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Inclusive & Accessible Events
Sacramento State is committed to ensuring an inclusive and welcoming campus. As part of our commitment, we strive to ensure that all of our events and programs – both large and small – are inclusive and accessible so that our campus and community members are able to fully participate.
Accordingly, we ask that event organizers be mindful of inclusivity and accessibility at the outset of planning for their event, including some general guidance and expectations set forth below.
General Expectations:
Organizers of events sponsored by a Sacramento State entity or hosted on Sacramento State’s campus are expected to ensure that the events are as inclusive as possible. When planning your event, please be attentive to the following:
- Scheduling matters, such as the many religious and cultural holidays observed by our campus and opportunities to collaborate and sponsor events with other organizations
- Advertising practices, such as providing information on how to request accommodations and promoting your event several weeks in advance to allow participants to plan and minimize conflicts
- Accessibility matters, such as selecting a location with accessible seating and without barriers for individuals who use wheelchairs or mobility devices and planning to address common needs (e.g. sound amplification, interpreter services, dietary restrictions, etc.)
- Training for staff and volunteers to assist with you event and to ensure participants are fully welcomed and included
- Presentation Practices to ensure that all participants can fully engage
Please review our Sacramento State Checklist for Planning Inclusive and Accessible Events for additional details on things to incorporate into the planning of your event.
Requests for Accommodations
Event organizers should make arrangements to ensure an accessible event at the outset of planning, including mindfulness regarding accessibility/mobility issues, and ASL interpretation and/or live-captioning services, common dietary restrictions, etc. Event organizers are expected to include in their promotional or advertising materials information regarding what accommodations are being provided as a matter of course as well as instructions for how to request accommodations.
Specifically, all invitations, posters, or public advertisements for events should include information regarding the following:
- Any planned accommodations provided whether or not an individual makes a request (e.g., ASL interpretation; live captioning; dietary accommodations, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc.; wheel chair accessibility; etc.)
- Instructions to invitees on how to request an accommodation with specific contact information (e.g., telephone number, email, or both) and name of specific contact person, if applicable
- Time period by which requests for accommodation should be made (e.g., five (5) business days prior to the event)
Please note that best practice is providing both ASL interpretation and live captioning at large events open to the public as a planned accommodation that is not dependent on individual requests.
- For events advertising planned accommodations, the accommodations are offered whether or not an individual requests accommodation and arrangements for these accommodations must be made at the time the event is planned. Once planned accommodations have been advertised, such accommodations must be provided because someone may attend without making a request based on the promise that those services will be provided. For example, ASL interpretation and live-captioning services are provided at Sac State Graduation as a matter of course and no individual request for such accommodation must be made in order for these services to be provided.
- We strongly encourage the use of both explicit language identifying the accommodations offered as a matter of course as well as the use of a high resolution icon. Follow the hyperlink to find the ASL interpretation icon.
Process for Requesting ASL Interpretation
Sacramento State now has a centralized process for requesting ASL interpretation or live captioning services for events. Event organizers can do one of two things to ensure that their event makes ASL interpretation or live captioning available to participants:
- For events open to the campus at large where arrangements for ASL interpretation and/or live captioning are being made as a matter of course, event organizers simply need to email asl@csus.edu providing the necessary details for the event (i.e., time, place, etc.) and requesting either (a) ASL interpretation, (b) live captioning or (c) both.
- For events where accommodations will be based solely on participant request, event organizers should include specific information regarding how to request ASL interpretation and/or live captioning in their promotional materials. This language would be in addition to general contact information regarding accommodations. See sample language below.
As for cost, the College of Education will process the necessary invoices. For those invoices not deemed chargeable to an All University Expense account because it is not associated with a request by a student, faculty, or staff member, the invoices will be sent to Inclusive Excellence for determination of appropriate payment.
Sample Inclusive & Accessible Event Language
To assist event organizers in meeting these university expectations, please see sample language that may be used for your specific event.
Example 1 (Planned Accommodations):
Sacramento State seeks to ensure that all of our events are inclusive for our participants. The following accommodations are planned for the event:
- ASL Interpreter for Event Program
- Wheelchair Accessible Seating
(please let us know if you will need accommodations for mobility) - Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly Food
(please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies)
For all other requests, please email [INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS] no later than five (5) business days prior to the event.
Example 2 (General):
The Division of Inclusive Excellence seeks to ensure that all of our events are inclusive for our participants. Please request an ASL interpreter or a live captioning as soon as possible, but no later than five (5) business days before the event, by emailing asl@csus.edu and providing the name, date, time, and location of this event. For all other requests, please email [INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS] no later than five (5) business days prior to the event.
Additional Resources
- To learn more about universal access symbols and to download icons, please use Universal Access Symbols.
- For an extensive list of presentation accessibility tips, please visit the Web Accessibility Initiative.
- For additional information on inclusive and accessible events, please visit:
Inclusive Excellence believes that there is always room for continuous improvement. If you have suggestions for how to improve this resource, please email your comments and feedback to diversity@csus.edu.
Note: Please be advised that the information and guidance herein is not intended to replace or supplant any rights or obligations under the American with Disabilities Act or other related law. Therefore, students seeking accommodations should contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) by emailing sswd@csu.edu or calling (916) 278-6955. Employees seeking reasonable accommodations should contact the Benefits Office, by emailing benefits@csus.edu or calling (916) 278-6213.