Our goal is to provide universal access to all Kenyon College programs, activities and events. The level of facility access on our historic campus is quite variable, so it is essential to consider facility access as well as publicity and media formats when planning events that will be universally accessible to all guests or community members.
This accessibility guide is designed to assist you when planning events on Kenyon's campus. The guide is intended for use by all event planners including: Admissions, Development, Parent and Alumni Affairs, Provosts' and President's offices, Off-Campus Studies, Career Development, LBIS, faculty and student lectureships, Student Affairs, student council, student activities, service and Greek organizations.
Include an access statement in your PR materials about who to contact regarding program accessibility. Designate one staff member to handle all accommodation requests.
Provide electronic copies of all print materials for individuals that use assistive technology. Tips for Inclusive Design are available on the SASS Digital Accessibility webpages and include a document conversion tool.
Please contact access@kenyon.edu if you would like assistance designing accessible materials.
Requests for accessible meeting space or venue: Make sure the location is completely accessible for the participant by using the checklist below. Please reference the Building Accessibility Ratings list to verify or locate accessible venues on campus.
AV media or media clips need to be captioned for participants with hearing impairments. Captioning of older media requires a 9-10 day turn around. Contact the Student Accessibility and Support Services for assistance with setting up closed captioning.
Auxiliary aids and services such as enlarged text formats, braille, assisted listening systems, sign language interpreter, remote captioning or handouts in an alternative format can be arranged by contacting Erin Salva, Director of Student Accessibility Support Services, at salvae@kenyon.edu or 740-427-5453.
Confirm adequate signage directing attendees to accessible entrances and restrooms.
Check to ensure that the entrance has smooth doorway threshold, railing, ramp, or on-grade access.
Confirm proximity of accessible parking spaces near the entrance or drop-off area.
Confirm route of travel to the building is properly signed, level and clear of obstructions.
Confirm at least one fully accessible male and female restroom or accessible unisex restroom.
If the location for your event or program has multiple floors, confirm an accessible elevator.
If there is a stage or platform, confirm it is accessible for speakers and presenters in a wheelchair.
Check to ensure that participants can navigate easily in the space. There should be 36" clear space between rows of chairs and removable seating areas for persons who are in a wheelchair.
If your event site or program does not meet the ADA access guidelines above the SASS can assist you in setting up auxiliary aids and services or relocating your program to a venue with universal accessibility for speakers, presenters, and participants.
As you bring candidates to campus or arrange for college or departmental speakers/events it is important to consider accessibility up front. We recommend that you include an access statement in your PR materials and designate one staff member to handle all accommodation requests. Advance planning for accessibility will maximize the opportunity for universal access, minimize the need to make last minute arrangements or changes and will result in an equitable experience for all participants.
The disability accommodation statement should provide an event contact email and phone number. Here are a few sample accessibility statements:
I will need the following accommodations in order to participate:
• ASL Interpreter
• Communication Access in Real Time (CART services)
• Large print
• Braille
• Wheelchair access
• Assistive Listening Device
• Closed captioned videos
Pre-registration for an event provides an opportunity for event planners to give more detail about their event. A comprehensive description of the event, including location, environmental conditions, services available, etc. will provide for the most effective planning. Information that is helpful to know is the distance to parking areas, the availability of transportation services, whether the venue is air-conditioned, if hearing assistive devices are available, scooter or wheelchair availability, and the availability of food options for persons with food allergies.
If an event includes overnight lodging, the event planner should investigate the accessibility features of the lodging.
If you have any questions about accessibility features of a facility, captioning, assistive listening devices or how to create accessible formats for print materials please contact SASS directly.
Download the accessibility checklist for programs and events (PDF).
Your feedback is critical to helping Kenyon College achieve its goal of universal access. Universal access creates the greatest usability of both the built environment and the social environment through awareness of the basic principles of universal design. These include: ease of use, flexibility, simple and intuitive use to enable equal access.
If you have comments, concerns, or complaints about your experience with any of the colleges services, programs or facilities, please inform our Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) Office by completing the Universal Access Form.
Kenyon College is committed to making its website accessible to the widest possible audience, including individuals with disabilities. This website endeavors to comply with best practices and standards as defined by Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act and level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. Conformance with these guidelines will help make the web more user-friendly for all people.
Should any user have difficulty accessing the content of this site or have accessibility concerns, please contact the Office of Communications at 740-427-5158.