Accessibility in Academic Conferences: Barriers, Solutions, and a Framework for Inclusive Participation

Scientific conferences play a central role in knowledge exchange, networking, and career progression, yet they remain variably accessible to researchers with disabilities. Barriers can arise across the full conference lifecycle, including abstract submission, registration, travel, venue navigation, participation in sessions, networking opportunities, and peri-event engagement. To better understand these challenges, we conducted a scoping review of empirical and qualitative literature examining accessibility and inclusion at academic conferences and scientific meetings. Across 4,695 screened records published between 2010 and 2026, only eight studies met inclusion criteria, highlighting a striking scarcity of conference-specific research on disability and accessibility. Despite this limited evidence base, the identified barriers were consistent and clustered across structural, technological, attitudinal, financial, and logistical domains. Common challenges included inaccessible venues and digital platforms, inflexible scheduling, additional financial burdens, and ableist assumptions that shift responsibility for accommodations onto individuals. The literature also identified feasible solutions, including hybrid participation models, proactive accessibility governance, inclusive communication practices, and flexible program design. However, implementation remains uneven and is often treated as optional rather than integral to conference design. Drawing on the review findings and sector-led perspectives, we propose a staged framework for improving accessibility in academic events, including governance mechanisms, digital access standards, and inclusive physical and programmatic design. Our findings suggest that accessibility barriers at conferences are systemic rather than incidental, and that embedding accessibility into conference planning can enhance participation, learning, and collaboration for a wide range of attendees. Addressing these barriers is essential not only for equity but also for advancing a more inclusive and innovative scientific community.