Hello, Dragon*Con. (I was looking for a good place to bitch about it, and then bitch louder because hi, for-profit con with a huuuuuge budget.)
I am a PWD, but the accommodations I would need are low on the list to get accommodated: as a person with anxiety disorders, I could really use a designated Quiet Room somewhere in one of the main 3-4 hotels, and I would loooove for there to be better traffic control (I am pining away for the day I get to go to a con that marks out traffic vs. still lanes in hallways) because with the incredible overcrowding of D*C, I get anxious enough to go aphasic after about an hour. Even with my extra meds.
ANYWAY. Dragon*Con has REALLY SHITTY DEAF/HoH SERVICE. REEEEEEALLY SHITTY. Line of Sight seating is not great (and can we talk about how not all Deaf/HoH people read lips and how reading lips is also dependent on things like lighting and how easy a specific person's lips are to read, etc.), and they only use interpreters for very big panels.
Also, they only use volunteer 'terps. I DIE. When you have FIFTY TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE, paying a (lowballed) average of $75 each, you can fucking give up one or two of your Guests of Honor and hire some professional 'terps. No really. And they play the "no really, don't look behind the curtain, we're just like a cash-strapped not-for-profit con, really!" well enough that one of my Deaf friends earnestly tried to convince me that he understood why D*C didn't have the money to hire any interpreters, and so he and his (also Deaf, just now becoming geeky) wife only saw one panel in four days that had a 'terp.
Also, it's worth (for values of "worth" equaling "will make you rage more") quoting the full, shitty "all PWD are just doing it for the front row seats" D*C policy:
One important thing to remember: we will do our best to make sure events are accessible to you, but that does not mean we guarantee you a front row seat, or head-of-the-line privileges. If you are going to a very popular event, you must get there extra early to get a good seat, just like everyone else. The accessible seating will not be in the front row. We are following the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which specifies the number and arrangement required for accessible seating. If you arrive late, or in some cases even ‘on time’ for an event, you may not get the seat you would prefer, and in some cases you may not be able to get in at all. Qualification for services does not guarantee availability of seating.
People who think they will need assistance at the convention should contact Disability Services in advance.
ALLLLLLLLL THE RAGE. ALLLLLLLLLLLLL THE RAGE.
Dragon*Con is my hometown con. Geeks around here do the terrible geek one-upsmanship by talking about who they know that volunteers for or works as a director for the con. Most of my geeky friends volunteer at con.
And my spouse and I have decided that we refuse to give any more money to a for-profit organization that works hard to pretend it's a cash-strapped non-profit that can't afford to treat PWD right, because then they would lessen everyone else's (aka the All-Important Abled People's) experience. I can see famous people at other things, and geeky people at other things, and spend my money on other things, and all of these things will be more in line with my values and involve less work spending time in a space that is not accessible for someone with my disabilities.
Also, seriously, I know cons are about Bringing Geeky People Together, and that a volunteer system does that, but Spouse and I have talked about how if D*C would just pay some experts instead of just promoting long-time volunteers, the people who Do This Shit Professionally for non-geeky things would have overcrowding, signage (which is part of accessibility and is run [really poorly, and I hate to say that because the head of signage is a friend] entirely by volunteers), and accessibility, and probably how they're spending their $3.5 MILLION BUDGET in totally non-strategic ways all sorted out. Seriously. Save up some money and hire a conference consultant. Just once every ten years, even. And then do what they say.
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branchandroot
tl;dr: Dragon*Con fails incredibly hard at accessibility and is disingenuous about it, I rage!quit
Date: 2013-07-10 02:25 am (UTC)I am a PWD, but the accommodations I would need are low on the list to get accommodated: as a person with anxiety disorders, I could really use a designated Quiet Room somewhere in one of the main 3-4 hotels, and I would loooove for there to be better traffic control (I am pining away for the day I get to go to a con that marks out traffic vs. still lanes in hallways) because with the incredible overcrowding of D*C, I get anxious enough to go aphasic after about an hour. Even with my extra meds.
ANYWAY. Dragon*Con has REALLY SHITTY DEAF/HoH SERVICE. REEEEEEALLY SHITTY. Line of Sight seating is not great (and can we talk about how not all Deaf/HoH people read lips and how reading lips is also dependent on things like lighting and how easy a specific person's lips are to read, etc.), and they only use interpreters for very big panels.
Also, they only use volunteer 'terps. I DIE. When you have FIFTY TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE, paying a (lowballed) average of $75 each, you can fucking give up one or two of your Guests of Honor and hire some professional 'terps. No really. And they play the "no really, don't look behind the curtain, we're just like a cash-strapped not-for-profit con, really!" well enough that one of my Deaf friends earnestly tried to convince me that he understood why D*C didn't have the money to hire any interpreters, and so he and his (also Deaf, just now becoming geeky) wife only saw one panel in four days that had a 'terp.
Also, it's worth (for values of "worth" equaling "will make you rage more") quoting the full, shitty "all PWD are just doing it for the front row seats" D*C policy:
One important thing to remember: we will do our best to make sure events are accessible to you, but that does not mean we guarantee you a front row seat, or head-of-the-line privileges. If you are going to a very popular event, you must get there extra early to get a good seat, just like everyone else. The accessible seating will not be in the front row. We are following the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which specifies the number and arrangement required for accessible seating. If you arrive late, or in some cases even ‘on time’ for an event, you may not get the seat you would prefer, and in some cases you may not be able to get in at all. Qualification for services does not guarantee availability of seating.
People who think they will need assistance at the convention should contact Disability Services in advance.
ALLLLLLLLL THE RAGE. ALLLLLLLLLLLLL THE RAGE.
Dragon*Con is my hometown con. Geeks around here do the terrible geek one-upsmanship by talking about who they know that volunteers for or works as a director for the con. Most of my geeky friends volunteer at con.
And my spouse and I have decided that we refuse to give any more money to a for-profit organization that works hard to pretend it's a cash-strapped non-profit that can't afford to treat PWD right, because then they would lessen everyone else's (aka the All-Important Abled People's) experience. I can see famous people at other things, and geeky people at other things, and spend my money on other things, and all of these things will be more in line with my values and involve less work spending time in a space that is not accessible for someone with my disabilities.
Also, seriously, I know cons are about Bringing Geeky People Together, and that a volunteer system does that, but Spouse and I have talked about how if D*C would just pay some experts instead of just promoting long-time volunteers, the people who Do This Shit Professionally for non-geeky things would have overcrowding, signage (which is part of accessibility and is run [really poorly, and I hate to say that because the head of signage is a friend] entirely by volunteers), and accessibility, and probably how they're spending their $3.5 MILLION BUDGET in totally non-strategic ways all sorted out. Seriously. Save up some money and hire a conference consultant. Just once every ten years, even. And then do what they say.
In conclusion: *headdesks forever*