Most meeting planners are con- stantly looking for ways to grow their events and increase attendance, but they may be overlooking a large - and lucrative - segment of the marketplace. That segment is the ever-increasing group of people with disabilities, a vital group of workers and citizens who are, by and large, absent at meetings and conventions.

"Many people with disabilities don't go to conferences simply because they're not sure if their needs will be met," said Jani Nayar, executive coordinator for the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality. "Sometimes they can't get into the meeting rooms; sometimes handouts aren't available in alternative formats. So people say, 'What's the point of going if I can't participate fully in the conference?'"

Based on U.S. Census Bureau data and assuming that incidence rates remain the same, by 2030 nearly 24 percent of the U.S. population will be disabled, an increase of more than 30 million people since 1997. And this group has money to spend - according to the National Business Leadership Network, people with disabilities spend more than $185 billion in discretionary income each year. And if the events meet their particular needs, many people with disabilities could be spending that money on meetings and conventions.

"Making conferences accessible is not merely a matter of charity," said Ollie Cantos, associate director on disabilities in the White House Domestic Policy Council. "Rather, it is a matter of organizations taking the opportunity strategically to place themselves in positions to capture a share of the billions of dollars spent by people with disabilities each year."

In order to serve those with disabilities in your target market - and to take advantage of their spending power, one of the most important things you can do is to choose an accessible convention center. Selecting a venue that is physically accessible is the first step toward making your entire meeting accessible. While every convention center in the United States must adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), in many cases the bare minimum requirements required by the law are not enough to truly welcome attendees with disabilities.

"We always ask people to look at the spirit rather than the letter of the law," Nayar said. "So much has changed since the ADA legislation was passed. For instance, wheelchairs are bigger so there's a need for larger door openings, and many people are using electric wheelchairs so toilet seats are often too high or too low for them. While no center can adapt to every need of every individual, they have to find a happy medium."

Many meeting planners don't think to ask whether a facility is accessible for people with disabilities, but many venues have worked extensively to become fully accessible, according to Cantos. And it's important for meeting planners to know the definition of an "accessible venue." Cantos recommends reviewing the checklists found at the Americans With Disabilities Act Document Center at www.ada.gov to become familiar with what an accessible venue truly is. However, convention centers that are following the "spirit" and not just the "letter" of the law will go beyond those minimum guidelines. Here's what to look for when searching for a genuinely accessible center:

• Look for a facility that considers all disabilities. "People usually pay more attention to people in wheelchairs than to those who are visually or hearing impaired," Nayar said. "But of 54 million Americans with disabilities, only 8 million are in wheelchairs or have mobility problems. Sixteen million are visually impaired and 26 million are deaf or have hearing problems."

In order to meet the needs of attendees with visual or hearing impairments, all announcements and directional and informational signs in convention centers should be visual as well as audible. For instance, signs marking meeting rooms should be readable in Braille, and facility maps should be available in Braille. For those who are hearing impaired, screens with scrolling announcements are helpful to accompany any loudspeaker announcements. And inside the meeting rooms, sign language interpreters, closed caption television screens, or other listening devices for the deaf are essential. "The World Bank does a great job with its meetings," Nayar said. "When somebody's talking, everything they say is shown in closed caption on a screen behind the speaker, and there's also a sign language interpreter, so people have a choice."

• Beyond those with hearing, visual, and mobility impairments, conscientious convention centers will accommodate people with chemical sensitivities. "People with this type of disability cannot stand any kind of smell, including cleaning products or gadgets used in bathrooms to make the bathrooms smell good," Nayar said. If you have attendees with such sensitivity, consider asking the convention center to alter its cleaning schedule during your meeting.
• Convention centers that are focused on accessibility should be able to recommend a provider of accessible transportation.

"A lot of meeting planners, as well as the general population, think that people with disabilities do not travel, but that's not true," Nayar said. "They travel a lot and they go to conferences. But they don't go when they're not given the opportunity and the accessibility to go."

Convene's Meeting Budget series is sponsored by The Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Visit its Web site at www.mtccc.com.