What Is Accessibility Hour And What Does This Mean For Stallholders?

Freshers Fairs are a loud, crowded environment and can be off-putting and inaccessible for autistic students and students with other disabilities including anxiety disorders and sensory differences. Because Freshers Fairs are so crowded it can be difficult for people with physical disabilities, including wheelchair users, to move around, therefore it can be difficult or even impossible for them to participate without an accessibility hour.

When students are unable to participate in Freshers Fairs, it can significantly reduce the chances that they will participate in student clubs and societies, this can permanently damage their sense of belonging in the student community. Students who miss out on the fairs due to it being inaccessible also do not find out about important services and support that the Students' Union and the University offer to all students, or don’t find out for some time.

As a stallholder, you play an important role in ensuring that the Fair accessible to all of Durham’s students. Your actions and how you present your information really makes a difference to students who have access requirements. Please follow the guidelines below:

• The access hour serves an important purpose, please don’t ignore it. During this time please ensure you keep a low noise, low stimulation, and low energy stall.

• Turn off any music & lighting.

• Remove any smells/aromas from your stall.
• Remove anything from your stall that could be potentially upsetting/distressing, and content warnings should be used when this is unavoidable. Triggers might include but are not limited to, violence, mental health, alcohol, food, and should always be content noted.
• Please take a more reserved approach students during this time and allow students to approach you rather than you approaching them. Students may wish to browse your information before engaging in conversation so allow people space - whilst you might be excited about someone taking an interest in your stall, they might not have the energy or willingness to talk to you about it. They may want to take some time to browse your information, take a handout, and then might ask you a question. Try to give visitors to your stall some room to breathe.
• It’s very important to make clear what your stall is about and who you are in big, clear letters. This is so that people know what they’re getting into, and so that visually impaired students can find what they’re interested in without having to be very close to the stall. 
• Please refrain from using any whistles, high pitched sounds, horns, or other loud noises. These sounds can interfere with people's hearing aids making it impossible for them to communicate with the people around them. These sounds can also trigger sensory issues for students who have sensory differences.
• If a student tells you about an accessibility concern they have with your club/society please listen to them carefully and make the appropriate changes so they can be included in your activities.
• When talking to students, focus more on highlighting how your society makes the activity accessible and inclusive.
• Adapt your resources and displays: Offer to send your resources on display in a digital format after the event. Also strip back what is on display to make your stall less distracting from its key messages as clutter, vibrant colour and distractions can make it confusing for someone to spot the information you need to get across.