Making Events Accessible for Deaf People: Lessons from The Ops Nest

At The Ops Nest, we’ve had the privilege of working with Deaf presenters and audience members over the years and in that time we’ve really started to learn a lot about what it takes for people to feel that they belong in event spaces. Accessibility isn’t a box to tick; it’s about the gold standard vision of creating an inclusive environment where people feel that they belong in the room.

We wanted to share what we’ve learned so far, including (in true Ops Nest style ) some hard lessons from when things didn’t go quite as planned and the steps we now take to ensure a seamless experience for everyone involved.

Planning for Interpretation: More Than Just Booking

The first step to accessibility is understanding why you need interpreters. Are you simply making your event more accessible or do you have a presenter or audience members who require interpretation? Knowing this will help guide your planning.

It’s also important to book the right type of interpreter. Depending on your event’s needs, you may require:

• Sign language interpreter
• Deafblind interpreter
• Lipspeaker
• Sign language translator
• Deaf relay/intralingual interpreter
• Manual/electronic notetaker
• Speech-to-text reporter

Booking the right interpreter means not only providing the need but also providing an initial brief about the session topic when making the booking. This ensures you secure the most appropriate interpreter for your event, one comfortable in translating for the topic that will be covered. Ideally, bookings should be made at least four weeks in advance to secure availability and allow proper preparation.

What we learned the hard way:
At one event we booked interpreters for a panel discussion but failed to consider that one of our Deaf session panellists would need interpretation for the entire day, not just the session she was speaking in. As a result, she left the room when her session was over because she couldn’t engage with the rest of the event content. We now always ask whether attendees or presenters require full-day support to ensure no one is excluded from important discussions.

The Importance of Rehearsals and Tech Checks

A well-executed event doesn’t happen by accident, it requires preparation. This is especially true when working with interpreters and accessibility services. We try to always:

• Conduct a session rehearsal and tech check to ensure everything runs smoothly.
• Follow up with a detailed brief that includes the technical setup, room layout (for in-person events), and more depth on the session topic and the draft questions that will be asked. If possible, we also gather context from each presenter about their perspective.
• Check in with Deaf presenters to understand the specific requirements they might have and review accessibility registration information to ensure we are aware of attendees’ needs.

What we learned the hard way:

During a virtual event a Deaf presenter was one of three guests. He was meant to be spotlighted alongside his interpreter on the virtual platform however the default setting only highlighted the spoken-word interpreter live and not in the recording. One of our main presenters was excluded visually from the download. We had only tested the live settings beforehand. Now, we always run full tech rehearsals to avoid similar situations and ensure both the presenter and the interpreter remain visible throughout.

Managing Interpretation Effectively

Interpreting is demanding work, and there’s a limit to how long someone can interpret effectively. This is why we always ensure a switch-over system is in place and book a minimum of two interpreters per session.

If the event is being recorded, it’s essential to clarify interpreter recording rights beforehand and secure approval for any post-event circulation of the content.

What we learned the hard way:
At one early online event, the interpreters had not had sight of the brief which indicated that the event would be recorded and available for viewing post-event. One of the interpreters was not happy for their image to be available within the recording and dropped out of the session with minutes to go before we went live. Now, we always issue a templated brief to ensure that the parameters of the booking are clear to avoid any ambiguity.

The Impact of Poor Accessibility Planning

If accessibility is not managed well:

• The guest speaker is not be represented effectively, diminishing the impact of their message.
• Attendees will feel unwelcome and excluded.
• The event organiser’s reputation will suffer, making future partnerships and audience trust harder to maintain.
• The host is on edge and focusing on elements other than what they are speaking about.

Our Top Tips

For in-person events:

• Interpreters should be positioned in front of and looking at the presenter, ensuring the presenter can still see the panellists and/or interviewer.
• For audience members, interpreters should be positioned without conflicting with screens or presenters on stage.
• AV checks should ensure that microphones, screens and other equipment support accessibility needs.

For online events:

• Some platforms highlight spoken-word speakers only which can make the interpreter invisible. If you have a Deaf presenter, ensure your software records and highlights both the presenter and interpreter.
• Moderators should maintain structured conversations to prevent participants from talking over one another, which can make interpretation difficult.

For all events

• Choose your partners wisely. We are lucky enough to work with the fabulous team at Sorenson Communications for all our BSL interpretation needs and use the Yoonity platform for our online events – together they help us iron out any and all of the challenges we’ve laid bare in this article!

Final Thoughts

Accessible events are better events. They ensure that all participants, whether on stage or in the audience, feel valued, included and able to engage fully. By taking the right steps, booking interpreters early, running rehearsals and managing event dynamics effectively, we can create events that truly welcome everyone.

As we said at the outset, we’ve learned from our mistakes and are happy to share those learnings, after all sharing knowledge with our network is at the heart of what we do. If you’re planning an event and need support in making it accessible, we’re always happy to share our knowledge and experiences. After all, accessibility isn’t just about compliance, it’s about people feeling that they belong in the space you create.