How will Spokane make getting around easier for those who use canes, crutches, walkers and wheelchairs? Are there ramps and elevators that will take disabled attendees to and from the walkways? Are there portions of the hotel that are only accessible by climbing stairs? Do you have more than enough elevators to compensate if one or more should be stalled between floors, should stick at a particular floor or should break down? Will the meeting rooms for panels have "parking space" set aside for wheelchairs and scooters? (Chicago's WorldCon didn't, which is why I ask.) Will there be places for people who must lug around awkward equipment, such as walkers, crutches and canes? And speaking of those who can walk but who have other needs--could Spokane provide skilled interpreters for the deaf? How about those who need and use service animals?
Also, I have to ask--how are you going to deal with practical "jokes"? Other WorldCons have featured fake program tracks, including fake directions on where to go and what room to be in at a given time? This might not seem like a big deal to those who are physically healthy, but to someone who has a limited store of energy, as many disabled people do, this is not only an annoyance but exhausting, debilitating and, in many cases, physically painful.
I ask all of this because "Spokane is very walkable" worries me, as does the fact that you don't mention any benefits for disabled attendees. As a disabled woman, this concerns me. This concerns me very much indeed.
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I think that I need to send similar questions to San Antonio. What do you think?
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branchandroot
Re: looking further ahead....
Date: 2012-09-05 06:40 pm (UTC)How will Spokane make getting around easier for those who use canes, crutches, walkers and wheelchairs? Are there ramps and elevators that will take disabled attendees to and from the walkways? Are there portions of the hotel that are only accessible by climbing stairs? Do you have more than enough elevators to compensate if one or more should be stalled between floors, should stick at a particular floor or should break down? Will the meeting rooms for panels have "parking space" set aside for wheelchairs and scooters? (Chicago's WorldCon didn't, which is why I ask.) Will there be places for people who must lug around awkward equipment, such as walkers, crutches and canes? And speaking of those who can walk but who have other needs--could Spokane provide skilled interpreters for the deaf? How about those who need and use service animals?
Also, I have to ask--how are you going to deal with practical "jokes"? Other WorldCons have featured fake program tracks, including fake directions on where to go and what room to be in at a given time? This might not seem like a big deal to those who are physically healthy, but to someone who has a limited store of energy, as many disabled people do, this is not only an annoyance but exhausting, debilitating and, in many cases, physically painful.
I ask all of this because "Spokane is very walkable" worries me, as does the fact that you don't mention any benefits for disabled attendees. As a disabled woman, this concerns me. This concerns me very much indeed.
***
I think that I need to send similar questions to San Antonio. What do you think?