Creating frameworks for accessible events and international exchanges for Sightsavers Ireland

The challenge

Although Sightsavers has global accessibility guidelines, they were eager to tailor them to better support their local teams and to be an exemplar, especially as many events they participate in are collaborative with external partners, such as festivals. Their goal was to shift from simply complying with legal requirements to fostering a culture in which accessibility is a natural part of everyday work. 

This meant thinking intentionally about what it means to attend an event or to participate in a trip with Sightsavers. They wanted invitees to have as much information as possible to support their decision-making to ensure they were as independent as possible, feeling fully welcomed, supported, and able to enjoy the experience, and to ensure they felt motivated to provide as much information as possible to the travel team to plan for any contingency during the activities.

Our approach

The team at Tilting the Lens draws on personal, professional, and lived experience of disability. For this project, the approach focused on a few key areas, including: 

• Identifying pain points: Talking directly with staff to understand their specific challenges and accessibility concerns regarding events, travel, and past issues. 
• Localising: Transforming broad global event guidelines into clear, practical toolkits tailored for local teams in Ireland
• Prioritising accessibility: Using plain language, avoiding jargon, and ensuring people can quickly understand and reference the recommendations when needed. 
• A focus on psychological safety: Ensuring that the travel checklist and framework, and event planning toolkit’s intention, language, and approach prioritise Disabled stakeholders, making people feel safe and comfortable sharing their access and support needs when travelling or attending events.

What we did

Developed an inclusive travel framework

We created a framework of tools to help make international travel safe and accessible for everyone. The two-document set, aims to support psychological safety for people invited to participate in travel. 

The first, an audit and review template supports staff on the ground to create a “What to expect In-Country” briefing document. This is a vital resource that will allow Sightsavers Ireland to show and tell Disabled people who have been invited to travel with them everything they need to know about what they will experience. By giving as much information as possible before invitees accept the invitation, it will help them make informed decisions about their own wellbeing and safety, and to know what information to give to Sightsavers to plan as carefully as possible for any challenge that may happen during the trip. 

The second tool is the Sightsavers Ireland Travel Access Rider, a detailed questionnaire designed to encompass the entire travel experience, driving a planning process that includes Disabled people, moving from reacting to access issues as they arise towards thoughtful, personalised preparation. The rider covers:

• Mobility and logistics
• Daily living
• Safety, participation, and evacuation
• Contingency and preparation

These documents highlight three key operational benefits:

• Risk mitigation: Allows teams to spot potential issues in the host country well before the trip begins, and to plan for and identify potential solutions locally if equipment or medications fail or go missing.
• Efficiency and reusability: Establishes a lasting record that ‘future-proofs’ data for future trips, cutting down on administrative tasks.
• Participant-centric design: Encourages guests to actively shape their travel plans, focusing on autonomy and well-being.

Created an event accessibility guidelines and best practices document, and an event accessibility checklist and a language toolkit

The two documents offer detailed recommendations, tools, and checklists to help Sightsavers Ireland organise events from ideation through to execution that are truly welcoming, inclusive, and accessible to all, regardless of individual needs.

They provide a strategic framework for embedding accessibility into organisational culture, covering everything from initial planning and budgeting to post-event reflection.

• Practical Checklists: Actionable checklists for auditing physical venues, covering essential details like step-free access, accessible bathrooms, and proper signage.
• Digital and hybrid standards: Detailed instructions for hosting virtual events, including how to effectively use platform features like captions and how to coordinate sign language and interpreters.
• A language toolkit: A guide to respectful communication that provides a list of inclusive terms to replace outdated or ableist language.
• Staff etiquette and training: Reminder guidance for staff on how to interact respectfully with Disabled people, such as mobility, sensory, or non-apparent disabilities.

We also designed all digital materials to be compatible with assistive technologies and screen readers, using plain language and visual supports for ease of use.

Outcome and impact

Sightsavers Ireland now has straightforward, localised guides to create accessible events and support international travel. The project set up a clear way for participants to share travel preferences and accessibility plans, building trust and safety. Additionally, teams received ready-to-use checklists to help make sure accessibility is considered from the start of a project, and to support advocacy on the ground for accessibility upgrades to the facilities used for travel.

• Ensures compliance and beyond: While the documents help meet legal standards such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA), they aim higher, moving beyond compliance to create an environment where Disabled people feel welcomed from the start and can participate in and enjoy accessible experiences. 
• Reduces stress by providing detailed Pre-Arrival information, such as photos of entrances, accommodation, and transport modes and routes, guests and hosts feel more prepared before arrival.
• Simplifies planning: The structured checklists and budget guidelines (including estimated costs for interpreters and ramps or other portable equipment) take the guesswork out of resource allocation and logistics.
• Builds confidence for staff: The specific “Support-Staff Guidance” empowers team members with the skills and etiquette needed to assist guests sensitively and effectively.
• Promotes consistency: The Language Toolkit ensures that all Sightsavers Ireland communication, whether from fundraisers or senior leadership, is unified, respectful, and aligned with the disability rights movement.