Complete Story
09/25/2025
Accessible Public Engagement Training
Advancing Diversity & Social Change
People with disabilities have long been excluded from engaging in civic discourse—both unintentionally and systemically. Even though the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, the unclear regulations, shifting technologies, and firmly held communication practices make centering accessibility challenging. The Accessible Public Engagement Toolkit is a breakthrough for planners and public agencies, offering practical, step-by-step guidance for designing inclusive engagement strategies that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II and beyond.
This effort is a win for the planning field at large, equipping practitioners with tools to proactively lower the barrier to participation. Developed with input from local ADA coordinators, advocates, accessibility experts, and public engagement professionals, the toolkit meets a real and growing need in the field—particularly as virtual and hybrid engagement becomes the norm.
A key challenge was translating complex ambiguous federal regulations into succinct, actionable guidance that supports both compliance and creativity. The result is a user-friendly resource that is already shaping how agencies approach engagement. This work raises the standard for what inclusive planning can and should look like.
Click here for the training video.
Submitted by: MUSE Community + Design
Funding Agency and Supporting Organization: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
