Accessibility at VidCon 2016
My experience with lack of access at VidCon 2016 as a chronically ill wheelchair user:
On the first day a staff member directed me to a staircase as the only entrance to Registration when there was actually a ramp elsewhere (unbeknown to me at the time). Because of this, I was left at the bottom of the stairs while crowds ran passed me and my brother registered for me.
There was a ramp at the halfway point of the long journey I made to the stairs, but there was no event sign and staff was uninformed.
Throughout the convention it was difficult navigating the crowd and the large space as a wheelchair user, waiting for elevators, getting stuck on wire covers (some were the size of speed bumps and I wasn’t allowed to use alternate accessible routes because a staff member was attempting to control the crowd); with a disability traveling generally takes more time.
[Image of an audience and a wheelchair user sitting in the far back in the aisle, image credit top right: shep689]
I would attempt to get to my destination as quickly as I could but as I mentioned, without clear paths and more elevator options it was out of my control. For the most part I would arrive on time to panels but missed out on a few because I was unable to get there before they reached capacity.
Though the website claimed there would be, I never saw a designated wheelchair area in the audience. Wheelchair users often sat in the aisles and in the back, there was no designated space for wheelchairs. At the outdoor stages, no designated areas also meant I was eye level with the butts of the crowd.
These experiences ranged from exhausting and painful, to excluding and unwelcoming, to hurtful and humiliating.
[Video thumbnail is of a crowded standing audience in front of a stage, a screen displaying close up shots of what is happening on stage. Text on the foreground, “How to improve accessibility at your event”]
Above is a video of possible improvements to be made, not only at VidCon but any large event/convention. Let’s start this conversation about how we can make events like this more welcoming and inclusive for people with disabilities. Accessibility is not just a nice thing to do, it’s the RIGHT thing to do, and the LEGAL thing to do. People have a right to equitable access.
I would really appreciate any Tweets or shares of the video over to VidCon and hopefully they will improve accessibility for disabled guests from here on out. #AccessibilityAtVidCon