Purpose
To help participants feel safe, seen, and supported during events by making care and accessibility needs visible, approachable, and easier to address.
What need does it address?
- Helping participants easily access essential needs such as rest spaces, care areas, and accessibility support
- Reducing uncertainty and hesitation when seeking assistance
- Strengthening inclusion and a sense of safety at events
- Making invisible care and accessibility needs more visible
- Making it easier for people to ask for and receive support
How can it be practiced?
1. Designate a Care Steward.
Before the event, identify one person—or, for larger events, a small team—to take on the role of Care Steward.
This person serves as the primary point of contact for care and accessibility-related needs.
2. Make the role visible.
At the beginning of the event, introduce the Care Steward and explain how participants can reach them.
A name badge, ribbon, vest, or another easily recognizable marker can help participants identify them.
3. Introduce available care and accessibility resources.
Before or during the opening session, the Care Steward can share information such as:
- The location of quiet or rest areas
- Whether a baby care or family room is available
- How to access water, food, and restrooms
- Whether participants may leave and rejoin the event as needed
Additional information can be provided depending on the nature of the event.
4. Create an accessible point of contact.
Participants should be able to reach the Care Steward easily whenever they need support.
The Care Steward may provide assistance directly or connect participants with the appropriate person, team, or resource.
5. Pay attention to care needs throughout the event.
During the event, the Care Steward can observe the atmosphere and gently check in with participants who appear isolated, overwhelmed, or in need of support.
Their role is not to make assumptions but to help people access the support they need in a respectful and non-judgmental way.
Things to keep in mind
- This role should not place an excessive care burden on a single person. Whenever possible, responsibilities should be shared by a team.
- The presence of a Care Steward does not mean that care is solely their responsibility. The Care Steward serves as a visible point of contact, while creating a caring environment remains a shared responsibility among participants, facilitators, and organizers.
- Participants’ privacy, autonomy, and personal boundaries should always be respected.
- Support should be offered voluntarily, inclusively, and without judgment.
- The goal is not to solve every problem, but to help people access the support they need.
The İhtimam Perspective
İhtimam Rituals offer practical ways to strengthen care relationships in everyday life. However, lasting solutions to the invisibilization of care require transformation not only in personal practices but also in institutions, policies, and systems.
For more structural solutions, explore the Care Policy Recommendation Tool.
Shared by
This ritual was shared by one of İhtimam’s Co-Nurturers.
İhtimam Rituals are a living collection of care practices developed by individuals, communities, and institutions in everyday life. You are invited to contribute to this collective archive by sharing a ritual that strengthens care relationships in your own daily life.