Core principles for a safer and more accessible event
- Safe space: Privacy, security and anonymity needs of your participants are the baseline for creating a space that holds minimal harm and is enjoyable for all. Define your consent, privacy and confidentiality principles and protocols. The golden rule is to communicate them in advance and ask for consent.
- Care: Reflect and practice care in your event duration, accessibility support, safety considerations, session design, self and collective care activities, etc.
- Principles of participation: This is the guideline of your event. The values and principles informing your events should be clear, shared, discussed and acknowledged by all participants.
- Choice of technology: APC prioritises free/libre and open source software (FLOSS) and open standards, as to remind us that our choices need to be: Driven by community needs, sustainable and secure.
- Think about the content you will be presenting and sharing, the shared labor and commitment of everyone in the space and credit previous projects, contributions, sources, people, etc.
- Effective facilitation: Facilitation during your event supports plurality of perspectives and lived experiences, language diversity, and acknowledges the knowledge, unique pace and needs of each and every person in the room. It is the artistry of fostering mutual learning, care and intersectional
- Tech support, backup plan and preventive measures: Real time interaction requires prompt action. Have clear steps and protocols with your tech team to address concerns - at any point of the event. Backup all roles and every piece of material relevant for your event so that you can respond in various circumstances.
- Ask, adjust and response: Adjust the content and pace if there are additional needs than the ones first identified during your preparation phase. Make sure to have a reference person to provide accessibility and tech support for those who might need it.