At the DCC, we prioritize proactive access for all of our events. Below are some things you can expect at DCC events and how they reflect our larger priorities of disability community, education and advocacy.  

The Disability Cultural Center is open to all, regardless of connection to disability. However, some of our events are designed for people who share a specific disability identity or role at UT. Please read the event description to ensure an event is a good fit for your role and identity. Please note that a formal diagnosis or documentation is never required to participate in DCC events. We trust people to self-select into the programs and events that match their connection to disability and role at UT. 

Access Notes

Community Agreements

Access at DCC Events

Disability Community: We value building community at DCC events so most events start with participant introductions.

• We typically ask participants to share their names, pronouns and connection to campus. Depending on the event, we may also ask participants to share their connection to disability (personal, professional, academic or any combination of these) and/or their interest in the topic.
• Participants can always choose what they want to disclose or include in their introduction.
• If the event is virtual, participants can share introductions in the chat or on screen and can choose to be on or off camera (or move between these throughout the event).
• Because we want to create a sense of community, we do not allow observers at our events (see Community Agreements for more on this). People who want to learn and engage are welcome and no prior knowledge or experience is needed. 

Disability Education: We try to model best practices for accessibility and universal design for learning at all our events. This means our events will contain the following accessibility features:

• Captions will be turned on for all videos and virtual events. We will provide visual description of any visual content.
• For virtual events, we read any comments shared in the chat out loud to ensure they are included in the conversation.
• We ask participants to identify themselves with “This is [your name]” before speaking so everyone can follow the conversation as it moves from person to person.
• We send out reminders and instructions for individual events via email and send follow up emails with any links or materials that were shared during the event.
• ASL interpreters will be provided upon request (we appreciate at least 3 days’ notice to secure these services).
• Physical locations will always be wheelchair accessible and have available and accessible seating. Doors will either be propped open or have automatic buttons.
• If food is provided, we will always provide gluten-free and vegan options and will always have water and straws available.
• Masks, hand sanitizer and fidgets will be provided at in person events.
• Accommodation requests will be included in our event RSVPs.
• Events will be hosted in a hybrid format whenever possible to allow participation by the greatest number of people with different access needs.

We hope these access features allow everyone to fully participate, as well as models how to incorporate these practices into other settings (classes, organizations, meetings, etc.) 

Disability Advocacy: While we do our best to integrate accessibility into every aspect of our events, we know we can always improve. We welcome individual accommodation requests from participants as well as suggestions that can be incorporated more broadly. We often provide a time for additional access needs to be raised during our events, but these also can also be requested ahead of time or suggested at the conclusion of an event. We appreciate feedback on how we can continue to improve our programs and events.  

Community Agreements at DCC Events

For most DCC events, we utilize the following Community Guidelines to support access, build trust, and create spaces where everyone feels valued and respected.  

• All Disability Experiences are Valid and Worthy of Respect: Disability experiences can vary greatly from person to person. Every person’s experience is valid and worthy of respect, regardless of their disability journey, diagnosis, symptoms, etc. We avoid comparison and framing of disability experiences as “more/less” or “better/worse” and respect differences in lived experiences. Disability disclosure is never required, nor is an official diagnosis or disability documentation.  

• Share Your Experience Using “I” statements: We value the wisdom of disabled people and welcome the sharing of your personal experience. Disabled people are often on the receiving end of unsolicited advice and what may be helpful for one person may be harmful for another. For this reason, we avoid giving advice. Consider the difference between “I have found this helpful” and “You should try this.” 

• Take What You Learn, Leave What Was Shared: People at DCC events often share personal experiences and we want to respect the trust and community that is built within our events. We encourage participants to take away what is learned during our events, but to also respect the confidentiality of the people who attend and the experiences they share. This might mean sharing what you learned with a friend or in a class paper, but not sharing the details of who shared it or the specifics they disclosed.  

• Step Up, Step Back: We want everyone to have space to engage and contribute during events at the level that makes sense for them in that moment. Some people are more comfortable engaging in conversation than others and we strive to find a balance where no one person dominates the conversation, and no one feels intimidated to contribute. We do encourage sharing and connecting, as this may be the first time people have been in disability communities where they have people to directly relate to their experiences. We also recognize that energy levels vary, and people may be more engaged at some events and less engaged at others. While people are welcome to come to listen and learn, we want to avoid situations where participants feel like they are being observed, so engaging through nods, chat comments, or online reactions can be ways of “stepping up” and joining the conversation. Non-disabled people are welcome at many of the DCC events, and we welcome your questions, reactions and presence within the space. We do ask that you display respectful curiosity and awareness of your positionality within the space.  

• Embracing Silence: During our less structured events, sometimes there will be periods of silence. While this may feel awkward, it can provide space for processing something that was just shared or to articulate what someone wants to say next. Facilitators may guide the conversation along after allowing a moment of silence, but we allow this space and don’t view it as something that has gone “wrong.”  

• What Else? We will always offer space for additional community agreements to be suggested. We want to ensure an accessible, safe and welcoming space for all our participants, and we appreciate knowing how we can make that happen.  

We hope this page helps you feel prepared to participate in DCC programs and events!