NCPH Guidelines for Building an Accessible Annual Meeting

A revised set of guidelines was developed in 2025 by the NCPH Accessibility Working Group with support from the American Council of Learned Societies. The NCPH board adopted these guidelines on February 4, 2026. Working Group members include Ann Abney, Molly Adams, Elliot Archer, Moira Armstrong, Nicole Belolan, Alima Bucciantini, Michelle Ganz, Katherine Greenstein, Chase Panish, Hannah Spring Pfeifer, Katie Sullivan, and Riley Sutherland. The section labeled “How to Participate in a More Accessible Presentation, Panel, or Working Group” was inspired in part by a workshop for 2025 NCPH annual meeting attendees developed and presented by Selena Moon and Nicole Belolan.

NCPH Conference Accessibility Policy:

The National Council on Public History (NCPH) is committed to fostering an annual meeting environment that is inclusive and accessible to all attendees, including people with disabilities. To that end, the NCPH annual meeting will meet and, wherever possible, exceed the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and related laws such as but not limited to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. NCPH will provide attendees with accessibility information that may impact their ability to fully participate in the meeting and will work directly with conference registrants to meet accessibility needs to the maximum extent we are financially and logistically able.

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These guidelines will be reviewed and updated every 3-5 years by NCPH staff and board to ensure accuracy; communicate policy changes; and reflect evolving standards related to event accessibility, both physically and programmatically.

Arranging for Accessibility Accommodations or Modifications at the Annual Meeting:

Upon registering for the annual meeting, NCPH asks that people who may need accessibility accommodations to fully participate in the conference experience check the box next to the text that says, “Please indicate if you would like to be contacted by our office about accessibility accommodations.” This box will be available on our online registration form and paper registration form. Attendees are also welcome to call or email the NCPH office (317-274-2716; [email protected]) if these methods of communication are preferred, regardless of whether the attendee checked the box while registering. Accessibility requests must be received by the Early Bird registration deadline (approximately six weeks before the conference) to ensure NCPH staff have time to make arrangements.

Accessibility accommodations might include, but are not limited to:

  • ASL interpretation
  • Captioning (for more on captioning, see the section “captioning” below)
  • Assistive learning devices
  • Wheelchair, scooter, or other mobility aid access
  • Accessible transportation
  • Food and beverage accommodations
  • Materials in alternative formats (such as large-print programs)
  • Scent sensitivity accommodations
  • Orientation to the conference space
  • Provisions for a service animal
  • Complimentary registration for an attendant or caregiver

National Council on Public History staff will reach out to those who checked the box within two weeks of receiving the request to inquire about specific needs. The NCPH Program Manager will be the designated point-person on staff for accessibility requests and arrangements, both before the conference and onsite.

NCPH Accessibility Commitments

For every annual meeting, NCPH will do the following:

NCPH will book primary conference venues that are ADA-compliant. After potential venues are identified but before signing a contract, a member of the NCPH staff (usually the Program Manager) will conduct an in-person site visit to assess the venue’s suitability. NCPH will use the American Bar Association’s Commission on Disability Rights’ Planning Accessible Meetings and Events: A Toolkit checklists to assess the accessibility of a venue’s exterior features, interior features, and event/meeting rooms.

Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be requisite to sign a contract with a primary NCPH conference venue. NCPH staff will advocate that venues go above and beyond this requirement, and NCPH will prioritize venues that demonstrate a higher level of commitment to accessibility concerns or demonstrate willingness to work with us to address issues identified during the site visit or during conference planning. NCPH will use the conference website and pre-event communication to advise attendees of the venue’s accessibility.

When budgeting for the conference, NCPH will earmark a line in the budget specifically for event accessibility. These funds will be used to meet the specific needs of attendees, which will likely vary yearly. Valid uses of these funds might include, but are not limited to, American Sign Language (ASL) or other captioning options (see below for more information), rental of a lower or adjustable podium, rental of assistive listening devices, ramp access to the seating or presenting areas, or transportation to a nearby conference venue like an offsite reception or plenary. We will make these accommodations directly with attendees, and we ask that needs be communicated no later than the Early Bird registration deadline to give us time to make arrangements. In order to accommodate as many attendees as possible, per-person caps on this funding may be implemented.

NCPH will seek to book accessible transportation for bus tours and trips as requested. In the case of tours that are not accessible, whether because of transportation or limitations of the tour site itself, NCPH will mark it clearly in the Program to enable attendees to make informed decisions. For walking tours, NCPH will indicate tour distance and a basic description of terrain and other trail characteristics that might be useful for planning purposes.

NCPH will work with its A/V provider to ensure there are microphones in every session room and strongly urge presenters to use them, even in small rooms. All presenters for major speaking events like plenaries or keynotes will also be equipped with microphones.

NCPH will provide digital copies of its conference Program and errata sheet that allow for use of the zoom feature to increase text size and can be read by text-to-speech software. NCPH will adjust its digital conference presences to be friendlier to text-to-speech software (e.g. using the hashtag #NCPH2020 as opposed to #ncph2020 on social media).

Conference events that are open to the public, and for which NCPH has no way to collect information on accessibility needs in advance, will feature ASL interpretation as a matter of course. This includes the public plenary event and may include other publicly-accessible events that vary from conference to conference.

NCPH will provide the use of a Nursing Carers’ Room for the duration of the conference, so that people who are nursing, chest-feeding, and/or pumping can feed their children, pump in privacy, and store milk in a refrigerator. Those looking to make use of the room can sign out the key from the conference registration desk. In years when there is money in the accessibility line of the budget that has not been allocated by the Early Bird Deadline, and as additional funds are raised for these purposes, NCPH may utilize these funds to provide a limited number of childcare grants to help offset the costs of childcare for attendees.To inquire about the availability of funds, attendees can email [email protected] or call the office at 317-274-2716 after the Early Bird Deadline.

Upon request, NCPH will provide a complimentary guest registration to any attendee who needs or wishes to bring a personal aide or caregiver to the conference. To arrange for this, attendees can email [email protected] or call the office at 317-274-2716.

NCPH will provide presenters and other attendees with guidance on how to make presentations accessible (See appendix A and B). With upwards of 300 people presenting at NCPH conferences, it is logistically impossible to oversee every individual presentation and guarantee 100% compliance. However, NCPH will clearly communicate its expectations and provide guidelines and resources to help presenters be mindful of accessibility. This will include guidance posted to the NCPH website to be updated and reposted annually (See Appendix A); an email to presenters specifically related to the accessibility of their presentations; a page on the conference website for presenter resources; and an annual training webinar for presenters geared toward accessible presentations, which will be recorded.

NCPH will communicate its accessibility-related expectations to attendees via the conference website and, where appropriate, pre-event emails. These expectations may include, but are not limited to: forgoing the use of perfume, cologne, or heavily-scented products at the conference to avoid harming people who are scent-sensitive; respecting the presence of working service animals; best practices for communicating with a person who is using an interpreter (see below); a webinar for best practices about presenting accessibly.

NCPH will make every effort to accommodate food allergies and dietary needs at events that include food. We ask attendees who want to alert us to dietary needs to do so during registration or by emailing [email protected] two weeks or more before the conference. Restaurant guides in the NCPH Program will include a wide variety of restaurants, including those that are vegan- and vegetarian-friendly and have gluten-free and dairy-free options. NCPH will make an effort to include restaurants that might fulfill dietary needs that deliver to the hotel venue. This will ensure those who prefer or need to stay on site can do so.

NCPH will provide space on the annual meeting evaluation form for attendees to leave us feedback specifically about conference accessibility and to make suggestions for future growth. Being more intentional about evaluating accessibility efforts will yield useful feedback from attendees, which may in turn provide direction for annual updating of the accessibility plan.

NCPH will protect attendees’ privacy. Information related to accessibility needs will be shared only with those helping to make arrangements or perform essential services, which may include: NCPH staff and conference volunteers; staff employed at the meeting venue, such as the event manager; third party vendors contracted to perform accessibility-related services, such as American Sign Language interpretation; and people associated with tours or offsite events where such arrangements will be carried out (such as tour guides, bus drivers, or plenary site managers). For more information, see the NCPH Privacy Policy.

Promotional, Registration, and Program Materials

NCPH will adhere to the following guidelines for preparing promotional and registration materials for NCPH annual meetings:

Print and digital Programs will include a link to the Conference Accessibility Guidelines to demonstrate our commitment to accessible meetings and will clearly indicate the process and deadline for requesting accessibility accommodations.

There will be a page of the conference website and section on the annual meeting mobile app (if one is provided) dedicated to conference accessibility at the primary meeting venue, including maps of the space which clearly mark the location of accessible restrooms and elevators.

Attendees will be able to register via a variety of methods and formats (online, via print form, via phone—although please note NCPH cannot accept credit card payments over the phone).

All major annual meeting-related publications (the registration form, Program, and errata sheet) will be available in print and digital PDF formats. PDFs will be calibrated for accessibility using Adobe’s Accessibility Setup Assistant.

NCPH will provide red, yellow, and green lanyards for attendees. Each attendee will have the opportunity to select one. If attendees prefer not to be approached physically (handshakes, hugs, etc.), they should select the red lanyard. If they are OK with any conventional greeting (handshakes, hugs, etc.), the attendee should select the green lanyard. If attendees are OK with some but not all greetings (handshakes but not hugs, for example), they should select the yellow lanyard. NCPH will publish a lanyard color key in the annual meeting Program.

Areas for Future Growth

The following areas are currently targeted as areas for improvement or growth:

More microphones. NCPH commits to providing two microphones in every session, working group, and workshop room for presenter and audience use. NCPH recognizes that many of our community’s preferred session formats and presentation styles depend upon conversational presentation between presenters, or between presenter and audience. As our budget allows, NCPH hopes to scale up the number of mics in session rooms, beginning with working groups and on tours outside the main venue.

Air filtration. NCPH could explore the possibility of whether venues could provide high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) air filters in session rooms. NCPH might also explore publishing more information about hotel air filtration systems.

Health-related Mutual Aid. NCPH could consider publishing information in its program about local mutual aid groups that can provide resources for those particularly concerned about the spread of infection disease at the conference location. See, for example, maskbloc. NCPH may also consider using Mask Bloc resources for the annual meeting.

Tour accessibility. NCPH will work on developing a more thorough way to assess and describe tour terrain so conference attendees have a better sense of what they can expect on tours. A very basic example of what this looks like in a National Park setting can be found here. This information might be thought of as a “know before you go” guide. Perhaps tour local leaders could complete a survey NCPH develops that it could use to help prospective participants decide if a tour is right for them.

Disability signaling. Design a pin or other lanyard add-on that would allow participants to identify as disabled. This is particularly helpful for individuals with hidden disabilities. For example, the sunflower has been used for this purpose. Attendees could request this designation for their lanyard when they register.

Sensory sensitivity. In recent years, NCPH has received increasing requests in conference evaluation forms for the provision of a sensory relief space for conference attendees who may be experiencing sensory overload or overstimulation but do not have their own overnight room in the conference hotel to go to. This need may be felt particularly acutely for those with sensory processing difficulties, such as people with ADHD or PTSD or autistic people. In future contracts, an additional space to serve as a sensory relief room will, if possible, be worked into the negotiating process. In the meantime (for contracts signed prior to the crafting of this plan, through 2027), staff will try to find reasonable alternatives to provide a quiet and more private space at the conference venue for attendees seeking down-time. When NCPH is able to provide this space, it will be made available to those who request it. I.E., its location will not be shared with others attending the conference. If NCPH and/or the venue are not able to provide a private room, the NCPH will note on the Errata sheet where meeting participants might find quieter spaces in the venue.

In addition, NCPH will aim to provide sensory kits that may include items such as ear plugs or headphones, stim toys, or other sensory-related items. Attendees may check these out at the registration desk.

Finally, NCPH will work on providing more lighting at large public events such as the poster session and traditional reception lighting at social events such as the opening reception.

Seating. NCPH will work with venue staff on placing seating farther apart in rooms set theatre-style. If feasible, and as resources allow, NCPH will consider streaming sessions identified as likely to meet room capacity in an overflow room so people can prioritize having enough personal space over observing a session physically in the same room.

Captioning. Captioning, or the practice of providing immediate text translation of spoken words takes many forms. Some captioning, such that is built into Zoom, is AI-generated. This type of captioning is generally acceptable despite its flaws. NCPH suggests that presenters use automated captioning, which is built into some slide services such as Google Slides and PowerPoint. The gold standard is communication access real-time translation (CART) captioning, which is produced by a human. NCPH will work toward providing CART captioning in addition to ASL interpretation for its large annual meeting events such as its plenary, awards breakfast, etc.

Assistive listening devices or microphones for walking tours. Many tour buses do come equipped with microphones, but NCPH has not to this point been able to explore any additional A/V support for walking tours. Some conferences of other organizations are exploring portable wireless audio systems to increase the auditory accessibility of their tour offerings for all attendees, and this is an area of interest for NCPH to consider in the future.

Appendix A: How to Participate in a more accessible presentation, panel, or working group

How to Participate in a More Accessible Presentation, Panel, or Working Group

Session organizers should remind participants to review these guidelines one to two weeks before the annual meeting.

Notify your audience of what you are doing to make your presentation as accessible as possible. Ask if there is anything else you can do to make your time together more accessible.

Provide access copies of your presentation. Access copies take many forms. Typically, they include an outline, draft, or rough transcript of the presentation and are given to participants for reference during and after the presentation. They should be available as hard copies as well as electronic copies (Word and PDF).[1] Typically, presenters provide access copies (hard copies and digital) that feature large typefaces (such as 16pts-18pts or larger) as well as access copies that are 12pts. For some examples of digital access copies, see scholar Margaret Price’s examples.

Outline your session and mode of operation of community guidelines before you start. For example, note that attendees may stand up and stretch and if you will take breaks at specific times.

Use microphones, even if you think you are loud enough.

Each time you begin communicating, provide your name. Provide your pronouns at the start of the session if you wish.

Session facilitators should repeat questions or comments from the audience if:

  • there is no microphone for the person asking the question, or
  • the session is taking place in a larger space, or
  • someone explicitly asks for the question to be repeated

Present slowly to assist ASL translators or CART transcribers, if applicable. Presenting slowly also helps all session attendees process information more easily. Provide key words, an outline, or a draft before the session to assist with translation and transcription.

If there is no live, human-generated captioning or ASL interpretation in your session, consider using PowerPoint captioning and GoogleSlide captioning.

Define jargon.

Spell out any proper names or place names used in your presentation.

If you play audio or video, provide captions.

Limit amounts of text on slides. If you present text, read aloud or have it verbalized.

Check graphs, charts, and other data visualizations for accessibility (e.g., color contrast). Describe all data visualizations verbally. See below regarding accessibility for posters.

If you show images in a presentation, describe them in full. This helps you ensure they are relevant to your presentation, and it also helps those who may be blind or have low vision. If you present images, use no more than one-two per slide.

If you include images in an electronic handout, use styles to create headings and subheadings as well as alternative text for images.

Use a typeface that is easily readable: Arial | Times New Roman | Calibri | Verdana. Avoid italics, bold, and all caps. See also these tips from @BlindIshLatina.

Text should be 16-pt or larger on most printed materials and 32-36-pts for posters. Use also 18-pt or larger typefaces on slides.

Use high-contrast colors. Black and white are best. Check your contrast here.

Use existing templates in slide software, which tend to work best with screen readers.

When using hyperlinks on electronic documents, hyperlink descriptive words or phrases (rather than using a hyperlinked, “click here,”). This makes the destination of a link more obvious to someone using a screen reader.

When using hashtags in any setting, capitalize the letter of each word. Ex: #AnnualMeetingAccessibility, not, #annualmeetingaccessibility.

Accessibility for Attendees Posters

See above guidelines. In addition, consider guidance for accessible posters from the American Anthropological Association.

Please provide a QR code on your poster that links to an accessible, electronic version of the content. Presenters will be encouraged to allow their poster to be included in a single pdf for on-going access during and after the conference.

Other Accessibility Guidelines for Attendees

Avoid using products with strong scents such as perfumes, detergents, dryer sheets, or moisturizers.

When you are interacting with someone who uses American Sign Language (ASL) and is with a translator, look at the person using ASL (not the translator) while communicating with them.

If you are interacting with a wheelchair user or someone using another visible mobility device, do not touch that person’s device unless they ask you to do so.

Consider wearing a mask. If you are not wearing a mask and you are interacting with someone who is wearing a mask, put on a mask without asking that person if they want you to wear one. Avoid saying things like, “Oh, I’m vaccinated. Don’t worry!” Or, “Oh, I just got over COVID/the flu/a cold.”

Thank you for helping to make NCPH’s annual meetings more accessible! See below in Appendix B for a non-exhaustive list of resources. If you would like to request these guidelines in another format or propose changes, please email us at [email protected]

[1] NCPH participants are not obligated to provide any information that is private, that would cause harm to any individuals, etc. Like anything, participants should balance accessibility with other needs. Some content may not be sharable as hard copies or electronic notes.

Appendix b: Resources Consulted and Further Reading

Accessible Conferences and Events

ADA National Network, “New Customer Service and Accessible Meetings Resources,” 2015.

American Alliance of Museums, “Accessibility Guidelines for In-person and Virtual Meetings, Seminars, and Workshops,” July 1, 2021.

American Anthropological Association, “Accessibility & Accommodations,” accessed November 10, 2025.

Council of Ontario Universities, A Planning Guide for Accessible Conferences, 2016.

Cornell University, “Event Planning,” accessed November 10, 2025.

IEEE Conferences, Events, & Experiences, “Accessibility Guidelines,” accessed November 13, 2025.

Selena Moon and Nicole Belolan, Accessibility and the NCPH 2025 Annual Meeting, March 3, 2025.

General Services Administration, Section508.gov, “Content Creation: Accessible Meetings,” accessed November 13, 2025.

Mid-Atlantic ADA Center, Hospitality & Disability, “Accessible Meetings, Events, and Conferences Guide,” accessed November 13, 2025.

New York State Department of Health, “People First: How to Plan Events Everyone Can Attend,” June 2021.

Rooted in Rights, “How to Make Your Social Justice Events Accessible to the Disability Community: A Checklist,” February 3, 2017.

Special Interest Group on Accessible Computing, “Accessible Conference Guide,” 2019.

UCLA Center for the Study of Women, “Accessible Spaces:  Fragrance-Free Toolkit,” Accessed December 5, 2025.

US Department of Justice, “Accessible Information Exchange: Meeting on a Level Playing Field,” July 6, 2009.

Western History Association, “Best Practices for Accessibility and Inclusion at the Western History Association Conference,” Accessed November 11, 2024.

Accessibility, Software, and the Web

Adobe, “Accessibility features,” May 17, 2023.

Microsoft, “Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities,” accessed November 10, 2025.

National Disability Rights Network, “Accessibility Guidelines,” accessed November 13, 2025.

US General Services Administration, “Section508.gov GSA Government-wide IT Accessibility Program,” accessed November 10, 2025.

WebAIM, “Power Point Accessibility,” accessed November 10, 20025.

Accessibility and Facilitates/Venues

Institute for Human Centered Design and ADA National Network, “ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities,” 2016.

Accessibility and Communications

National Center on Disability and Journalism, “Disability Language Style Guide,” August 2021.

Queer ASL, accessed November 11, 2025.

Stephanie F. Gilson and Robert M. Kitchin Jr., Association for University Centers on Disabilities, “Guidelines for Creating Accessible Printed Posters,” 2007.

Americans with Disabilities Act

US Department of Justice, information and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act, accessed November 10, 2025.

Accessibility and Public History

“Disability History,” Inclusive Historian’s Handbook, January 3, 2024.

Stephanie Rowe, “A Neuro-Divergent Approach to Public History Labor,” History@Work, August 20, 2025.

Accessibility and Higher Education

Jay Timothy Dolmage, Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2017).

Nancy J. Evans, Ellen M. Broido, Kirsten R. Brown, and Autumn K. Wilke, Disability in Higher Education: A Social Justice Approach (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2017)

Sarah Holland, “Disability and History Project Report,” History UK, 2025.

Margaret Price, Mad at School: Rhetorics of Mental Disability and Academic Life (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2011)

National Center for College Students with Disabilities, “Books about Disability and Higher Education,” Accessed December 16, 2025.