Accessibility has become an increasingly important topic across higher education in recent years. However, it can also be difficult to streamline accessibility initiatives, given a wide range of different areas that all require optimization. These areas range from campus-wide access to something as seemingly granular as accessibility in university room scheduling software.
The physical campus matters, and so does the website. But the ability to make event management and booking of meeting rooms accessible is just as important.
Room scheduling software has played a large role in the effort to simplify workflows surrounding space management and space utilization in recent years. Accessibility is a key functionality of your class scheduling and event scheduling process, requiring a booking system designed for all audiences.
Accessibility in university room scheduling software is complex. It’s required not just for student success but also for faculty and staff that might have a disability. That’s what makes finding the right room scheduling solution so crucial.
How Room Scheduling Software Enhances University Accessibility
The right management system can go a long way toward improving accessibility in university room scheduling software. Consider these ways in which a user-friendly scheduling system will ensure not just accessible spaces but accessible space usage.
Booking Accessible Spaces
First, and perhaps most importantly, the right room booking software enables users across your institution to easily find and book rooms equipped with the necessary accessibility features. For academic scheduling, that might include ensuring that a class with a student in a wheelchair is not just accessible via steps. For event management, it makes it easier to ensure that conferences and lectures will accommodate the speaker and all members of the audience.
With this information easily accessible, users can make more informed decisions about which conference rooms, lecture halls, and workspaces they should book. This ease of access ensures a higher level of inclusivity for all.
Ensuring Availability of Resources
Accessibility in university room scheduling software helps keep the right rooms available for each audience. Ensuring room availability avoids double bookings. It also helps with facility management. The right rooms and resources are more likely to be available at the right occupancy levels.
Mobile and Real-Time Access
Just as virtual tour software can make conference spaces and meeting rooms available in real time, accessible scheduling software enables users to check on any room they might want to book at a moment’s notice. Especially when available via mobile app, users can check floor plans, access, and available technology from anywhere. This makes it easy to find the right space and reserve it while on the go and while knowing the space is not yet booked.
Improved Navigation
At its best, accessibility in university room scheduling software also integrates with other campus navigation and wayfinding tools. Tools like digital and interactive maps allow for better navigation but may not, on their own, provide accessibility information. Done right, integration with scheduling software can help to communicate accessible spaces. It can also highlight accessible routes and entrances to those spaces to help users across demographics and regardless of disability.
Compliance With Accessibility Regulations
Finally, but certainly not of least importance, consider the need to comply with regulations surrounding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Around 20% of today’s undergraduate students have a disability. So, it’s crucial to comply with the requirements set forth by federal and state agencies. These requirements revolve around equal access for all students, including:
- Equal access to all buildings and necessary spaces
- Aids and services needed for effective communication, like braille on signs and assistive listening devices
- Policies, practices, and procedures like testing accommodations that support students with disabilities
- And more
Not complying with these regulations can be costly. In addition, it can damage the institution’s reputation, ultimately leading to drops in enrollment. Accessible room scheduling software can help to brighten that outlook for campus administrators and all users of the spaces alike.
Four Benefits of Using Accessible Room Scheduling Software
As with other solutions, from student information systems (SIS) to admissions databases, finding a solution that supports the right functionality is vital. In this case, optimizing your system search for accessibility in university room scheduling software can lead to these four significant benefits.
1. Increased Inclusivity and Equity
First, and perhaps most fundamentally, accessible software ensures that all users can participate equally in scheduling and reserving university spaces. Regardless of ability, your students, staff, and faculty will be able to book the same rooms and participate in the same activities. This reduces inequities that might otherwise permeate the campus.
Crucially, this benefit is not just limited to the needs of event schedulers. If those planning the event can easily consider accessibility, they’ll be able to account for the abilities of all of their audiences. This provides even broader access and accessibility that stretches across campus.
2. Improved User Experience for All
Achieving accessibility in university room scheduling software also means improving the user experience for all your key constituents. For instance, providing information like available technology is not just a benefit for those who might need screen readers or other tech support tools. Instructors and presenters will also be better off knowing what rooms to book with that available technology in mind.
Consider, for example, the smooth transition between booking an accessible space and finding accessible routes on an interactive map. When integrated the right way, the connection of these two technologies can help everyone make it to the event and enjoy it—from students with disabilities to student-athletes who might be recovering from a leg injury and beyond.
3. Enhanced Campus Efficiency
Accessible software also goes beyond the immediate benefit for students and other stakeholders with disabilities. It also addresses a key need that continues to be a priority for private and public colleges and universities alike: creating more efficiency in campus operations.
Through the right software system with the right features, room scheduling becomes more seamless. All information, including room availability, is available in real time. That, in turn, reduces potential errors and delays that inaccessible platforms can frequently cause, creating better operations and facilities management in the process.
4. Positive Institutional Reputation
Finally, accessibility in university room scheduling software also sends a message to your campus community that your institution cares about the concept as a whole. The investment and priority demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity, enhancing your university’s reputation.
This enhanced perception can provide value in a number of ways. Most importantly, gaining a reputation for prioritizing inclusivity and accessibility can attract more diverse students and faculty, enhancing both your academics and your campus community. This benefit can pay off for years down the road, especially when connected to a campus-wide commitment to the topic.
Create a More Accessible University Environment With Concept3D
Room scheduling software that includes accessibility features is not just a convenience. Find the right system, and it can become a key part of building a more accessible campus experience for your students, faculty, and staff. As a result, you can go beyond simply complying with regulations. You can create a system with an emphasis on accessibility that reverberates across campus.
Of course, you have to find the right software to leverage these benefits. That’s where Concept3D comes in. We’ve long prioritized accessibility and inclusivity in our calendar, interactive map, and virtual tour solutions. Request a demo to learn how to prioritize accessibility in your own space management efforts.