Conference Accessibility and Inclusion Starts With Speaker Selection

When event planners think about accessibility and inclusion, logistics often come to mind first: captions, dietary needs, room layouts. Those elements are an essential part of the planning process. But long before the room is set or food and beverage is chosen, inclusion is already taking shape through one of the most influential decisions you’ll make: who is invited to speak.

Speakers signal who belongs in the room and which perspectives are valued. Speaker selection reflects priorities and perspective - and it directly shapes how inclusive, credible, and engaging an event feels to participants.

Inclusive speaker selection isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about designing learning environments that reflect your audience and respect the expertise that exists beyond traditional titles and platforms. And that starts with a well-designed selection process.

1] Design an Inclusive Speaker Search

Inclusion is shaped not only by who you select, but by how accessible your speaker recruitment process is.

Calls for speakers that rely on insider language, rigid formats, or limited distribution can unintentionally exclude qualified voices. Clear expectations, transparent selection criteria, and accessible submission options make it easier for first-time and underrepresented speakers to participate.

Clearly address potential barriers in your search materials - including potential physical, financial, and travel-related obstacles. Ask during the selection process what supports speakers may need - but make it clear that their selection is not dependent on having accommodation needs. 

Sharing opportunities through a broader range of channels - and intentionally reaching out to under-represented groups - also signals that new voices are welcome. Consider curated invitations in addition to your open call to ensure you’re recruiting the perspectives you need for a well-rounded conference. 

2] Evaluate Forms for Clarity and Accessibility

A fair and inclusive submission process starts by being intentional about what information you collect and why. Event planners should ask only for what is truly necessary for review - minimizing optional or irrelevant data that could unintentionally introduce bias - and clearly explain how any requested information will be used. 

Evaluate form to ensure language (criteria, instructions, navigation, questions) is clear and submission expectations are explicit. The Is That Clear: Effective Communication books are brief and indispensable for seeing unintended barriers for our neurodivergent and multilingual world.

Ensure technology used for submissions is accessible and inclusive, with forms that work well with assistive technologies and remain usable for individuals with limited internet access or bandwidth. 

Submission forms should also be reviewed for clarity and readability, with expectations and evaluation criteria spelled out plainly and without assumptions about applicants’ prior experience with proposal systems. Users should have a clear way to access technical support as needed. 

3] Evaluate Proposals Fairly

An inclusive review process demands that reviewers are prepared to evaluate proposals fairly and thoughtfully. Providing explicit training on inclusive practices and implicit bias - along with clear context about your organization’s diversity and inclusion goals - helps reviewers stay focused on the substance, accessibility, and value of a proposal rather than conformity to familiar styles or norms. For example, include prompts for your reviewers such as, “Am I reacting to the quality of the idea, or to how familiar the writing style or speaker background feels to me?” and provide examples of great ideas presented in different formats.

Whenever possible, removing identifying details through a blind review process can further reduce the influence of unconscious bias by keeping attention on content and relevant experience instead of personal information. 

Transparent and inclusive review rubrics are equally essential: clearly defined criteria aligned with your educational goals should be applied consistently, shared publicly with applicants, and designed to honor a range of communication and presentation styles by prioritizing clarity, relevance, and innovation over rigid structure.

Ready to design your inclusive speaker selection process? Access our free checklist to ensure you’re inviting and supporting a variety of voices and perspectives to your conference.