Accessibility is the practice of ensuring that information, activities, and experiences are meaningful and usable to as many people as possible. The EPIC community values diverse abilities and we are committed to meeting our community’s access needs.

With the advocacy and support of our members, particularly Greg Weinstein and Kate Mesh, we have made a lot of progress in recent years. However, we are aware that we have a long way to go, and that our activities and resources don’t meet the needs of everyone who wants to engage with them.

Currently we are:

• Actively working to update website architecture and design for better compatibility with assistive devices
• Captioning and creating transcripts for our large library of videos (please contact us if there are videos you would like us to prioritize: accessibility@epicpeople.org)
• Making our annual conference more accessible (see below)
• Launching new equity and financial inclusion initiatives

EPIC is a small nonprofit organization, and we rely heavily on the skills and passions of our community. If you are interested in helping with accessibility, please connect with us: accessibility@epicpeople.org

Annual Conference

Here are some of the things that we are addressing as we plan our annual conference:

• Creating multiple channels to perceive the live activities and print materials provided. For example: live captioning, audio description, streaming for off-site participants, accessible print materials, and alt text.
• Support to move around and between our physical site and any off-site events. For example: accessibility guides for buildings and clear instructions for accessible transit options.
• Dedicated quiet spaces for people who think at their best, and feel energized, when they can take breaks from the conference hustle and bustle (including nursing babies and their caregivers).
• Options for conference-goers to eat and drink suitably for their dietary needs.
• Information to help participants plan with their access needs in mind; for example: photos and descriptions of our physical site and any other venues for off-site events.
• Informed staff and volunteers who are willing to troubleshoot quickly and creatively when problems arise.
• Support to help presenters make their talks useful and enjoyable for other conference-goers, including guidelines on designing accessible presentation materials.