decisions, such as choosing a site, can cost more and work less well.
Our shared work is to remove the barriers that keep us from building vibrant communities. The Universal House of Justice describes “the establishment of just relationships among individuals, communities, and institutions of society that will uplift all and will not designate anyone as ‘other’.” (The Universal House of Justice, 22 July 2020 – To the Bahá’ís of the United States; see also our page on this letter.)
The steps below follow the order in which most gatherings are planned. Not every gathering calls for every item, and it helps to be ready to provide any of them when someone asks.
Step 1: The Invitation
- Use an accessible format. Printed invitations are not accessible to many Blind and Low Vision people. Sending invitations by email or posting them online lets people read them with the tools they use. Follow the international accessibility standards for electronic documents, and give each image meaningful ALT text, including images in PDF files.
- Include transit directions along with driving directions. Many People with Disabilities, older adults, youth, and people without cars travel by public transit. Name the nearest bus stop or station and describe the route from there to the door.
- Share your fragrance policy. If the gathering is smoke-free and fragrance-free, say so clearly on the invitation. The East Bay Meditation Center publishes its fragrance-free policy and a guide on how to be fragrance-free.
- Describe the access you offer, and invite requests. A short statement about access, plus a way for people to tell you what they request in order to take part fully (see Step 2), lets friends know they are expected and planned for.
Step 2: Ask What People Request
The ADA National Network reminds planners that the person with a disability is the best person to ask what will work for them. Asking ahead also gives hosts time to arrange what people request. Cornell University recommends including a checklist in your invitation or RSVP. Below is a sample you can adapt, adding any other options you offer.
Keep requests confidential
The information people share on this form is private. It is for the host only, so the host can provide what was requested. Please keep it out of public view and out of group discussion. For background, see Confidentiality Requirements under the ADA (Great Lakes ADA Center).
Follow through on each request
- Have each requested item ready on the day of the gathering.
- Contact each person who made a request ahead of time to confirm that what they asked for will be in place.
- If a request cannot be met, reach out to the person directly and work out an alternative together before the gathering.
When a gathering is described as accessible, people plan to come on that promise. If they arrive and find barriers still in place, they are left out, and the message they receive is that they do not belong. That is designating them as “other.” Following through on each request is how a community keeps that trust.
Step 3: Registration
If the gathering uses online registration, the whole process works best when it is accessible from start to finish: each form field and button labeled, keyboard navigation working, error messages clear, and confirmation screens and emails readable by screen readers. The international accessibility standards, the W3C Forms Tutorial, and our page on Accessible Forms walk through each of these.
Step 4: The Venue
Prepare hosts, committee members, and volunteers
It helps when each person serving at the gathering understands basic accessibility and knows that People with Disabilities expect the same welcome as every other participant. The ADA National Network offers this advice:
- See each person as a whole person, not only their disability.
- There is no need to be anxious or overprotective. People will tell you what they want.
- Some people take more time to move, speak, do a task, or join an activity. Offer the same respect and patience you offer every guest.
It also helps to give People with Disabilities a clear, discreet way to let a host know about any barrier they meet during the gathering, without singling anyone out, so the barrier can be removed right away. Make sure the people serving know where each accessible feature is: restrooms, ramps, elevators, and accessible copies of programs, handouts, and study materials.
Check the venue in advance
- Plan together: the ADA National Network recommends inviting People with Disabilities to take part early in planning, including choosing the site.
- Getting there: accessible parking near the entrance, a nearby bus stop, and ramp or elevator access.
- Pathways: barrier-free routes, wide doorways and aisles for wheelchairs and scooters, and no loose cables across walking areas.
- Seating: wheelchair seating locations spread throughout the room, plus wheelchair access to working tables.
- Restrooms: accessible restrooms, including a wheelchair-accessible gender-neutral restroom.
- Signs and directions: accessible signage, plus a person who can give clear spoken directions and guide people to rooms and activities. See Tips on being a great host to a Blind Person.
- Guide dogs and service animals: space for the animal to rest during the gathering, with relief and water areas nearby. Get to know the rights of guide dog users (National Association of Guide Dog Users).
- Fragrance-free space: see the East Bay Meditation Center fragrance-free resources.
- Lactation room: see the Guide to Hosting a Breastfeeding Friendly Event (PDF).
- Assistive listening systems: if the venue has no loop system or portable listening equipment, you can rent a system for the day. Rental receivers come with headphones or neckloops; neckloops work with hearing aids that have a T-coil.
- Electrical outlets: outlets near accessible seating for access technology, laptops, and other devices.
- Food: label allergens and gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, sugar-free, and other options, and make those labels available in accessible formats.
Gatherings in a home
If you host in your home, Things to Remember When Inviting a Wheelchair User to Your Home is a helpful read.
Step 5: Online and Hybrid Gatherings
- Making On-line Meetings and Presentations Accessible
- Dealing with Rude and Distracting Side Conversations in the Chat During On-Line Conferences
Step 6: The Program and Presenters
Presenter checklist
Share your commitment to accessibility with presenters and invite them to use this checklist, adapted from Cornell University:
- Submit materials in advance so they can be sent to anyone who cannot see the screen or other visual materials.
- Describe aloud each slide, chart, image, diagram, and video. See Audio Description.
- Provide copies in large print and in the other accessible formats people requested.
- Avoid small print that cannot be read from a distance.
- Make sure each speaker, including people asking questions, uses a microphone.
- Turn on captions and audio description for each video. If a video has no audio description, describe it aloud yourself, so that friends who are Blind, Low Vision, Deaf, or Hard of Hearing receive the same content as the rest of the room.
- Call on People with Disabilities during interactive portions, and give them an equal opportunity to take part in each activity.
- Schedule regular breaks, at least hourly.
Blind and Low Vision participants
Some participants may prefer to be close to visual information, instructions, or activities such as maps, artwork, and photographs. Others, including Blind People, will gain more from spoken explanations of the key points, and from objects they can handle. (ADA National Network)
Deaf and Hard of Hearing participants
Provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and captioning. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Task Force for the Bahá’í community, appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, works with local communities on accessibility. Austin Vaday, a Deaf Bahá’í who assists the task force, says that ideally ASL interpretation would be provided at every public event and at smaller activities with Deaf participants. Interpreters charge a fee, he notes, but that can be an investment in “building increasingly diverse communities.” The task force welcomes contact at bahai.deaf@gmail.com.
Participants with cognitive or developmental disabilities
The ADA National Network recommends keeping instructions simple, in short sentences, and having participants act after each direction. Presenters can be patient and bring each person into the activities as much as possible.
Name an accessibility coordinator
The ADA National Network suggests naming one accessibility coordinator to oversee each phase, from planning to completion. That person can be on site during the gathering to see that each item on this page is carried out.
Step 7: Activities and Games
If your gathering includes games or other activities, these resources can help make them accessible.
- Braille and tactile games and toys (Blind in Mind, The Braille Superstore)
- Accessibility kits that make popular board games playable by Blind and sighted players together (64 Oz. Games)
Unity in Diversity
Lack of accessibility is one of the barriers that keep us from building vibrant communities. People with Disabilities are part of every age group, gender, race, and culture, and removing these barriers brings our gatherings closer to true Unity in Diversity. Shoghi Effendi wrote that the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh “disclaims all attempts at uniformity” and that “its watchword is unity in diversity,” and he quoted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
“Consider the flowers of a garden. Though differing in kind, color, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm and addeth unto their beauty.”
-‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh
Final Thoughts
People with Disabilities are left out of gatherings when accessibility is not planned. As hosts, we can remove those barriers by planning ahead: accessible invitations, transit and parking information, interpreters and captioning, accessible materials, and fragrance-free spaces. We keep requests confidential, and we make sure each requested item is in place on the day. Consistently ensuring equitable participation of People with Disabilities in community gatherings and events by planning ahead for accessibility transforms exclusion and discrimination into a culture of inclusion, respect, belonging, and value.
Resources
Planning guides
- A Planning Guide for Making Temporary Events Accessible to People with Disabilities (ADA National Network)
- Accessible Meeting and Event Checklist (Cornell University)
- Confidentiality Requirements under the ADA (Great Lakes ADA Center, PDF)
- Disability Impacts All of Us (CDC)
Venue and physical access
- Accessible Parking (ADA National Network)
- Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards: Signs (U.S. Access Board)
- How to Make a Bathroom Accessible for Anyone (Family Handyman)
- University students say gender-neutral bathrooms are inaccessible (University Press)
- Things to Remember When Inviting a Wheelchair User to Your Home
- Rights and Responsibilities (National Association of Guide Dog Users)
- Fragrance-Free Policy and How to Be Fragrance-Free (East Bay Meditation Center)
- Guide to Hosting a Breastfeeding Friendly Event (Rochester Regional Breastfeeding Coalition, PDF)
- Assistive Listening System Rentals (iProbe)
Communication and materials
- American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters and Captioning Services
- Task force encourages communities to make accessibility a priority (Bahá’ís of the United States)
- Live and Multilingual Captioning Services (Interprenet)
- How to make materials Accessible to your Blind Friends
- How to Write Meaningful and Inclusive Descriptive ALT Text for Images
- Learn about and Use Audio Description in Video for Blind and Low Vision Accessibility
- Tips on being a great host to a Blind Person
Online gatherings and digital accessibility
- Making On-line Meetings and Presentations Accessible
- Dealing with Rude and Distracting Side Conversations in the Chat During On-Line Conferences
- Accessible Forms
- Forms Tutorial (W3C Web Accessibility Initiative)
- WCAG 2 Overview: the international accessibility standard (W3C)
- Where can I get Training in the Foundations of the International Accessibility Standards?
Activities and games
- Toys and Games (Blind in Mind, The Braille Superstore)
- Board Game Accessibility Kits (64 Oz. Games)
Understanding disability and inclusion
- The Importance of Changing our Mindset from the Medical Model to the Social Model of Disability
- Ableism 101: What it is, what it looks like, and what we can do to fix it
- Unity in Diversity
- Removing Barriers
- Building Inclusive Communities: Learning from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Examples on Valuing Marginalized Members
Bahá’í guidance
- Bahá’í Quotes on Disability
- Letters from the Universal House of Justice on Removing Barriers to building Vibrant Communities
- The Universal House of Justice, 22 July 2020: To the Bahá’ís of the United States, on Racism
About This Guide
This guide draws on the Bahá’í Writings, the guidance of the Universal House of Justice, the ADA National Network, Cornell University, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Task Force for the Bahá’í community, and the other sources linked above. It applies them to the way gatherings are held in Bahá’í clusters and national settings in the United States, both in person and online. We aim to keep improving it as we learn, and we welcome your tips and suggestions through our contact form.
