Supporting Accessibility

Bethel CT Pride is dedicated to creating inclusive and accessible events for the LGBTQIA+ community. Our goal is to try to make as many people as possible feel welcome and comfortable at our events.

We understand that accessibility is an important aspect of creating inclusive and welcoming events. Before hosting an event, we take into consideration physical accessibility, queer accessibility, sensory accessibility, and economic accessibility. Below we have outlined different ways we have worked towards supporting community members who may have needs in one or more of these categories.

Physical Accessibility

We try to host on events flat surfaces (when outdoors) or at locations with ramps, limited stairs, or elevators. We strive to make our pride event and parade route as walkable as possible, with rest areas available if needed, and ensure handicapped parking is available.

Handicapped accessible bathrooms are also part of our planning, and we always work to make lavatories available to all. We also convert bathrooms to gender neutral for events whenever possible.

We provide detailed outlines and maps for our big celebration, too, and large print signage as needed.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to ensuring the health safety of all attendees at our events. All indoor, private events currently require attendees to wear masks. Extra masks, hand sanitizer stations, and Corsi-Rosenthal boxes are implemented.

Economic Accessibility

Connecticut does not have an abundance of public transport, but we always try to hold our events near bus or train routes whenever possible. While this can be a challenge, we try our best! (See individual event listings for access information.)

Lastly, cost should never be a deterrent and that is why all of our events (so far) are free! While we do have some ideas brewing that may incur cost, we will work with anyone interested in participating who may face financial hardship. We also work with our community partners to provide services and goods that may not typically be accessible in day-to-day life for attendees.

Sensory Friendly Support

We also recognize that some members of our community have sensory sensitivities and require a reduced stimuli environment to feel comfortable. That’s why we strive to offer sensory-friendly events and/or event options that are designed to be as calming and low-stimuli as possible. We strive to be mindful of lighting, sound, and other sensory triggers, so everyone can participate comfortably.

Interaction Badging System
Co-leader Honorah O’Neill has created an opt-in badging system for the comfort of our attendees at our big celebration and smaller events. (You may have also seen it at some of New Milford Pride’s events!) Modeled from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the system provides attendees a way to non-verbally signal their interaction comfort level.

Pronoun Pins

We are proud to provide custom made pronoun pins to the LGBTQIA+ community for free! These pins are handmade by co-lead extraordinaire Honorah O’Neill and are constructed with pronouns we have researched as well as those supplied by the community! These pins allow individuals to clearly communicate their pronouns and promote affirming self-expression. We have provided schools, libraries, and other organizations both locally and nationally with these handmade pronoun pins! They are also available for free at our events as well as at Rainy Day Paperback Exchange. If you are interested in pronoun pins for you organization, email us!

We are dedicated to making our events accessible and inclusive to everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community. From walkable pride celebrations to sensory-friendly options, we are committed to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone. If you have any questions or would like to make a suggestion about how we can improve our accessibility even more, please let us know! Email us at info@bethelctpride.com.