From the very start, our aim for the International Creative Research Methods Conference was to make it an inclusive conference. We have mostly managed that – and learned a load of lessons along the way. So I thought I would share some of those with you.
First, you need an inclusive venue. We are very lucky with the studio… in central Manchester, UK, who work hard to be accessible for people with disabilities, neurodivergence, special dietary needs, parents with babies or older children. Everyone is welcome and everyone is catered for, including lived experience researchers. In our first year we had a mix-up over hearing loops. These are essential to have for anyone who may be d/Deaf or hearing-impaired, and we knew that, but we thought they were provided automatically. In fact you have to request them, something we have done every year since. So, even with an inclusive venue, read the Ts and Cs!
One key point for us about using a community-based venue, rather than an academic venue, was to make it clear that researchers from outside academia are as welcome at the conference as academic researchers. This really works: academic researchers do come, of course, and so do statutory sector researchers, third sector researchers, independent researchers, and others. That mix, plus representation from a wide range of academic disciplines and professional fields, leads to very rich discussions. We also appreciate the availability of drinks, snacks, and food throughout the day, and the attention to details of everyone’s dietary requirements. This supports delegates’ autonomy, needs, and choices.
Second, you need an inclusive approach. The venue’s website is very good at this which is a help. We sought feedback from delegates in the first couple of years and used their input to provide the information people need when they are preparing to come to the conference. Our conference now has a dedicated ‘welcome pack’ for delegates, which includes information about how to get to the venue in various ways, floor plans of the venue, and what to expect when you arrive, as well as contact information for the conference team, the conference programme, and floor plans of the venue to help people find their way around. This was produced by Caitlin Murphy who deserves all the credit for her excellent work. We also have communication badges for people to use if they would like control over how much interaction they want at any given time, by communicating their current preference to others in a readily understandable visual form.
One of our decisions from the start was to have a quiet room with natural light and sensory equipment for delegates to use at will. This is primarily intended to support neurodivergent delegates, though it has also been useful for people who were suffering from headaches, or grieving, or for another reason were grateful for some quiet time. Even members of the conference team have been known to use it at times! Hiring an extra room costs us more, but the positive feedback we get about this option makes us sure it is worthwhile.
Third, you need skilled and experienced people to help the online delegates to feel like part of the event. We have two volunteers, one for each online stream, to help facilitate the online chat and liaise with the hybrid conference specialists. Our hybrid conference specialists come from NomadIT and they are very good at creating bridges between the digital conference space and the rooms in Manchester. Between them, the volunteers and the hybrid conference specialists bridge the gap between those attending online and in person. This is really important for us because we know many people want to attend but are unable to come in person due to health, caring responsibilities, geographical barriers, financial limitations and so on. Also, including an online audience helps to further diversify the conversations taking place at the conference.
Fourth, we offer presenters the option of choosing how long they present for: just five minutes in our ‘one slide five minutes’ slot, or 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 or 90 minutes. This increases accessibility: the five-minute option is great for novice presenters; 15 minutes is useful for someone who wants to test an idea on a group; 30 minutes allows for a 20-minute presentation, performance, or activity, followed by 10 minutes of questions; 45 minutes allows for a 30-minute presentation, performance, or activity, followed by 15 minutes of questions; and the longer sessions enable hands-on workshops with plenty of time for discussion. We are also flexible about presentation formats: we don’t exclude conventional PowerPoint-and-chat presentations, but we also welcome interactive and/or performative presentations of all kinds, including outdoor sessions in Manchester’s vibrant Northern Quarter.
Fifth, lots of other little details. During the booking system, delegates are able to choose what name and other information (if any) they want on their conference badge. We start the first day mid-morning and finish the second day mid-afternoon, to facilitate travel for delegates. We don’t have posters or activities in the breaks; we want people to be able to eat, drink, rest and chat. The conference team will also respond to individual needs whenever possible: for example, when a delegate found the lighting in one of the rooms too bright, we found out how to dim those lights and did so. Overall, we do our best to let people know they can self-regulate: move around and/or take breaks if they need to, observe rather than join in if they prefer, and so on.
Finally, we need presenters who understand how to present inclusively – and this will be the topic of my next post.
With thanks to Niobe Dodd and Caitlin Murphy of The Work Inclusion Project for very helpful feedback on an earlier draft of this post.
