Accessibility and inclusion at The Whittlesea Event
Geocaching HQ Lackeys attend dozens of Mega and Giga-Events around the world, shaking hands, sharing stories of adventure, and of course, geocaching! AKprincesswarrior is the Learning & Development Manager at Geocaching HQ. She recently traveled to Australia to attend the Mega-Event, The Whittlesea Event 2022 (GC8EW40). Here’s her summary of the Event.
The Whittlesea Mega-Event took place over an unexpectedly blustery November weekend. The community of organizers and volunteers, Geocaching Victoria, managed the surprise winter weather with grace, even rescuing a geocacher’s tent after being blown away by fierce wind and pulling off a stunning fireworks show despite heavy rains. While organizing Mega-Events requires a variety of important skills, the ability of the organizers to respond in the moment to whatever unexpected chaos gets thrown their way (like surprise wind storms) is as important as the proactive preparation it takes to design an experience that not only delights the geocaching community but ensures no geocacher gets left behind, including geocachers with sensory sensitivities and those who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing.
Supporting Geocaching Victoria in the important role of Mega Lead was Andrew Howard (RoamingHowie). Both he and the organizing committee were dedicated to creating a Mega experience that was inviting and accessible to d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing geocachers after a slight mishap at an Event earlier in the year. “Some of our hearing-impaired cachers were present and attempting to lip-read my announcement, and were shocked as they thought I had used some foul language during the speech,” he recounted. “With some discussion afterward, much laughter between all involved ensued as we discovered a slight misinterpretation of what was said. This however helped to highlight one of the challenges some of our community can face.” Considering potential challenges in advance, Andrew was able to work closely with members of the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing community to plan for interpreters during the Mega so they could fully participate in the festivities. Andrew stated that there are “a number of hearing-impaired geocachers in our Australian community. Many of them have contributed to an Auslan (Australian Sign Language) GeoArt series of mysteries which include puzzle videos teaching Auslan.” By thoughtfully considering how to include these community members, Andrew, and his organizing team were able to ensure that they acknowledged the contributions to the geocaching gameboard made by the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing community by creating a Mega-Event supportive of their needs.
Another organizer of the Whittlesea Mega, Jo Cox (heymissjo), made additional contributions to the inclusivity of the Event. “Initially, it started with a website redesign with a focus on illustrating that our community was for everyone, individuals, retirees, adventure seek[er]s, families, and especially those that needed a little bit of love.” Jo also worked with the committee to ensure that they designed the physical space itself to meet the needs of community members: “We had a ‘quiet zone’ for any of our geocachers or family members that might need a time-out zone. As a Mum and Step Mum of kids with special needs, sometimes kids (or adults) either with ADHD or Autism do need a place that they can go to desensitize and reset.” This attention to detail ensured that Event attendees could enjoy the excitement of the weekend while still meeting their need for moments of minimal sensory stimulation.
While striving to include a broader audience at Geocaching Events requires a thoughtful approach, uniquely tailored to different communities, hosts can consider the following four ideas to get started or continue efforts they’ve already begun.
1. Thoughtful promotion
Intentional marketing to reach a variety of communities makes a big difference. Think about how your website, facebook group, social media, or other places of promotion may be unintentionally excluding people and see what changes can be made to improve accessibility. Jo is confident, “there are future opportunities to expand and continue what has been started at the Whittlesea Mega. As an example, I would love to do more with our website for those that perhaps are sight impaired, or to provide more content with transcripts.”
2. Seek resources
Jo shared that Geocaching Victoria worked to secure government funding so they could create an amazing experience for the community. “A key requirement to secure funding was to show how we embraced diversity, supported those within our community with special needs and how we provide an event that is inclusive for all.” It was this additional funding that supported the hiring of interpreters for the Event. While this specific scenario may not apply to all locations, it may help to consider how hosts can gather additional resources and allocate them in service of including more people in the event.
3. Engage early
Andrew encourages organizers to, “work with identified communities early as this helps prioritize areas which would be of most value for the community involved, this is also helpful to have this in the back of your mind when planning other activities.” Identify which communities you would like to better support in your upcoming event and be proactive in engaging with interested representatives of that community.
4. Direct input
Listen directly to members of the community who you want to include as to what would be most helpful. Andrew shared that his team, “worked with a select number of our d/Deaf community members to introduce the idea of having an interpreter present and then worked with them to identify which elements of the Mega weekend would most benefit from interpreter resources.” This ensured the intentions of the organizers had the impact they wanted, in this case, an event that was more inclusive for geocachers requiring interpreters.
Geocaching Events are a wonderful way to celebrate the uniqueness of each community, while continuously making room to invite even more people into our great game. The Geocaching Victoria organizers proactively designed an Event that welcomed everyone who plays the game in their community, then worked to meet the needs of those who attended. If you plan to host an Event in the future, what communities might you consider including and how will you start? If you’ve hosted an inclusive Event in the past, what tips do you have for other organizers?
