Inclusion Riders

An inclusion rider is a small section included in your speakers contract and aims to combat the lack of diversity and exclusionary nature of too many Science Communication events. It can be adapted to fit general or specific underrepresented groups or communities.

Feel free to copy, paste and edit to fit the ones suggested below into your own contracts and agreements.

To include in emails to the organisers:

• ‘Thank you for sending the contract through. Before I can sign, I’ve attached an inclusion rider. I strongly believe that all panels I speak on/ festivals / events should be inclusive of (other) under-represented groups. I will sign and send back the contract once you have added the inclusion rider to the contract.’

• Diversity is important to us. Tell us about your organisation's commitment to diversity. Please attach the diversity statement/ inclusion/ accessibility policy in your mission or steps you are taking with your event to ensure diversity of participants and audience.

• Tell us about your organisations inclusivity, how many members of under-represented groups (including to, but not limited to: women, LGBTQI+, People of Colour, People with disabilities and people facing economic or social hardships) will be presenting and/or involved in the organisation of the event?

• I only partake in conferences that have at least XX% women speaking, including representation of people of colour in the line-up and in the backstage staff. I believe it’s necessary to speak up against the exclusionary nature of our industry and this is one way of doing so.

To include in your speaker agreements:

• The conference/ festival/ panel organisers agree to pay all speakers/ panel members the same amount.

• The conference organisers agree to have at least XX% women employed as speakers/ on the panel, and agree to employ at least XX% of people of colour in the line-up and in the backstage staff. 

• The conference/ festival/ panel organisers agree that all reasonable efforts will be made to ensure those with a mobility disability can access the event.

• The conference organisers agree to include a separate room, available during the whole event, to be used as a prayer room for participants and speakers.

• If the determination is made that the CLIENT has failed to comply in good faith with this Addendum as to the demographics of participants and audiences, the CLIENT shall make a contribution of INSERT AMOUNT to INSERT FUND*.

*Example of Fund for under-represented groups: 

• This is a fund for radical and transformative knowledge production, it describes itself as “Black, queer, trans, anti-colonial, and revolutionary from its very heart”.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-free-black-university?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet

There will be many other funds that will be relevant to your specific position or event so please use the ones that you are most passionate about.