STEPHANIE MARENGERE
Senior Event Logistics Manager
University of Michigan, U.S.

The University of Michigan’s University and Development Events team plans advancement events and university-wide ceremonies like commencement, as well as events for the university’s president; provost; and diversity, equity, and inclusion office. Senior Manager Stephanie Marengere, who works in event logistics, creates the “vibes” and manages vendors to execute the vision for an event. Here, she discusses the importance of accessibility when welcoming the Michigan community to a U-M event.

How do you define accessibility and inclusivity?

The more accessible your event is, the more inclusive it is. Accessibility is directly linked to our commitment to making our events welcoming and safe for those with disabilities. Inclusivity is making the event feel welcoming to the largest number of people possible. If we’re doing our jobs correctly, everyone in the room—virtual or in person—will feel that they are safe and supported and catered to appropriately.

How was accessibility established as a necessary part of your event planning process?

Crucially, there’s been commitment and financial backing from the top down to make this a reality. I feel we’re very fortunate to be able to say, “I want to make a case for this and here’s what it will cost, and here is the benefit.” We make sure it’s easy to integrate and that it’s repeatable.

We debrief as a team after every single event, and ask, “What did we put in place for this event? Was it successful or not? And what would we do next time to make it more accessible and more inclusive?” We’re having regular conversations, which helps to keep driving this work forward. As we build new practices into the event planning process, eventually it gets so ingrained that you plan for it all without thinking. It becomes second nature—you just do it because it is the right thing to do.

What are some examples of practices you’ve successfully implemented?

We recently added sensory tables to our spring commencement ceremony. We provided a couple of tables on the concourse at Michigan Stadium that had different sensory tools—fidget toys, disposable ear plugs, coloring books—to help people who are neurodivergent, or maybe have a child with them who needed a bit of entertaining over a two-and-a-half hour plus ceremony. People sought them out. We had sensory tables marked on a map in the program and we had a scrolling slide deck on the jumbotron that every so often said, “If you need sensory accommodations, here’s where you can find them.” That was a difference-maker for so many people—[both] the person who was using the tool and the family members who are with them.

We make sure that you can choose to sit or stand in different ways depending on how you’re comfortable. I always try to provide high-top tables, some with and without stools. Some people would prefer to stand throughout an event or feel like they don’t have to sit down if they need to get up and leave. Some people like to lean on a stool or prefer to sit in a chair. And then low-top tables are important, too, because you can pull one or two chairs away, and it’s accessible for someone with a wheelchair. For events where we know that we may have guests who are in a wheelchair, we reserve multiple sections for wheelchair seating and label them appropriately. So that people have designated space for what they need and can pick and choose where they’d like to sit.

SENSORY ACCOMODATIONS AT COMMENCEMENT: The University of Michigan offered sensory tools at its spring commencement ceremony. Slides on the stadium's jumbotron screen directed visitors to where they could find sensory accomodations.

Credit: Marketing & Communications, Office of University Development, University of Michigan

How do you ensure the seamless integration of these practices?

There are ways to take lower-cost approaches, depending on the budgets that you have for your events. There are plenty of things that anyone can do—not just people who have the backing and support of [a large institution like] the University of Michigan. I was previously at a small liberal arts college, and even then, we were thinking about only booking accessible venues. You can select at least one or two items that every single person in the room can eat to create an inclusive menu. And learning from your colleagues or guests or constituents when they tell you, “You didn’t do enough for me this time” [is important]. I think accepting that, and moving forward, and saying, “You’re so right, and we will do better next time,” and then actually doing better next time goes a long way to building trust and making this work second nature, which is important.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced with this work and how did you overcome it?

I’ll speak very personally here, because I have a very “go big or go home” tendency about this work. Sometimes I need to be reminded that we can still achieve [accessibility] and make sure that it is meaningful to a number of people without building out something that is so significantly larger. My most recent example was sensory accommodations at our spring commencement. I had done a bunch of research and looked at places where we could buy sensory kits, but we were trying to figure out how to scale it. How do we make sure that we are doing the most for our 70,000 guests? How do we do the most good for the most people? I wanted to go really big and, thankfully, I had some colleagues who said, “Okay. Let’s take a step back.”

[Ultimately,] we can have this egalitarian approach and have people choose from whatever tool might be most appropriate for them and we will serve more people that way instead of shooting for the moon.

How does accessibility connect to fundraising and alumni engagement?

I’ll take a different approach to your question and say why wouldn’t we do this work? And why wouldn’t we put forth the effort to make our events more accessible and inclusive? And why wouldn’t we want more people in the room to engage meaningfully in whatever way that suits them with the university?

I think some people would argue that it’s not worth it. I would say that the university’s mission disagrees with that. We want our events, and our donors and volunteers and alumni, to feel that they are welcomed, and know that we are thinking of them when we are doing this work.