Planning Accessible Meetings and Conferences: A Suggested Checklist and Guide

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

February 26, 2015 CCIDS News

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS), Maine’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities; and Speaking Up for Us of Maine (SUFU), Maine’s Self-Advocacy Network; have collaborated on a publication, Planning Accessible Meetings and Conferences: A Suggested Checklist and Guide (PDF).

The checklist is an accessible PDF and is designed to help any person, group, or organization plan a meeting or conference that is inclusive and welcoming for everyone. It offers helpful suggestions in many areas of event planning, including choosing a location, using respectful language for registration questions about accommodations, and tips on refreshments and meals. Its purpose is to provide practical recommendations that promote meaningful participation for everyone. The checklist may be completed electronically or printed and filled out by hand.

As the first draft of Planning Accessible Meetings and Conferences was nearing completion, CCIDS staff and SUFU members formed a workgroup and reviewed the 15-page checklist word-by-word. Any difficult or confusing words were replaced with shorter, less complex words. Self-advocates agreed, however, that some difficult words were important to learn and these appear in the glossary at the end.

Planning Accessible Meetings and Conferences: A Suggested Checklist and Guide was developed and field-tested with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Grant No. 90DD0005.