ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSIVITY

Modified on Wed, 29 Jul at 4:50 PM

Accessibility & Inclusivity

Why This Matters

Imperial's students come from over 150 countries, and the student community is highly diverse in terms of ethnicity, culture, identity, and access needs. That means the students attending your events and trips are diverse in ability, background, identity, and experience. Your planning should reflect that.

Making your events inclusive isn't just good practice. It's how you ensure every member feels welcome, valued, and able to participate fully. The good news? A lot of it comes down to thoughtful planning, and you have more power to make a difference than you might think.

What Does Inclusivity Actually Mean?

Being inclusive means ensuring everyone, regardless of their background, ability, or identity, feels safe, respected, and included in the experience.

As a student leader, this might look like:

Challenging norms or traditions that unintentionally exclude people

Proactively creating welcoming spaces, rather than waiting to be asked.

Opening your events to people outside your usual circle

NOTE: A useful question to ask yourself: How would someone brand new to my club or society experience this trip or event? If the answer is "they might struggle," that's a sign something could be improved.

Key Areas to Consider

Neurodiversity & Disability

Neurodiversity includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. When you recognize and support neurodivergent students, you help everyone feel included.

Practical steps:

Complete an Equality Impact Assessment to identify and address accessibility gaps (COMING SOON)

Clearly advertise what accessibility features your trip or event offers

Always let attendees know how to request adjustments in advance.

Venue & Transport

When choosing where to go and how to get there, look for options that are:

Step-free and wheelchair accessible

Equipped with quiet or sensory-friendly zones

Easy to navigate with clear signage

Fitted with suitable lighting, acoustics, seating, and accessible toilets

Online Events

If your event is online, accessibility still applies:

Use captions, transcripts, and accessible slides.

Make content screen reader friendly.

Allow for text size and contrast adjustments.

Share recordings for those who can't attend live

Communication & Promotion

How you talk about your event matters too:

Use plain language, skip jargon, acronyms or slang in invites and promotional materials.

Provide instructions in both written and visual formats.

Recognize sunflower lanyards and offer reserved seating where possible.

Build in regular breaks for longer events so people can step out if needed.

Include diverse speakers and hosts; it strengthens your message and shows real commitment to inclusion.

Costs & Tickets

Financial barriers can be just as excluding as physical ones:

Keep ticket prices student-friendly

Consider subsidizing or offering free entry for some attendees.

Choose venues that offer student rates where possible.

Food & Drink

Offer a variety of dietary options: gluten-free, vegan, Halal, and more.

If alcohol is served, always provide non-alcoholic alternatives.

IMPORTANT: If you've attended or organized an event that wasn't accessible or inclusive, reach out to the Activities Team. We're here to help you make things better.

Next Steps

Submitted activity proposal and completed the risk assessment (including accessibility controls)

Complete an Equality Impact Assessment (COMING SOON)

Clearly advertise your accessibility features in all event communications.

Collect feedback after your event and use it to improve next time.

Still have questions? Check out the rest of our Knowledge Base articles or submit a ticket to the Activities Team  - we're here to help.