How to plan an accessible Christmas party

The Christmas season is fast approaching, which means many of us are starting to plan our Christmas festivities.

When planning a Christmas party, whether it’s for a social organisation, work or friends, it’s important to consider accessibility and inclusivity.

It’s easy to get excited when planning events, over things like choosing the perfect venue, tasting delicious food and organising the secret Santa. But making sure that your disabled party-goers have the same experiences as others should be at the top of your Christmas list.

These are my top accessibility tips to consider when you’re planning this year’s Christmas party.

1. Choose an accessible venue

When choosing the perfect venue for your Christmas party, it’s important to make sure everyone who’s attending can physically get in and move around inside it. This might sound obvious, but believe me, it’s often overlooked!

Any party-goers that use wheelchairs or walking aids (or may not be using them but still struggle with mobility) will need step-free access into the venue. They’ll also need to be able to move freely around the building and get to the toilets. 

This could mean making sure that there are ramps installed, or having your event on the ground floor. It also means making sure there’s enough space to navigate around furniture, for example for wheelchair users or people with guide dogs.

If there are lifts, it’s worth checking they are all in working order ahead of time. Check with the venue whether they have platform lifts or stair lifts, as it’s important for guests to know which is on offer. 

This avoids a situation where a wheelchair user turns up and finds that there’s only stair lifts, and so no way to get their wheelchair upstairs. Trust me, it’s happened to me! 

2. Make sure there’s accessible toilets in the venue

Again, this might sound obvious, but having an accessible toilet is vital.

It has to be one that is actually large enough to use. It’s important to check this – sometimes venues will tell you they have an accessible loo, but it’s not actually fully accessible for wheelchair users, for example. 

Some venues have Changing Places toilets, which are suited to people with more complex needs, as they have lots of space, a height-adjustable bed and hoist.

Depending on where you are hosting your party, you could also rent a Changing Places toilet on wheels, called a Mobiloo. 

If there’s no accessible toilet, disabled guests may not feel comfortable eating or drinking at the party, or even attending at all. It’s crucial to think about this so that everyone can have a good night.

3. Offer quiet zones for less stimulation

Whenever I’m out at a venue with loud music and lots of people, I find it incredibly difficult to hear what’s going on, which can be so isolating and frustrating. 

Other disabled people might struggle to make themselves heard in these environments. Some, like those with anxiety or sensory disabilities like autism or ADHD, might get overwhelmed or overstimulated in crowds.

Providing designated quiet areas and breakout rooms would be a great way to cater for everyone and give more options for people. These could also have less intense decorations and quieter music (or no music), to create a calmer space.

4. Cover your guests’ dietary needs

“It shouldn’t be left to disabled people to always ask about access – it’s important that it’s provided readily!”

Check the dietary requirements of your attendees when you send out the invites. 

The last thing you want to do is invite people to a venue where they can’t eat much, or even anything – this is especially important for people with allergies or chronic conditions like coeliac disease or diabetes. 

5. Provide event information in plenty of time

Sending out the information about your party as soon as possible is key.

This means letting attendees know all about the venue, including its accessibility, and all the other things mentioned so far in this blog. You might also want to send out travel information, like nearby disabled parking spaces and local transport options.

Giving people all the information they need means they won’t have to feel stressed or ask lots of questions of the party organisers in the build-up to the big night. 

It shouldn’t be left to disabled people to always ask about access – it’s important that it’s provided readily! 

6. Consider using non-flashing decorations

Christmas and flashing lights seem to go hand in hand. But it’s worth thinking twice about this when you’re decorating your party. 

Some conditions such as epilepsy or migraines can be triggered by flashing lights, so alternative decorations are really important to consider. There are plenty of beautiful lights and decorations that won’t cause harm, and will look just as festive.

7. Make your secret Santa accessible

If you’re planning a secret Santa, then make sure to set a reasonable budget. It costs disabled people much more to have the same quality of life as non-disabled people, and Christmas is already an expensive time of year! 

It’s also a good idea to plan this far enough in advance that people have lots of time to think about and get their gifts, so that it’s as stress-free as possible. 

8. Remember to enjoy it!

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year for so many people, but it can also be tricky when you’re disabled.

Trying to join in with all the festive fun is much harder when you’re fighting for your accessibility needs. 

You can make the celebrations that much more festive for disabled people by simply putting that care into making your event safe and accessible for everyone. Once that work is done, everybody can get their Christmas jumpers on, fill their glasses with eggnog and get into the party spirit!