Track accessibility fixes and who owns them
Your team found gaps in how people reach and use the event, and each needs a named owner.
…
The short answer
The tracker keeps one row for each barrier. Each row holds the access need as an anonymous category, the route or room, your evidence, the action, its owner and deadline, any alternative offered, and any confirmation. It lists the barriers still unresolved.
Record categories, not people. An item marked done stays unresolved until a confirmation record says who confirmed it and when.
What to record
- The access need as a category, such as step-free movement, seeing and reading, hearing, sensory load or communication. Never a name or a medical detail.
- The route or room the barrier is in, and what the barrier is.
- The evidence you hold: nothing yet, a verbal statement, written confirmation from the venue or a supplier, or your own site visit notes or photos.
- The action, the owner's role, the deadline and the alternative offered while the barrier remains.
What counts as resolved
A row is unresolved while it is open, in progress, or marked done without a confirmation record. A confirmation record needs a role and a date: who said it was dealt with, and when.
Even a resolved row only means the record is complete. It does not show that the route, room or event works for the people who need it.
Flags worth acting on
- No owner or no deadline on an unresolved item.
- Overdue against the review date you enter.
- No evidence, or verbal evidence only: ask for it in writing.
- No alternative recorded while a barrier is still open.
Limits
Counts are shown as numbers, not as a percentage or rating, because a completion figure cannot show whether people can use the event. Only an access specialist, the venue or the people affected can judge that.
For what the venue has confirmed in writing, use the venue visit evidence log. For wording on signs, see the trilingual signage planner.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional three-item tracker
Fictional organisation and items, to show the flags.
A fictional forum records a step at the lobby door with written venue confirmation of a side ramp, marked done with a confirmer and date, so it holds a confirmation record. A hearing item for the main hall has no owner, no evidence and a deadline that has passed, so it is flagged three ways.
A third item, door width in a breakout room, is marked done but rests on a verbal statement and has no confirmation record, so it stays unresolved with a prompt to get it in writing.
Use this yourself
Access action tracker
One row per barrier. Use categories only and keep personal details out.
| Category | Route or room | Barrier | Evidence held | Action and owner | Deadline | Alternative offered | Confirmed by and on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The venue is familiar, the list of barriers is short and each has an owner.
- The venue has already given written answers on routes and rooms.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Many barriers, several suppliers and tight dates need one person following each action to a confirmed close.
- Venue answers are slow or verbal and need chasing in writing.
- The event needs an access specialist and someone to coordinate their findings with the venue and suppliers.
Want access actions followed through?
A conference project lead can coordinate the access workstream: keeping the tracker current, chasing owners and written venue answers, and keeping deadlines visible to your committee. Send us your barrier list and event brief. We will reply with the level of support that fits and what it would cover. Judging whether a route or room is suitable stays with the venue, an access specialist and the people affected.
Questions organisers ask
Why are people entered as categories only?
The tracker needs the kind of barrier, not who it affects. Names and medical details do not belong in a planning record.
Can a high completion count show the event is accessible?
No. A count shows how complete the record is, not whether people can use the event. The venue, an access specialist and the people affected judge that.
What makes a confirmation record?
A role and a date for who confirmed the item was dealt with, alongside the evidence you hold.
Related resources
Content record: Written by the EventConsultant team to our editorial rules. Sources are listed on pages that rely on them.