ConFuzzled

Accessibility

At ConFuzzled, we are always working on ways to make the convention and all its events more accessible for every one of our attendees.

Below are just some of the ways our teams are working both before and during the convention to achieve this.

Registration

  • Ensuring accessible rooms in the convention hotel are allocated to those who need them through our accessibility lottery
  • Providing a separate queue at con registration for people with accessibility needs. Attendees just have to let the welfare team present at registration know of their needs and they will be shown to the queue

Dealers’ Den

  • Prioritising Dealers with medical or accessibility needs when working on table allocations. For example, by placing Dealers with specific needs by exits/end of aisles or placement nearer to the Den team to allow for more regular monitoring and support. Service animals are also accommodated.
  • Using the Dealers’ Den’s C.U.R.L. system improves access to support by allowing Dealers to contact the Den team at the touch of a button, both for general assistance and emergencies.
  • Expanding the Dealers’ Den team to help allow us to do regular checks on Dealers, which allows us the chance to give support, aid or quickly resolve potential issues.
  • Providing an accessibility queue for anyone who should need it. This queue does not give priority access to the Den, but offers an easier to navigate queue, and if needed, a suitable place to rest while users wait to access the Den.
  • Adjusting floor plans to include wider aisles to make getting around the Dealers’ Den easier for everyone. It also means that mobility aid users will be able to get around more easily.
  • Implementing a ban on wearing fursuits and fursuit parts (including but not limited to wings and tails). This allows attendees who use mobility aids and any service animals to go around the den without the risk of being harmed accidentally.
  • Developing a new interactive map, where you can click a dealer from the list and it will show you their location within the Dealers’ Den, with a view to improve this further in the future, making it a more useful tool for all by allowing attendees to pre-plan where they wish to go before the den opens.

Creative

  • Providing a tool on our website to help attendees create a customisable social signifiers badge. This can be printed at home before the convention, or at Con Ops during the convention.
  • Providing the convention events programme in a lighter and more easily markable version that can be printed in advance at home for convenience and ease of reading.
  • Considering clarity, contrast, colour, and readability throughout ALL of our printed materials, where possible. This includes things like lanyards, badges, banners, flyers, maps, and printed text.
  • Using a set of original iconography that can be seen across the convention to help visualise signage, directions and instructions where possible.

Tech Services

  • Providing ramps for helping panellists/performers with mobility impairments to access both the main stage and the second stage
  • Providing an accessible viewing platform to allow better sight lines with another accessible ramp for the mobility impaired in the main stage
  • Providing an induction loop for attendees with hearing impairments wearing a hearing aid for main stage events

Video

  • Providing automated captions for the opening and closing ceremonies when viewed via live stream, and investigating ways to provide this service for other events in the future.
  • Making captions available on all of our uploaded video content through the confuzzled.tv website, starting with the content uploaded from 2023’s convention and continuing for any future uploaded content.
  • Aiming to make all stage content available via live streams, so that people can enjoy the content anywhere both on or off the venue, making the need to reach the rooms for those with mobility issues or those who are uncomfortable in crowded situations.

Hotel

  • Disabled parking is available in the VIP car parking area of the Hilton, just let the concierge know if you require disabled parking on arrival. If this area becomes full, the concierge team will direct guests as to where they can park to be closest to the hotel entrance.

Contact Us

But this is only the beginning! We are always looking for more ways to improve accessibility throughout every aspect of the convention. If you have any suggestions, email our Innovations team at innovations@confuzzled.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!