How to Make Your Events and Webinars Accessible: A Complete Guide

You have spent weeks planning your event. The speakers are confirmed, the agenda looks great, and registration is open. But have you thought about whether everyone can actually participate?

Roughly 1.3 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. That is 16% of the global population. When your event is not accessible, you are not just breaking the law in many jurisdictions — you are excluding potential customers, partners, employees, and community members who want to engage with your content.

The good news is that making events accessible does not require a massive budget or specialized expertise. Most accessibility improvements are straightforward, and many of them make your event better for everyone, not just people with disabilities.

Why Event Accessibility Matters Now

The European Accessibility Act (EAA), which takes effect in June 2025, requires digital services including ticketing platforms and online event registration to be accessible. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been interpreted by courts to apply to online event platforms. And beyond legal compliance, accessible events simply reach more people and generate more engagement.

A study by the Return on Disability Group found that the disability market controls over $13 trillion in annual disposable income globally. When your webinar lacks captions, your conference registration form is not screen-reader friendly, or your venue has no wheelchair access, you are leaving money and influence on the table.

Making Virtual Events and Webinars Accessible

Choose an Accessible Platform

Not all webinar and virtual event platforms are equally accessible. Before committing to a platform, check for these features:

  • Built-in live captioning: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet all offer auto-generated captions. Zoom and Teams also support third-party CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) providers for higher accuracy.
  • Screen reader compatibility: The platform should work with JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver. Ask the vendor for their VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) or accessibility conformance report.
  • Keyboard navigation: Participants should be able to join, mute, unmute, use chat, raise hands, and leave entirely via keyboard.
  • Adjustable layouts: Participants should be able to resize the video, chat, and caption panels to suit their needs.

Zoom currently has the most mature accessibility features for webinars. Microsoft Teams is a strong choice for organizations already in the Microsoft ecosystem. Google Meet works well for smaller events but has fewer customization options.

Provide Live Captions

Auto-generated captions are a good start, but they are not enough for a professional event. AI-generated captions typically achieve 80 to 90 percent accuracy, which means one in every five to ten words may be wrong. Technical terms, names, and accented speech often produce errors that change the meaning entirely.

For important events, hire a CART provider or live captioner. CART provides 98 percent or higher accuracy and is the standard for legal and medical contexts. Services like StreamText, 1CapApp, and White Coat Captioning specialize in remote CART for virtual events.

If budget is tight, use AI captions as a baseline and assign a team member to monitor and correct major errors in real time through the platform’s caption editing feature.

Offer Sign Language Interpretation

For events that attract deaf or hard-of-hearing attendees, provide a sign language interpreter. In many countries, this is a legal requirement for public-facing government events. For private events, offering interpretation signals genuine inclusivity.

In Zoom, you can spotlight the interpreter’s video so it stays visible regardless of who is speaking. In Microsoft Teams, pin the interpreter’s video. Let attendees know before the event how to keep the interpreter visible on their screen.

If your event has an international audience, remember that sign languages vary by country. ASL (American Sign Language) is different from BSL (British Sign Language), LSF (French Sign Language), and JSL (Japanese Sign Language). Ask your registrants which sign language they need.

Make Your Slides and Shared Content Accessible

Slides are the backbone of most presentations. Here is how to make them accessible:

  • Use high contrast colors: Text should have at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio against the background. Avoid light gray text on white backgrounds or red text on green backgrounds.
  • Use large fonts: Body text should be at least 24 points. Headings should be 32 points or larger. Participants may be viewing on small screens or at a distance.
  • Describe visual content verbally: When showing a chart, graph, or image, describe what it shows. Say “This bar chart shows our revenue growing 40 percent quarter over quarter” rather than just “As you can see here.”
  • Avoid animations that flash: Rapid flashing can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Keep animations subtle and purposeful.
  • Share slides in advance: Send accessible slide decks (with proper heading structure, alt text on images, and readable fonts) to registrants at least 24 hours before the event.

Design an Accessible Registration Process

Your registration form is the front door to your event. If it is not accessible, people cannot even get in.

  • Use proper form labels so screen readers can identify each field.
  • Do not use CAPTCHAs, or if you must, provide an accessible alternative like audio CAPTCHA or honeypot fields.
  • Provide clear error messages that identify what went wrong and how to fix it.
  • Ask registrants about their accessibility needs. A simple question like “Do you have any accessibility requirements? (e.g., captions, sign language interpretation, materials in alternative formats)” lets you plan ahead.
  • Ensure the entire registration process works with keyboard only and with screen readers.

Record and Share Accessible Content After the Event

Not everyone can attend live. Your recording extends the reach and value of your event.

  • Add accurate captions to the recording. Edit auto-generated captions for accuracy before publishing.
  • Provide a text transcript. Some people prefer reading to watching, and transcripts are searchable and indexable by search engines.
  • Include audio descriptions if the video contains important visual information not covered in the speaker’s narration.
  • Host recordings on an accessible video player that supports keyboard controls, captions, and playback speed adjustment.

Making In-Person Events Accessible

Venue Accessibility

Choose a venue that meets basic physical accessibility requirements:

  • Wheelchair access: Ramps or level entry, accessible restrooms, and seating areas that accommodate wheelchairs without segregating attendees.
  • Clear signage: High-contrast, large-print signs at decision points. Include Braille signage where possible.
  • Hearing loops: Many venues have induction loop systems that transmit audio directly to hearing aids. If available, advertise this feature in your event materials.
  • Quiet rooms: Provide a low-stimulation space where attendees with sensory sensitivities, anxiety, or chronic fatigue can take a break.
  • Lighting: Ensure adequate, even lighting. Avoid strobe lights and rapidly changing lighting effects.

Communication and Materials

  • Print materials in a readable font (minimum 12 point, sans-serif preferred) on non-glossy paper to reduce glare.
  • Offer materials in alternative formats on request: large print, digital files, or Braille.
  • Brief your speakers on accessible presentation practices: face the audience when speaking (for lip readers), use microphones even in small rooms, and describe visual content verbally.
  • Have a clear process for attendees to request accommodations before and during the event.

Hybrid Events: The Best of Both Worlds

Hybrid events (combining in-person and virtual attendance) can be the most accessible format when done well, because they give attendees the choice of how to participate. However, they also combine the accessibility challenges of both formats.

Key considerations for hybrid accessibility:

  • Ensure remote attendees can hear in-person questions. Repeat questions into the microphone before answering.
  • Provide the same caption and interpretation services to both in-person and remote attendees.
  • Test the streaming setup with a screen reader user before the event to catch issues.
  • Have a dedicated team member monitoring the virtual experience during the event.

Quick Accessibility Checklist for Events

Use this checklist for your next event:

  1. Platform supports captions, keyboard navigation, and screen readers
  2. Live captions or CART provided during presentations
  3. Sign language interpretation available on request
  4. Registration form is keyboard and screen reader accessible
  5. Slides shared in advance with proper structure and contrast
  6. Speakers briefed on describing visual content and using microphones
  7. Venue is wheelchair accessible with clear signage
  8. Quiet room available for sensory breaks
  9. Recording with accurate captions published after the event
  10. Process for attendees to request accommodations

We’re building a simple accessibility checker for non-developers — no DevTools, no jargon. Join our waitlist to get early access.