A Guide to Putting on Accessible Exhibitions

Tips to make your exhibition accessible

The principle goal of accessibility is to make sure environments, activities, and information is designed for everyone to participate in or understand, regardless of disability or impairment. 

One of the most common considerations of accessibility you’re likely to come across in your daily life is structural, like step-free access. However, accessibility is so much more than simply providing ramps for wheelchair access (although these are, of course, essential). There are a wide range of areas you should think about, which we’ve set out below.

Venue space

Arguably one of the most important aspects of organising an exhibition, your choice of venue will have a big impact on how accessible you can make your event. As we mentioned above, even though it shouldn’t be the be-all-end-all of your accessibility efforts, you need to choose a venue with sufficient step-free access and ramps to allow wheelchair and mobility aid users to comfortably enter your exhibition building.

Other considerations for wheelchair access and mobility aid users include:

• Making sure the lifts at your venue are big enough to comfortably fit a wheelchair or mobility scooter.
• Looking for venues with wide corridors and doors to allow everyone through the space.
• Making sure the floor is smooth and free from obstructions.
• Providing accessible seating areas near or at the front of any talks or experiences,  with space for wheelchairs, mobility aids, etc.

These aren’t the only structural or venue space-specific accessibility options though. You should also consider whether people with other disabilities or impairments can access your exhibition space through some of the following measures.

• Does the venue have raised or tactile markers on the floor for cane users?
• Do you have lower tables, steps, or other facilities for people of a lower stature (e.g. those with achondroplasia)?
• Are there additional seating facilities for people with mobility aids or additional needs to rest?
• Are there facilities suitable for guide dogs available?

Working with your venue is the key to ensuring there are physical measures in place for accessibility. For example, here at Exhibition Centre Liverpool, we’re incredibly keen to ensure our venue is Accessible for everyone – which is why we work closely with AccessAble, and the ‘Attitude is Everything’ Charter of Best Practice.

Sensory input

Alongside architectural and structural elements, part of making your exhibition venue more accessible is through monitoring your production services. For example, always make sure you have clear warnings for any flashing images or photography in place well before the area they’re in.

Additionally, neurodiverse people can struggle with sensory input – it can be overwhelming, trigger a sensory overload, or make their entire exhibition experience uncomfortable. But, there are some simple adjustments you can make to reduce sensory output.

Lowering lighting where possible helps to make the atmosphere more comfortable. This could be through warming the tone of your lights, making use of natural lighting, or reducing the number of additional lights used throughout the exhibition. Similarly, try to avoid sudden loud noises as part of your exhibition atmosphere, or make sure there aren’t too many contrasting soundtracks in one space. 

Note: this isn’t just for neurodiverse visitors – too many sounds or lights can make an exhibition an uncomfortable experience for anyone.

You should also look into creating quiet or sensory rooms for people off the main concourse of your exhibition. These spaces should have minimal sensory input to create a calm atmosphere designed to allow people to decompress and prepare for more activity.

Material formatting

Depending on the type of exhibition you’re organising, you may have guest speakers, maps, audio guides, and other types of supplementary materials. So, it’s important to make sure that these come in a variety of formats to allow for everyone to use them.

For paper materials, try and make sure you have options for people to choose the best one for them, including:

• Braille transcripts.
• Large print transcripts.
• Written transcripts of audio content.
• Translated transcripts in a variety of languages.
• Colour blind-friendly contrast materials.
• Written content in dyslexia-friendly fonts.

If you have speakers or videos at your exhibition, you should also make sure there are measures put in place for any deaf or hard of hearing visitors – like sign language interpreters, closed captions, or access to an induction loop. An induction, or hearing, loop is a type of specialist technology fitted within your venue that connects directly to a hearing aid to transmit sound. For visually impaired attendees, an invaluable resource is audio-description. These could be set up like audio guides, but related to specific videos throughout your exhibition.

When it comes to maps and signage, try to make these as simple as possible for everyone to understand. This could be through colour-coding different levels or exhibition zones, or having interactive maps (if your budget allows). Any signage should be visible at all levels, without complex imagery and positioned in the clearest way possible.

If you prefer to use digital materials, make sure any apps or texts are compatible with screen readers, with alt-text to describe any images within your materials. They should also have an appropriate colour contrast to maximise visibility.

Top tip: digital materials can be ideal for people who may feel uncomfortable asking for assistance, or struggle to communicate with unknown people.

Exhibition scheduling

Accessible spaces are obviously a massive part of organising an exhibition, but your efforts shouldn’t end here. The way you organise your exhibition schedule can also make it more accessible for visitors.

For example, you could offer a ‘quiet hour’ (or longer) at the beginning of your exhibition that’s open to members who may get overwhelmed during the busier times. This could also 

be a time when you reduce the sensory input, like lighting or music, to create a less stimulating atmosphere. You may also want to designate low-traffic areas separated from the main concourse that allow people to avoid the hustle and bustle of a large exhibition crowd.

You may also consider running specific days where there are more accessible options – like guided tours with sign language interpreters, or tactile experiences for visually impaired visitors.

Top tip: sign language interpreters book up fast, so make sure you’re prepared well in advance of your exhibition.

Another accessible method could be to incorporate a slightly longer waiting time between bigger or more popular activities. This gives people extra time to cross the exhibition space, which is especially useful for those using wheelchairs and mobility aids.

Top tip: make sure to distribute any accessibility information early. This will help people prepare and work out a plan to navigate your exhibition spaces.

A note on consulting experts

When it comes to designing accessible spaces and exhibitions, the best way to get valuable information and assistance is to consult with experts. This could be through contacting charities and organisations who have experience with talking about and advocating for accessibility – like AccessAble, set up by Dr Gregory Burke, who has used a wheelchair since his teens.

This kind of information directly from disabled visitors is incredibly important – it’s their lived experience, and people with these access needs will know more about how to make your exhibition space more accessible than anyone else, and will know which areas you need to improve.

Work with Exhibition Centre Liverpool on your next exhibition

Accessibility is more than incorporating physical measures – it’s about creating a supportive and positive atmosphere in which everyone can take part. Explore our Accessibility Strategy for Exhibition Centre Liverpool and the rest of the ACC Liverpool campus to find out more. Or, check out the different ways to get to our site with our Venue Accessibility Guide.

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