
Visit Richmond, VA, has been on the leading edge of the events industry’s push to improve accessibility.
According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control, more than one quarter —28 percent — of adults in the U.S. have a disability. While navigating those disabilities at home may already prove challenging, going to a meeting or event in an unfamiliar environment can feel overwhelming.
Visit Richmond, VA, has been on the leading edge of the events industry’s push to improve accessibility. Every member of the organization’s staff has completed training with VisitAble, a Virginia startup that works with businesses to enhance their ability to serve guests with disabilities. The organization didn’t just focus internally, though. It also offers the region’s entire hospitality community the same training. As you work to update your organization’s accessibility efforts, consider these four valuable lessons.
Share Every Detail Possible Before Attendees Arrive
Pre-event meeting messaging tends to focus on where attendees can stay and what education sessions they should attend. However, for many attendees, those details aren’t nearly as important as being able to understand the nuances of the environment.
Take a cue from the Science Museum of Virginia for your communication strategy. The venue’s website addresses specific questions that guests may have before they visit: where the wheelchair accessible seating is located and how to find the elevators to get to that seating, advance options for hiring a sign language interpreter, and more.

The Science Museum of Virginia’s website has an accessibility page that explains all the museum’s resources and services to ensure an inclusive experience for all visitors.
Don’t Assume — Ask
“Sometimes, you may believe you’re helping a guest with a disability,” Morgan Lewis, director of sales at the Four Points by Sheraton Richmond, said, “but you’re actually not.”
Lewis completed the VisitAble training — along with approximately 80 percent of the property’s employees, excluding the housekeeping staff — and she says that the ability to get a glimpse of what a guest with a disability feels was a helpful lesson. “Ask the guest how they prefer to be interacted with,” Lewis says. “To respectfully assist a guest with disabilities, you can’t assume you know what will make them feel comfortable.”
Think About Non-Apparent Disabilities in Your Experience Design
The meetings industry has historically focused on accommodating visible disabilities, but there is a pressing need to make sure that attendees with non-apparent disabilities can participate, too. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) offers a helpful tutorial to better serve this attendee segment. The museum works to make sure that guests with sensory concerns will be able to enjoy their experience by offering pre-visit social narratives with photographs and stories to help guests know what to expect. Additionally, many of Richmond’s travel and tourism partners including VMFA and the Richmond International Airport participate in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard Program, which offers a discreet way for attendees to signal that they may need additional support.
Work Closely With Your CVB Partner
Before you open registration, develop a comprehensive accommodation plan with the host city to make sure you have a full list of properties that are best suited for specific needs so that all meeting attendees can explore the destination with excitement and confidence. The team at Visit Richmond, VA, can offer assistance across the entire region’s seven jurisdictions.
Head to visitrichmondva.com/meetings/ to discover how Richmond — named CNN’s Best Town to Visit in 2024 — can make a positive impression on all of your attendees.