Accessibility by design: why Gen Z expects more from events
I recently sat on a panel with The Power of Events at The Meetings Show 2026 to discuss accessibility for event attendees. As a proud dyslexic myself, it is a conversation I am very passionate about contributing to within our industry.
Taking part in the panel discussion allowed me to reflect on my generation's perspective and why we treat accessibility as a non-negotiable. Thanks to the generations before us, who advocated for greater recognition and support for neurodivergent individuals, more young people received formal diagnoses and the support they needed throughout their education.
I believe that because of the work of generations before us, Gen Z has grown up with a heightened awareness of diversity in all its forms. We have been encouraged to recognise that people learn, communicate and engage with the world differently and that those differences should be accommodated rather than overlooked.
For the events industry, this means accessibility is no longer something delegates see as an added benefit. It is, quite rightly, becoming a baseline expectation that event professionals must consider from the outset rather than as an afterthought.
Accessibility starts at the beginning
Just as accessibility and understanding different needs is a non-negotiable for Gen Z, it should also be a non-negotiable for the industry and the events we curate for our clients and attendees.
As event professionals, we are builders of experiences. Every decision we make has the potential to either create barriers or remove them. This is where the social model of disability becomes so important. It reminds us that people are often excluded not by their disability but by the environments and experiences we unintentionally create around them. Our role is to identify and remove those barriers.
Accessibility shouldn't be something we react to, it should be something we, in collaboration with our clients, design and implement from the very beginning.
The first touchpoint matters
If there is one thing Gen Z understands, it's that everyone is the main character in their own story. We recognise that people experience the world differently and that what works for one person may not work for another. So rather than making assumptions about what attendees may need, let's simply ask them.
You may be thinking: "Well, I have asked them during registration." I encourage you to take a look at the accessibility questions within your current registration platform.
Is there actually only one open-box question:
"Do you have any access requirements for the event?"
Without guidance from event planners, a singular open-box question can feel overwhelming to attendees. It can leave them unsure what adjustments they could ask for and ultimately lead them to skip the question because they feel they can manage without reasonable adjustments.
Instead of asking attendees to think of every possible adjustment themselves, lets guide them through the process with examples.
For example, a mutiple choice question:
"Please let us know if there is anything we can put in place to help you fully participate in this event."
This could include live captions, keynote streaming rooms, wheelchair seating, session recordings, quiet or wellbeing spaces, reserved seating and step-free access, alongside an "other" option for additional requirements.
It is no secret that the more we know about our delegates before an event, the better we can plan their experience. If you're fortunate enough to take registrations in advance, don't underestimate this opportunity.
Every registration is a chance to build a better understanding of your attendees and collect valuable data. Starting with better questions leads to better data. Better data then leads to better events for our attendees.
Are we purplewashing?
As an industry, we've spent years embedding sustainability into every stage of the event lifecycle. We measure it, report on it, challenge suppliers on it and increasingly hold ourselves accountable for it.
Accessibility deserves exactly the same approach.
We are all familiar with greenwashing in sustainability. Have you considered you may unintentionally be purplewashing for accessibility?
Imagine placing recycling bins throughout your event, only to hand every delegate a single-use plastic cup. Most of us would immediately recognise the contradiction. Accessibility is no different.
A wellness room is a great addition that recognises delegates can find events overstimulating. But what about a streaming room for those who find the main keynote stage difficult to concentrate in? The wellness room has addressed one need but not considered the full attendee experience.
Equally, confirming that a venue has ramp access is only part of the solution. If that entrance is hidden around the back of the building, poorly signposted or feels like an afterthought compared with the main entrance, we've unintentionally created another barrier.
I believe there is much we can learn from our sustainability practices to avoid unintentional purplewashing.
For sustainability, we build requirements into supplier briefing documents, train colleagues, create checkpoints throughout the planning process and review every attendee touchpoint through a sustainability lens. Change the word from 'sustainability' to 'accessibility' and you are halfway there. We already know what to do.
Let's start the conversation
Remaining silent around accessibility speaks volumes and it's creating the very barriers that need to be removed.
Let the younger generation help you become comfortable talking about accessibility. By feeling uncomfortable, scared to say the wrong thing and ultimately avoiding the conversation, you are creating the barrier.
Ask questions. Listen to lived experiences. Be curious. Find your safe space to talk and start the conversation.
You are never starting these conversations with the intention of offending someone. You're starting them because you want to create better, more inclusive events. Every conversation, whether it feels comfortable or not, is an opportunity to learn, grow and do better.
Better events for everyone
Finally, it's important to recognise that accessibility isn't only for attendees with specific access requirements. Thoughtful accessibility enhances the experience for everyone.
Whether it's live captions supporting attendees whose first language isn't English, a quiet space for someone feeling overwhelmed, or step-free access for a delegate recovering from an injury, accessibility creates better experiences for all.
Disability is one of the few communities that many people may move into and out of throughout their lifetime. By designing events that are accessible from the outset, we're not creating experiences for a select group of attendees, we're creating better experiences for everyone.
Most importantly, we're demonstrating that every attendee was expected, considered and welcomed.
For Gen Z, accessibility is not an initiative or a trend. It is simply part a successful event design. The challenge for the industry is to stop treating accessibility as something that can be added later and start designing it into events from the very beginning.