Event accessibility transport requests
A delegate writes that they use a wheelchair, and the shuttle supplier has not said whether any vehicle can take one.
The short answer
Treat an accessibility transport request as a question to answer in writing before the event, not a note on a list. Ask the delegate what arrangement they need, ask the supplier and the venue what can be provided, and tell the delegate exactly what has been confirmed and what has not.
The organiser coordinates the request and the handover. Whether a vehicle or route is suitable is for the supplier, venue and the delegate to confirm. This page gives the questions; it does not decide what is accessible.
Make it easy to ask, early
Put one clear line in the registration form and the delegate travel information pack saying how delegates can request transport or arrival assistance, by what date and to whom.
Ask only what is needed to arrange transport. A delegate does not have to explain a condition; they need to say what would help.
Questions for the delegate
- What would make the journey from arrival point to the venue or hotel workable for you?
- Do you travel with a mobility aid, an assistance animal or a companion, and does the vehicle need to take them?
- Is there a pickup or drop-off point that works better for you than others?
- Who may we contact on the day, and by what channel?
- Is there anything the driver should know in order to help, in your words?
Questions for the supplier and the venue
| Ask | Of whom | Record as |
|---|---|---|
| Which vehicles, if any, can carry a delegate using the aid described, and on which runs? | Supplier | Supplier's written answer, with date |
| How is boarding arranged, and what does the driver or marshal do? | Supplier | Supplier's written answer |
| Which entrance and route from the pickup point is step-free, and is it verified? | Venue or hotel | Venue's written answer, or not verified |
| Who is on site to help, and how does the delegate reach them? | Venue and organiser | Named contact |
| What is the fallback if the arranged vehicle is unavailable? | Supplier and organiser | Fallback agreed in writing |
Confirming back, and handing over
- Log the request with a reference, date and the delegate's own words about what would help.
- Send questions to the supplier and the venue the same day and note when answers are due.
- Tell the delegate what is confirmed, what is not yet confirmed and what the fallback is, in plain wording and without technical claims of your own.
- Give the driver and marshal the arrangement only, using the driver briefing pack, not the reason.
- Check the arrangement with the delegate shortly before arrival and again on the day.
- Record how it went for the post-event review.
If a route cannot be verified
Say so to the delegate and offer the confirmed alternative, rather than describing a route as suitable on the basis of a brochure. See creating an accessible arrival alternative for working through this.
Specialist accessibility questions, such as venue compliance, go to the venue and to a qualified accessibility adviser.
Worked example · Fictional example
One request, followed from form to arrival
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional nurses' association receives a request from a delegate who travels with a mobility aid. The secretariat logs it, asks the shuttle supplier which vehicle and which runs can carry the aid, and asks the hotel which entrance is step-free and whether it can confirm that in writing.
The supplier confirms one vehicle on specific runs; the hotel confirms an entrance in writing. The secretariat tells the delegate, briefs the driver on the arrangement only and arranges a named marshal. The delegate is asked to confirm the day before.
Use this yourself
Accessibility transport request log
Copy as a table. Keep it separate from the manifest that drivers see.
| Ref | Request in delegate's words | Asked of supplier (date) | Supplier answer | Asked of venue (date) | Venue answer | Told to delegate (date) | Fallback | Handover to driver (arrangement only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-01 | ||||||||
| A-02 |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- A few requests and a supplier who answers promptly in writing.
- One person can be the delegate's contact throughout.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several requests with different needs across vehicles, hotels and venue entrances.
- Answers from the supplier or venue are slow or unclear and the event date is close.
- Nobody can be the single contact for delegates and suppliers during travel days.
Need requests coordinated end to end?
A conference project lead can run the request form and log, put the questions to the supplier and the venue, relay confirmed answers to delegates and brief drivers and marshals on the arrangements. Suitability of vehicles and routes stays with the supplier, venue and delegate to confirm, and any specialist review goes to a qualified adviser. Send the number of requests so far and your transport arrangements.
Questions organisers ask
Do we need medical details from the delegate?
No. Ask what arrangement would help. Whether more information is appropriate to collect is a question for your data protection adviser.
Can we say a vehicle or route is accessible?
Say what the supplier or venue has confirmed in writing, and label anything else not verified. Do not certify accessibility yourself.
Should the driver know the reason for the request?
No. Give the arrangement only, for example a step-free vehicle at a named pickup point.
What if the supplier cannot provide what was asked?
Tell the delegate straight away, offer the confirmed alternative and agree the next step with them.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.