[An-lang] Some reference guidelines for conference accessibility (for ICAL 2027 planning)

[Yuko Kitada]

Dear all,

I wanted to share these resources as soon as possible in case they might be helpful for the ongoing planning of ICAL 2027.

Many international conference guidelines emphasize good airport access and inclusive practices to reduce burden on participants, especially senior scholars and those with health or travel constraints.

For example, the SIGACCESS Accessible Conference Guide (http://www.sigaccess.org/welcome-to-sigaccess/resources/accessible-conference-guide/) asks organizers to consider:

  *   "Is there accessible public transport from the airport (or other likely arrival points) to the hotel, and between the hotel(s) and the conference venue?"
  *   "How complex is the journey?"
  *   "Is there a shuttle service or other transportation options?"

Similar recommendations appear in other resources:

  *   UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD, Article 9): https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-9-accessibility.html
  *   ASEAN MICE Venue Standards: https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ASEAN-MICE-Venue-Standards-Exhibition-Venue.pdf (and related documents for meeting rooms)
  *   GSTC MICE Criteria: https://www.gstcouncil.org/gstc-criteria/gstc-mice-criteria/
  *   Fourwaves Conference Planning Checklist: https://fourwaves.com/blog/conference-planning-timeline/
  *   Ex Ordo Conference Planning Checklist: https://www.exordo.com/blog/your-foolproof-conference-planning-checklist

These resources also contain other useful information for conference operations (including timelines, accessibility, and participant considerations). While past ICAL venues have worked in their own contexts, I hope we can avoid relying too heavily on previous experiences and consider current guidelines to make the conference as inclusive as possible for everyone.

I decided to share this with the whole community rather than just individuals or the Steering Committee, because I believe broadening our perspective — including how other areal linguistics conferences operate — would be beneficial. For example, in SEALS, the organizer Prof. Paul Sidwell has mentioned prioritizing accessibility to a hub airport.

I hope the organizers and Steering Committee might find them helpful for discussion.

Best regards,
Yuko

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