How to Organize Inclusive Events and Conferences

Jan 1, 2026

Dr. Alex Ketchum, a Faculty Lecturer at McGill University and expert in queer and feminist histories, shares insightful strategies for creating inclusive events. She discusses the importance of accessibility and design justice, offering practical tips for accommodating diverse needs. From soliciting feedback to sustainable budgeting, Alex emphasizes the value of community engagement and adapting spaces for everyone. Her passion for transforming traditional event structures shines as she encourages listeners to start small and make meaningful changes.

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ANECDOTE

Events As Public Scholarship

Alex Ketchum traced her event work from high school dance committees to organizing 106 events for the Disrupting Disruptions series.
She used events to mobilize research and build community partnerships beyond traditional academic publishing.

INSIGHT

Structural Design, Not Intentions, Excludes

Accessibility failures often come from structural and design choices, not individual intentions.
Issues like font size, timing, and campus layout systematically exclude people.

ADVICE

Ask Participants How To Accommodate Them

Solicit feedback from participants before and after events and adapt practices like captioning or ASL based on their needs.
Ask presenters about specific access preferences and build flexible guidelines rather than one fixed solution.

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How to Organize Inclusive Events and Conferences is the ultimate guide to creating welcoming, safe, and accessible gatherings for everyone. With detailed strategies and illustrative examples, How to Organize Inclusive Events and Conferences uses principles of design justice to share how to put on truly inclusive occasions built for the needs and abilities of all. If you attend or host conferences, organize events for fun or for a living, or have ever thought, “I guess these spaces just aren’t made for me and I wish I could change that,” this book is written for you!

Dr. Alex D. Ketchum provides the ethical framework of what true inclusion in action means, considering a broad variety of identities and experiences such as economic hardship, childcare needs, racial and ethnic identities, disabilities, neurodivergence, and more. Whether you're hosting an academic symposium, an activist meeting, a feminist zinefest, or a comics con, Dr. Ketchum offers a step-by-step guide through the planning and execution process, with useful tips, timelines, and templates along the way. This book is an indispensable companion to building events and conferences from an ethic of care, allowing us to cultivate authentic community and to create the better world we desire—together.

Our guest is: Dr. Alex Ketchum, who is the Faculty Lecturer at the Institute for Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies at McGill University. She is the author of Engage in Public Scholarship, and How to Organize Inclusive Events and Conferences. A full list of her publications and projects can be found at alexketchum.ca.

Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is an academic writing coach and editor. She is the producer and show host of the Academic Life podcast.

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