Accessibility and inclusion!

Accessibility, inclusion and a friendly atmopshere is important to us. It’s our second of four Aims!

Here are some of the things we do.

1) Code of conduct (online and visible at all events)

2) Strong culture where we empower and support people to call out bad behaviour (we haven’t needed too so far) The culture is about sharing good times and not winning!

3) Optional name badges with space for disabilities, pronouns and anything else important. (Including online)

4) Clearly identifiable organizing team (Yellow lanyards)

5) Photographs of the venues online before the event

6) Clear signage to find the venue from the front door all the way to where we are

7) We brief the venue staff

Our adverts include extra information like costs, parking, accessibility. RPGs include content warnings.

9) The organising team tries to be mindful of our language choice including avoiding injokes, required knowledge and tooooo much sarcasm, being literal / exact. (Supporting Autism)

10) We will always aim to greet everyone who walks in

11) we don’t start long games on starting time so if you arrive up to 45 minutes late you should be able to slot immediately into an icebreaker sort of game like codenames.

12) We try our very best to pick the best games for you including factors beyond just complexity. we will consider extroversion, confrontation, lieing / bluffing, rules which change constantly etc.

13) We pack far more games than we need to both show case the hobby and to allow for a great choice.

14) Our events are free in good value venues. (Wealth is an accessibility factor)

15) We listen… and will react if we have missed something.

16) Open communication channels before the event.

17) Guides and advice including a guide on what a typical games night might look like.

18) We aim to provide a quiet space to game at our events, as well as a recharge area (hard to do at all venues)

19) We will make what ever measures and adjusts me can to support you

20) Bring a tablet so we can photograph hard to reach part of the board. ideal for those with lower mobility who cannot reach other or move around the board.

21) we actively challenge bad behaviour

22) Clear signage from door to us

23) We have a range of mental health support guides available to take away in a private area.

24) We recongise the sunflower hidden disability lanyard A symbol for non-visible disabilities (hiddendisabilitiesstore.com)

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There is probably more we do. I’ve tried to instill this as part of culture so we just do it and don’t think about it.

If there is anything we are missing please let me know.

If you are passionate about please volunteer for our diversity sub committee / team to help advise and improve us!

We have recently redrafted our equal opportunities policy and included a new section on Neurodiversity which is often missed.

Our aims: https://herefordshireboardgamers.co.uk/who/aims/
More advice here: https://herefordshireboardgamers.co.uk/guides/

This is a very very draft brain dump and I’ll reform it into a guide