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Assisted Listening
Jan. 15th, 2016 10:46 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
arisialj.livejournal.comAssisted Listening Devices are available for a number of events this Arisia!
To see a list click here: https://goo.gl/FHZJ7P
To request a receiver text: (617)648-6552
arisialj.livejournal.com
Tactile Tour of the Art Show
Jan. 14th, 2015 01:27 pmarisialj.livejournal.comArisia will be offering the a Tactile Tour of the Art Show at 4pm on Saturday. This tour was developed for blind and low vision fans, but anyone is welcome to come on the tour for a closer examination of some of the works on display. Cotton archivists gloves will be provided to all participants.
Access Updates
Jan. 14th, 2015 01:23 pmarisialj.livejournal.comArisia has a number of things in place to support attendees with disabilities at the convention.
We will be marking the back of badges again this year for people who cannot stand for long periods of time who need to bypass lines, or for people who need seats at the front of large events, due to mobility, vision or hearing. See the information desk in the lobby. We will also have parking spaces for wheelchairs and scooters in all panel and event rooms.
We will once again have a quiet room, to rest and take respite from the noise and chaos of the convention, in room 401.
We will have alternative format publications. Braille, large format, and electronic text versions can be picked up at the information desk (the Souvenir book is available as e-text with image descriptions by request). KonOpas, the online app for the Arisia schedule has been tested and is screen reader compatible, if you want to set up your schedule on a device before con. (Thanks to Worldcon, who found someone to test it).
Attendees bringing Personal Care Assistants may ask for a free membership for that person. email access@arisia.org for details
More details at: http://www.arisia.org/Access
We will be marking the back of badges again this year for people who cannot stand for long periods of time who need to bypass lines, or for people who need seats at the front of large events, due to mobility, vision or hearing. See the information desk in the lobby. We will also have parking spaces for wheelchairs and scooters in all panel and event rooms.
We will once again have a quiet room, to rest and take respite from the noise and chaos of the convention, in room 401.
We will have alternative format publications. Braille, large format, and electronic text versions can be picked up at the information desk (the Souvenir book is available as e-text with image descriptions by request). KonOpas, the online app for the Arisia schedule has been tested and is screen reader compatible, if you want to set up your schedule on a device before con. (Thanks to Worldcon, who found someone to test it).
Attendees bringing Personal Care Assistants may ask for a free membership for that person. email access@arisia.org for details
More details at: http://www.arisia.org/Access
Walking Tours of Arisia
Dec. 16th, 2014 08:52 pmarisialj.livejournal.comThis year, there will be walking tours of Arisia, on Friday at 8:30 PM (after the Welcome to Arisia for Newcomers) and again at 10:00 AM on Saturday morning.
They will be leaving from the Information Desk. If you are new to Arisia, have a hard time finding your way around, or are an Arisia veteran and want to see how the convention has grown, this tour is for you. The tour will cover most convention areas of the hotel, and will cover highlights and "not to be missed" events at the convention.
They will be leaving from the Information Desk. If you are new to Arisia, have a hard time finding your way around, or are an Arisia veteran and want to see how the convention has grown, this tour is for you. The tour will cover most convention areas of the hotel, and will cover highlights and "not to be missed" events at the convention.
Support for Arisia Attendees
Jan. 13th, 2013 08:20 pmarisialj.livejournal.comArisia is committed to being a diverse and inclusive event that attempts to provide accommodation for people with disabilities. You can find more information at http://2013.arisia.org/Access
Recommendations
Arisia makes full use of the hotel facilities. Events are spread out, and a significant amount of walking will be required. There are a number of places to sit and rest in the hallways, in large corridors outside the ballrooms, near the panel rooms, and in the main lobby of the hotel. However, we recommend that if you use mobility aids, you should bring them or arrange a rental for the convention.
If you have serious allergies, we strongly advise that you bring medication with you, or a mask if your allergies are severe. Arisia has always had a number of service dogs in attendance, and you may also encounter any number of foods at the convention, as well as perfumes, dust, and many other common allergens. We ask attendees to go consider going scent-free for the convention, and for pet owners to go over their clothing with a lint brush, but it is best to be prepared.
For attendees who may be immunocompromised, be aware that there is a serious flu outbreak in Massachusetts right now. While the consuite and other food areas will be diligent in their cleanliness, you may wish to take extra precautions, whether that is medication, tea, or extra rest.
If you have any questions about accessibility or if you would like to make a request, please send an email message to access@arisia.org. We'll try our best to accommodate your needs.
ASL at Arisia
Any Deaf Attendees who wish to bring an interpreter with them, can get a free (Adult-in-tow) membership for their interpreter, when they register.
We will be having two ASL meet and greet sessions at the convention, 11am on Saturday and Sunday, at the tables near Starbucks. We will also be distributing pins to attendees who know some sign language.
Tactile Tours
The Tactile Tour of the Art Show will be on Saturday, and will start at 11:30 am.
The Tactile Tour of the Masquerade will be on Sunday, during Masquerade Halftime (about 9:30pm)
Please send email to access@arisia.org if you are interested in either tour.
Quiet Room
This year we are adding a Quiet Room, located in room 402, a space to take a break from the noise and chaos of the con and those omnipresent fluorescent lights. This is our first year doing this, so the room will be very simply furnished.
This room will have set hours:
Friday 4pm-10pm
Saturday 10am-10pm
Sunday 10am-10pm
Monday 10am-3pm
This room will have a minder, or someone checking on it frequently, and it will have a list of basic guidelines and expectations of behavior. To help people with allergies, we are going to ask that this be a food free space. We ask that people not sleep here, or try to use the space as crash space. Nursing moms are welcome, but this not be used as a play space for small children. This space will also have a gender-free restroom.
If you have ideas about how we might improve Access Services in 2013, or if you would like to volunteer to help, we would love to hear from you. Please email access@arisia.org.
Recommendations
Arisia makes full use of the hotel facilities. Events are spread out, and a significant amount of walking will be required. There are a number of places to sit and rest in the hallways, in large corridors outside the ballrooms, near the panel rooms, and in the main lobby of the hotel. However, we recommend that if you use mobility aids, you should bring them or arrange a rental for the convention.
If you have serious allergies, we strongly advise that you bring medication with you, or a mask if your allergies are severe. Arisia has always had a number of service dogs in attendance, and you may also encounter any number of foods at the convention, as well as perfumes, dust, and many other common allergens. We ask attendees to go consider going scent-free for the convention, and for pet owners to go over their clothing with a lint brush, but it is best to be prepared.
For attendees who may be immunocompromised, be aware that there is a serious flu outbreak in Massachusetts right now. While the consuite and other food areas will be diligent in their cleanliness, you may wish to take extra precautions, whether that is medication, tea, or extra rest.
If you have any questions about accessibility or if you would like to make a request, please send an email message to access@arisia.org. We'll try our best to accommodate your needs.
ASL at Arisia
Any Deaf Attendees who wish to bring an interpreter with them, can get a free (Adult-in-tow) membership for their interpreter, when they register.
We will be having two ASL meet and greet sessions at the convention, 11am on Saturday and Sunday, at the tables near Starbucks. We will also be distributing pins to attendees who know some sign language.
Tactile Tours
The Tactile Tour of the Art Show will be on Saturday, and will start at 11:30 am.
The Tactile Tour of the Masquerade will be on Sunday, during Masquerade Halftime (about 9:30pm)
Please send email to access@arisia.org if you are interested in either tour.
Quiet Room
This year we are adding a Quiet Room, located in room 402, a space to take a break from the noise and chaos of the con and those omnipresent fluorescent lights. This is our first year doing this, so the room will be very simply furnished.
This room will have set hours:
Friday 4pm-10pm
Saturday 10am-10pm
Sunday 10am-10pm
Monday 10am-3pm
This room will have a minder, or someone checking on it frequently, and it will have a list of basic guidelines and expectations of behavior. To help people with allergies, we are going to ask that this be a food free space. We ask that people not sleep here, or try to use the space as crash space. Nursing moms are welcome, but this not be used as a play space for small children. This space will also have a gender-free restroom.
If you have ideas about how we might improve Access Services in 2013, or if you would like to volunteer to help, we would love to hear from you. Please email access@arisia.org.
ASL at Arisia
Dec. 5th, 2012 02:11 pmarisialj.livejournal.comWe will be offering limited ASL interpretation at Arisia this year, by request. We have reserved the services of two interpreters for Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5pm (and they'll need a break for lunch in there somewhere). However, if you need ASL interpretation, we must know by 12/31 or we will have to cancel the reservation. Please email access@arisia.org for details, or if you are interested in volunteering or taking advantage of this service.
Any attendee who wishes to bring an interpreter with them for the day, can apply for a free ""Adult-in-tow membership for the interpreter.
We will be holding two ASL “Meet and Greet sessions” at the con to which all signers are welcome. We will have one Saturday morning at 11am, and one Sunday morning at 11am, location to be announced. All signers and levels of experience are welcome.
We will also have ASL awareness pins this year, a small black and white pin for con attendees to wear to indicate that they know some sign language. We will distribute these at the “Meet and Greet sessions”, and also at the Information Desk. we hope you'll wear these pins to other cons as well!
Thank you for your time!
Please email access@arisia.org if you have any questions!
Any attendee who wishes to bring an interpreter with them for the day, can apply for a free ""Adult-in-tow membership for the interpreter.
We will be holding two ASL “Meet and Greet sessions” at the con to which all signers are welcome. We will have one Saturday morning at 11am, and one Sunday morning at 11am, location to be announced. All signers and levels of experience are welcome.
We will also have ASL awareness pins this year, a small black and white pin for con attendees to wear to indicate that they know some sign language. We will distribute these at the “Meet and Greet sessions”, and also at the Information Desk. we hope you'll wear these pins to other cons as well!
Thank you for your time!
Please email access@arisia.org if you have any questions!
Arisia is having a Quiet Room this year!
Oct. 26th, 2012 02:25 pmcrewgrrl.livejournal.comThis year we are adding a Quiet Room, a space to take a break from the noise and chaos of the con and those omnipresent fluorescent lights. This is our first year doing this, so the room will be very simply furnished.
We will be using a guest room on the 4th floor, and the information desk will have the room number. The room number is also likely to be listed in the pocket program as well.
This room will have set hours:
Friday 4pm-10pm
Saturday 10am-10pm
Sunday 10am-10pm
Monday 10am-3pm
This room will have a minder, or someone checking on it frequently, and it will have a list of basic guidelines and expectations of behavior. To help people with allergies, we are going to ask that this be a food free space. We ask that people not sleep here, or try to use the space as crash space. Nursing moms are welcome, but this not be used as a play space for small children. This space will also have a gender-free restroom.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please write access@arisia.org.
We will be using a guest room on the 4th floor, and the information desk will have the room number. The room number is also likely to be listed in the pocket program as well.
This room will have set hours:
Friday 4pm-10pm
Saturday 10am-10pm
Sunday 10am-10pm
Monday 10am-3pm
This room will have a minder, or someone checking on it frequently, and it will have a list of basic guidelines and expectations of behavior. To help people with allergies, we are going to ask that this be a food free space. We ask that people not sleep here, or try to use the space as crash space. Nursing moms are welcome, but this not be used as a play space for small children. This space will also have a gender-free restroom.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please write access@arisia.org.
Tactile tour of the Arisia art show
Nov. 18th, 2011 11:38 amkestrell.livejournal.comThis year we will once again be having the tactile tour of the Arisia art show. While the precise day and time has not yet been scheduled, we already have our volunteer docent and we are arranging to provide cotton gloves for the participants.
If you are an artist who wishes her or his art to be experienced by those with vision or other sensory impairments during the tactile art show, there should be a checkbox on the Arisia art show entry form which allows you to communicate this to the organizers. Only art which has been expressly allowed to be touched will be included in the tactile art tour. Artists are also encouraged to be present during the tour, and may give a very short explanation of their work if they so desire (a couple of sentences works well with our time limitation).
This tour usually lasts an hour, sometimes a little over an hour. People without sensory impairments are very welcome to attend the tour but, since the size of the group has to be limited in order to move through the show, priority is given to people with disabilities.
If you are an artist who wishes her or his art to be experienced by those with vision or other sensory impairments during the tactile art show, there should be a checkbox on the Arisia art show entry form which allows you to communicate this to the organizers. Only art which has been expressly allowed to be touched will be included in the tactile art tour. Artists are also encouraged to be present during the tour, and may give a very short explanation of their work if they so desire (a couple of sentences works well with our time limitation).
This tour usually lasts an hour, sometimes a little over an hour. People without sensory impairments are very welcome to attend the tour but, since the size of the group has to be limited in order to move through the show, priority is given to people with disabilities.
Question re FM transmitter used at Arisia
May. 13th, 2011 04:49 pmkestrell.livejournal.comI'm trying to find out more info regarding the FM transmitters used at this past Arisia. Could a knowledgeable person tell me the following:
would this equipment be available for loan at another Boston-area con, such as Readercon?
how are such transmitters set up?
What is the official brandn name of the equipment, and what is the cost of such equipment?
Thanks in advance.
would this equipment be available for loan at another Boston-area con, such as Readercon?
how are such transmitters set up?
What is the official brandn name of the equipment, and what is the cost of such equipment?
Thanks in advance.
Access Services
Jan. 4th, 2011 01:20 amtraingeek.livejournal.comHere is our updated accessibility accommodations information including the panels we will have ASL or CART services for. If you have ideas about how we might improve Access Services in 2011, or would like to volunteer to help, we would love to hear from you. Please email access@arisia.org
kestrell.livejournal.comThis past Arisia we created a tactile tour of the art show which drew a group of enthusiastic art fans and artists, and it occurred to me that some of these same folks might be interested in creating a tactile art workshop. I owuld be willing to help organize this but I was hoping to find a few, say 2-4, artists who would be willing to help provide pointers for the workshop. Being available during the workshop itself would be great, but just providing advice on how to put together an intro-level art class would be welcome also.
Potential crafts suited to tactile art: beading, simple weaving (bracelets, etc.), collage, mask decoration, clay, small pottery, polymer clay decorations (maybe with cookie cutters?).
I am hoping to locate a few people who would be willing to help develop this idea so we can create a plan by the time idea suggestion time rolls around.
Potential crafts suited to tactile art: beading, simple weaving (bracelets, etc.), collage, mask decoration, clay, small pottery, polymer clay decorations (maybe with cookie cutters?).
I am hoping to locate a few people who would be willing to help develop this idea so we can create a plan by the time idea suggestion time rolls around.
kestrell.livejournal.comThanks to LJ user selkiechick who had the idea to load the Arisia docs in .doc format--including the program, the restaurant guide, and souvenir book-- onto a thumbdrive. If you would like these docs to load onto your assistive tech device, the thumbdrive will be available at the Info Desk.
kestrell.livejournal.comThanks to LJ user selkiechick, who did the braille formatting and embossing, you can find the following materials at the Info Desk:
8 Braille programs- based on the pocket guide. Each Program will exist of 4 "volumes", one for general information, and one each for Friday, Saturday and Sunday Monday.
1 Braille Restaurant Guide
3 Braille copies of the Hotel Menus, 1 full set for the info desk, 1 set for the Hot dog cart, 1 set for the vendors behind the Escalators, and set for the restaurant (these will all be appropriately sorted- restaurant menus to restaurant, a la carte menus for the other stops)
1-2 Braille copies of the shuttle schedule- for the Information desk
a signup sheet for the Masquerade- to be brought to the information desk.
All Braille will be labelled for sighted people, to facilitate its distribution.
The large print programs will also be available at the Info Desk, along with a baggie of binder clips in case they are needed.
8 Braille programs- based on the pocket guide. Each Program will exist of 4 "volumes", one for general information, and one each for Friday, Saturday and Sunday Monday.
1 Braille Restaurant Guide
3 Braille copies of the Hotel Menus, 1 full set for the info desk, 1 set for the Hot dog cart, 1 set for the vendors behind the Escalators, and set for the restaurant (these will all be appropriately sorted- restaurant menus to restaurant, a la carte menus for the other stops)
1-2 Braille copies of the shuttle schedule- for the Information desk
a signup sheet for the Masquerade- to be brought to the information desk.
All Braille will be labelled for sighted people, to facilitate its distribution.
The large print programs will also be available at the Info Desk, along with a baggie of binder clips in case they are needed.
kestrell.livejournal.comThere will be two FM receivers available for borrowing, first-come, first-served, and these may be picked up at Operations. People with their own receivers or FM devices should be able to use them.
the following events/programming items will be broadcast using the FM transmitter:
Friday - President's CD
9:30pm - 11pm. GOH Palimpsest & The Trains of Heaven -- Concert
11pm - ? GOH Q&A with Skinny White Chick]
Saturday – President’s CD
Midnight – 4 am REPO
Saturday - President's A
3pm - 4pm GOH Concert -- Modern Mythpunk and Fantasy Folk Rock
5pm - 6 pm Gardner Dozois interview
Saturday - President's ACBD
7pm - 11pm Masquerade
Sunday - President's A
1pm -2:30pm Carl Brandon (Sun)
Sunday – President’s CD
2pm - 3pm Radio Play
3pm – 4pm GOH Sunday Skinny White Chick Concert
8pm – 11pm Malice in Wonderland (historical dance)
Sunday – President’s A
6pm – 8pm Never After
Monday - President’s CD
Midnight – 2:30 Buffy the Musical
the following events/programming items will be broadcast using the FM transmitter:
Friday - President's CD
9:30pm - 11pm. GOH Palimpsest & The Trains of Heaven -- Concert
11pm - ? GOH Q&A with Skinny White Chick]
Saturday – President’s CD
Midnight – 4 am REPO
Saturday - President's A
3pm - 4pm GOH Concert -- Modern Mythpunk and Fantasy Folk Rock
5pm - 6 pm Gardner Dozois interview
Saturday - President's ACBD
7pm - 11pm Masquerade
Sunday - President's A
1pm -2:30pm Carl Brandon (Sun)
Sunday – President’s CD
2pm - 3pm Radio Play
3pm – 4pm GOH Sunday Skinny White Chick Concert
8pm – 11pm Malice in Wonderland (historical dance)
Sunday – President’s A
6pm – 8pm Never After
Monday - President’s CD
Midnight – 2:30 Buffy the Musical
kestrell.livejournal.comDue to some schedule tweaking, the described tactile tour of the art show has been rescheduled for Saturday from noon to 1. We'll meet at the art show and I will distribute cotton gloves to anyone who wishes to participate in the tactile aspect of the tour. A number of the artists plan on being present to describe their own work, so this is sounding very exciting.
This information is also posted to my personal LJ, the Arisia news section on the main site, and the Arisia Access page http://2010.arisia.org/Access
.
This information is also posted to my personal LJ, the Arisia news section on the main site, and the Arisia Access page http://2010.arisia.org/Access
.
kestrell.livejournal.com1. People with disabilities attending Arisia who wish to bring a
physical assistant may request a ribbon which will allow the assistant
to go anywhere the attendee goes. If the physical assistant never
leaves the side of the person with the paid membership that they're
assisting, they can get a free "adult-in-tow" membership, otherwise if
they wish to occasionally explore the convention on their own, they
should get a paid membership
Note: An "adult-in-tow" option has been added to the online reg form.
2. The accessible art tour is scheduled for Saturday from 4-5 p.m. Arisia will be providing cotton gloves for anyone wishing to touch artwork which has been specifically designated by the artists. Artists are also welcome to be present to describe their work. We'll try to keep descriptions short so we can get to as much of the art show as possible.
Both of these announcements have also been posted to the Arisia '10 Access Services Web page http://2010.arisia.org/Access .
physical assistant may request a ribbon which will allow the assistant
to go anywhere the attendee goes. If the physical assistant never
leaves the side of the person with the paid membership that they're
assisting, they can get a free "adult-in-tow" membership, otherwise if
they wish to occasionally explore the convention on their own, they
should get a paid membership
Note: An "adult-in-tow" option has been added to the online reg form.
2. The accessible art tour is scheduled for Saturday from 4-5 p.m. Arisia will be providing cotton gloves for anyone wishing to touch artwork which has been specifically designated by the artists. Artists are also welcome to be present to describe their work. We'll try to keep descriptions short so we can get to as much of the art show as possible.
Both of these announcements have also been posted to the Arisia '10 Access Services Web page http://2010.arisia.org/Access .
kestrell.livejournal.com1. The New England Folk Festival has offered Arisia the loan of two hearing-
assistance transmitter/receiver sets, which will be made available to attendees on a first come, first served basis.
However, if people have their own FM receivers, they can bring those and they'll be
able to pick up the transmission.
We are working on a list of panels and GOH events at which these transmitters might be of the most use, but if attendees have specific requests, please feel free to send them to access@arisia.org and we will do our best to make it happen.
Note: the transmitters can only be set up in rooms with augmented sound (microphones, amplification, etc.).
2. We are also working on offering an accessible tour of the art show, including providing description and the ability to touch the art. Arisia will be providing cotton gloves for anyone attending this event, and we'll have more details closer to con. If possible, it would be great to get an approximation of how many people would be interested in attending this tour so that we can provide enough gloves. You can e-mail us at access@arisia.org .
Also, I wanted to thank all the artists who graciously agreed to participate in this event: thank you!
assistance transmitter/receiver sets, which will be made available to attendees on a first come, first served basis.
However, if people have their own FM receivers, they can bring those and they'll be
able to pick up the transmission.
We are working on a list of panels and GOH events at which these transmitters might be of the most use, but if attendees have specific requests, please feel free to send them to access@arisia.org and we will do our best to make it happen.
Note: the transmitters can only be set up in rooms with augmented sound (microphones, amplification, etc.).
2. We are also working on offering an accessible tour of the art show, including providing description and the ability to touch the art. Arisia will be providing cotton gloves for anyone attending this event, and we'll have more details closer to con. If possible, it would be great to get an approximation of how many people would be interested in attending this tour so that we can provide enough gloves. You can e-mail us at access@arisia.org .
Also, I wanted to thank all the artists who graciously agreed to participate in this event: thank you!
kestrell.livejournal.comArisia is committed to being an event which promotes diversity among
its attendees, doing its best to address members' access issues and
accommodation requests. This year Arisia is trying to grow Access
Services. While Access Services has a small budget, we believe that
access is an attitude, and with a willingness to listen and the
application of imagination and innovation, we'll be able to do better.
( Tell us how under the cut. )
its attendees, doing its best to address members' access issues and
accommodation requests. This year Arisia is trying to grow Access
Services. While Access Services has a small budget, we believe that
access is an attitude, and with a willingness to listen and the
application of imagination and innovation, we'll be able to do better.
( Tell us how under the cut. )
kestrell.livejournal.comI am posting this on behalf of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jess_the_k, with whom I worked on access issues at Wiscon 31. She had some notes from a few Arisia folks who were at Wiscon and who were interested in exchanging information about access issues, particularly in regard to software programming and wheelchair access. However, the original notes and names seem to have disappeared into the ether, so Jesse would like anyone who talked with her at Wiscon to contact her by emailing access31@wiscon.info. I am also interested in hearing from folks who were at Wiscon and are interestd in porting some of the access services to local Boston-area conventions.
jess_the_k, with whom I worked on access issues at Wiscon 31. She had some notes from a few Arisia folks who were at Wiscon and who were interested in exchanging information about access issues, particularly in regard to software programming and wheelchair access. However, the original notes and names seem to have disappeared into the ether, so Jesse would like anyone who talked with her at Wiscon to contact her by emailing access31@wiscon.info. I am also interested in hearing from folks who were at Wiscon and are interestd in porting some of the access services to local Boston-area conventions.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}