Editorial Guidelines

These guidelines explain what gets listed on Access Events, how city liaisons operate, and how sponsored placements work. They apply to all content on the site.

What we list

In-person and hybrid events

In-person and hybrid events are our core focus. If a disability community event is happening in a city we cover (a chapter meeting, an accessible athletic program, a workshop, an advocacy action, etc.), it belongs here.

Virtual events

We list virtual events only when they have a clear local anchor: the organizing group is based in a city we cover, or the event is specifically intended for a local community. Broadly national or international online events without a local connection are out of scope, even if they are open to anyone.

In practice, this means a local chapter hosting a virtual meeting gets listed. A national webinar hosted by an organization with no local presence does not.

National events held in a covered city

Sometimes a national organization holds their annual convention in one of our cities. That's worth listing. A major blindness consumer group holding their national convention in Boston is a real event that local people can attend. It goes on the Boston page.

The virtual stream of that same convention does not belong on any other city's page. The in-person event is local to Boston. The livestream isn't local to anywhere. Similarly, if a national org holds a closed board retreat at a hotel in Boston, that's an internal meeting that happens to be in town, not a community event.

Geographic scope

Every event must be assigned to one of our covered cities. For in-person and hybrid events, that is typically the city where the event takes place. For virtual events, it is the city where the organizing group is based. If an event does not fit a covered city, it will not be listed.

What is not listed

Events with no connection to a city we cover
National or international online events lacking a local host or audience
Purely commercial promotions or product launches
Events that are not relevant to the disability community

City liaisons

Each city we cover is maintained by one or more volunteer liaisons. Liaisons are trusted community members with editorial authority over their city's calendar.

What liaisons do

Add and publish events directly, without a review queue
Review community-submitted events and approve or decline them
Keep event details accurate, correcting dates, locations, and descriptions as needed
Cancel or remove events that have been postponed, relocated, or are no longer happening
Apply these guidelines consistently when evaluating submissions

Liaison standards

Liaisons act as editors, not promoters. Their job is to keep the calendar useful, accurate, and relevant -- not to advocate for any particular organization or event type. Approval decisions should be based on these guidelines, not on personal affiliations.

Liaisons are expected to respond to pending submissions within a reasonable timeframe. Submissions left unreviewed for more than two weeks should be escalated to site staff.

Becoming a liaison

Liaisons come from the communities they serve. If you're active in the disability community in a city we cover (or a city we should cover) and want to help keep the calendar current, email liaisons@accessevents.org.