The List

The accompanying list of possible disabilities that may require a particular accommodation is not exhaustive. Additionally, several other types of accommodations may be necessary and simply not listed here. Accessibility and disability are both vast and diverse and near impossible to nail down in a format as simple as this. 

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Time and Scheduling

1.5X time for speeches

• People who use augmentative and alternative communication devices or have muscle weaknesses that impact speech production and may require an adjustment to allow for an equal potential for idea-sharing

1.5X time for prep

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, other cognitive or psychiatric disabilities may impact focus and require this adjustment to allow for equal potential for in-round preparation.

Short in-round breaks

• Many disabilities require management throughout the day. Someone with a panic disorder may need a few moments to manage anxiety mid-round. Someone with chronic migraines may need to step out to take medication and drink water. Someone with diabetes may need to administer insulin or eat a few quick bites of a snack. Someone with irritable bowel syndrome may need to use the restroom. The list goes on. Short breaks (that do not count for prep time) being guaranteed in the middle of a round, especially in long debates, are essential. 

Advanced notice of round pairings (if possible)

• Some tournaments preset their rounds and know what room the rounds will occur in ahead of schedule.

• Some disabled people may need extra time to locate and navigate to room assignments and would benefit from extra time getting to rounds.

Communication

Electronic communication from the tournament (postings, breaks, awards, schedule, etc.) 

• Many disabled people have assistive technology that can help them read tournament communication.

• Examples include screen readers, adaptive fonts like Open Dyslexic, enlarged font size.

Visual language translation (ASL, PSE, SEE)

• D/deaf or hard of hearing people may benefit from having a tournament-provided translator in rounds

Mobility

Tournament staff escort to rounds

• People with disabilities that impact mobility may benefit from someone showing them an accessible path to their rounds.

• Many tournament-provided maps of campuses are inaccessible, hard to read, and/or miss important information for navigation and can make journeying to the rooms alone difficult.

Sitting in a chair for speeches

• Many people have disabilities and medical conditions that impact mobility and may not be able to or feel comfortable standing for speeches.

ADA access room (available in Tabroom)

• Some people with disabilities or medical conditions that impact mobility may benefit from rooms marked as ADA accessible

Other

Ability to bring an assistant in-round

• Some disabled people prefer to have their care needs met or aided by someone they know

• This person should be guaranteed access to rounds, including closed rounds, should a need for support arise 

Individual tournament-provided assistant 

• Some disabled people need help from someone else and may not be able to provide that person themselves

• Some tasks that a disabled participant may need in-round help with tasks like flowing (note-taking) could require an assistant. 

Internet access

• Lots of assistive technology and software uses the internet. Some tournaments have strict no internet policies, which disabled people need an exemption from to access their aides. 

Advanced notice of no spreading

• While no tournaments require spreading, having advanced notice of no spreading available to a judge may facilitate the conversating and notification of parties in a round that spreading is not going to occur in the round

Reading from scripts

• Some disabilities and medical conditions impact memory and concentration

• Memorizing and executing a ten-minute speech may not be possible for all participants

Notification of dietary restrictions (available in Tabroom)

• Some disabilities and medical conditions impact what a participant can eat. 

• Access to food at tournaments is crucial, given that many tournaments can take all day and many participants do not have the means to leave the tournament campus to acquire food.

Something else

• Disabilities are diverse, and the best way to know what accommodations someone could benefit from is to let them tell you!