Time: 10 AM to 5 PM (including lunch break, and smaller breaks in between)
Venue: ITE College Central, Ang Mo Kio We will release more details on the specific venue closer to the course date
Programme Description
There has been growing awareness about the diversity and richness of disabled identities, thanks to the relentless work of many disabled advocates over the years. As such, we see a rising interest in discussions on what it means to design events and spaces that are accessible and inviting to disabled people. We are excited to see words like “Accessibility”, “Disability Inclusion”, and “Disability Justice” becoming more mainstreamed.
What would it take to translate these aspirations into concrete actions in terms of the events we organise? Come join us to learn how to centre accessibility from the get-go of event organising in Equal Dreams’ very first Organising Accessible Events programme!
Wondering why else you should join?
This programme will be highly interactive with a focus on hands-on learning.
We will guide you to think through how to implement accessibility for the type of events you are interested in, including how to navigate potential challenges and constraints you foresee based on your context. Hence, we hope to deliver learning outcomes that go beyond what you can find by researching online.
We also strive to have a diverse range of event organisers in the room, both disabled and non-disabled, so that you can benefit from rich discussions!
Additionally, you will get to experience yourself what some event accessibility arrangements could look and feel like, through the access arrangements we are planning for this programme.
We have curated content for this programme by combining:
Insights gleaned from overseas and local events
Learning points from our own journey in accessibility
Feedback from our work with disability community, and disabled consultants
Learning Outcomes
Participants will demonstrate understanding of various disability models.
Participants will be able to apply universal design in event planning.
Participants will be able to support each stage of event planning with considerations for accessibility.
Participants will be able to craft an action plan, integrating accessibility considerations for events.
Target Audience
This course is suitable for anyone with an interest in what it means to organise accessible events. We welcome anyone interested in learning more about organising events to join us, regardless of whether you’re doing so in individual or organisational capacity.
Accessibility
We are committed to creating a programme experience that is inclusive, accessible and affirming of diverse accessibility needs. Read on to find out more about the access arrangements available for this programme!
STTI is a meaning for meaning transcript, where information is transcribed as close to the intended meaning as possible, and may not be verbatim.
A quiet space or calm room, which you can access whenever you need during the programme
Breaks
Multiple modes of expression for processing information and responding, particularly verbal and written modes
Session notes reflecting slides’ content, which is sent ahead of programme
Programme outline sent ahead of time
Materials provided in screen-reader friendly formats
Glossary of all technical terms taught in the course
Captions for all audio content
Presenters will actively speak at a moderate pace and encourage one speaker at a time to facilitate smoother information processing
Visual Interpretation (for example, the description of any contextually meaningful visual elements on slides and videos)
Guidance from ITE College Central entrance to programme venue
Speech-to-Text Interpreting (STTI) to be projected on a big screen beside speakers
Singapore Sign Language interpretation
Specific seating arrangements (e.g. request to sit near the speaker, near the slides, or near power points)
No scent policy i.e., disallow use of scented products by participants
Masking policy i.e., get all participants (for whom masking is accessible) to mask up
Requesting for additional access arrangements
We understand that access needs are diverse and nuanced. Thus, please note that the list above is not exhaustive. If you would like to make additional access requests, do share with us when registering, or email us at training@equaldreams.sg as early as possible, latest by 2 November 2024 (Saturday) — this is so that we have sufficient time to coordinate these access arrangements and ensure that they are implemented effectively.
If you are requesting for Sign Language interpretation, let us know by 26 October 2024 (Saturday) if possible.
We understand that the above deadlines can be difficult to meet due to a variety of circumstances. If you would like to make requests past the deadlines, please still feel free to let us know. While we may not be able to guarantee that we can meet your request, we will definitely do our best to ensure you can fully participate in the programme. Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to co-creating an inclusive and accessible programme with you!
Pricing
This is the first time we’re trying out this pricing model for a programme. Our goal is to do our best to ensure finances are not a barrier to anyone interested to sign up.
We hope that those with more access to wealth, and are more financially privileged, can subsidise the programme costs for those who are financially marginalised, and have less access to wealth.
We understand that inequality happens all over the world, because of the way our systems are designed. We also recognise the need to address financial accessibility more in the field of disability accessibility.
Hence, we invite those with more financial privilege to pay a higher rate (General or Supporter), and contribute to addressing these inequalities; to give more from a place of solidarity, not charity.
We trust your judgement to select the tier that best fits your financial situation, no questions asked. We understand that the descriptors of each category may not fully reflect your situation — please select the one that feels most relatable to your current circumstances.
Our rates also honour the time, intention and care that went into designing this programme. By signing up for this programme, you are also contributing to sustaining our small staff team in our ongoing work to deepen disability inclusion and accessibility.
Do note that any existing discount codes or vouchers do not apply to this programme.
If you don’t see a pricing option that works for you below, please email us at training@equaldreams.sg. We are happy to discuss further. While we cannot guarantee a solution, we can assure you that we will meet your request with care and discretion.
Supporter Rate - $400
1. You have sufficient income to pay for a programme like this, and you can afford to subsidise the cost for those who have financial difficulties.
2. You’re funded by an organisation with a generous training budget.
3. You have a large amount of savings or generational wealth (e.g. inheritance, assets). This is more than enough for you, with extra to spare.
General Rate - $320
1. You have enough income to pay for a programme like this, at the general rate.
2. You’re funded by an organisation, or have a training budget that covers this rate.
3. You have a financial safety net (e.g. savings, inheritance, or people you can turn to for support in emergencies.)
Reduced Rate - $260
1. Your income limits your ability to participate in learning opportunities like this.
2. Your income supports not only yourself, but others as well
3. This rate makes it possible for you to attend, otherwise, you wouldn't be able to.
A love for writing and language had Clara pursuing her B.A in Linguistics and Multilingual Studies, which also coincided with when she picked up Singapore Sign Language, out of curiosity about minority linguistic communities.
After a stint in advertising as a copywriter, she had the opportunity to delve into her interest in accessibility and working with minority communities at Equal Dreams.
As a Team Lead, Clara leads curriculum development of programmes focused on accessibility and disability, and creates training to grow the pool of access professionals in Singapore. She manages communication strategy and marketing for the organisation, and is involved in various accessibility consultancy projects in the arts and education sectors. Clara also provides access services such as Singapore Sign Language interpreting and Speech-to-Text Interpreting (STTI) interpreting.
Work aside, Clara is an avid reader and hobby hopper who enjoys dipping her toes into new things. Admittedly, she’s quite mediocre at most of them — but hey, the fun is always in the trying.
Minjie Tim, Accessibility Specialist and Training Developer
Minjie began her journey into disability work through doing disability rights research, which opened her eyes to the wide range of access considerations relevant to all areas of life.
She is a firm believer in Disability Justice community organiser Mia Mingus’s perspective that access work should be driven by justice, community and love, not solely logistical concerns.
Curious to know what Mia Mingus’s perspective would look like in practice, she took on the role of Accessibility Coordinator for the “Activism in Crisis” digital festival, which drew over 500 participants and 43 speakers. This experience gave her deep insights into what events’ access coordination entails, both the technical and “soft skills” aspects.
At Equal Dreams today, she has the opportunity to deepen her exploration and learning of access work through developing various training programmes and providing access services like Speech-to-Text Interpreting (STTI). She is excited to create more spaces where more people could see how invigorating, creative and healing access work can be!
