Accessibility & Inclusion

CONvergence is serious about doing everything we can to provide a welcoming, accessible environment for all fans. This page is a general overview of the accessibility and inclusion services and facilities offered by the convention.

Unfortunately, we cannot make every aspect of CONvergence barrier-free. We are limited by finances, logistics, facilities, and volunteer staffing. Please contact CONvergence Accessibility & Inclusion if you have any questions, or if you can offer suggestions or resources to help make CONvergence more accessible.

CONvergence 2024 Information Coming Soon!

Below is information from CONvergence 2023 for your reference.

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Accessibility Table

Located on the second floor of the Hyatt Regency, Accessibility Table staff are available to answer your accessibility-related questions in person and provide resources to make your CONvergence experience great!

Accessibility Table Hours

• Thursday 9:00am – Noon; 2:00pm – 5:00pm
• Friday 9:00am – Noon; 2:00pm – 5:00pm
• Saturday 9:00am – Noon; 2:00pm – 5:00pm
• Sunday 9:00am – Noon; 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Accessibility Table Resources

• Paddle signs to hold up that say “Use the Mic”; “Show your Lips”; “I have a Question”
• Information on the nearest drugstores, ER, and walk-in clinics
• Accessible Restroom Tip Sheet
• Wheelchair/scooter rental venues
• Large hotel maps specifically marked with:
  • Accessible Entrances
  • Best areas for service animal toilet breaks
  • First Advisors Room, and Parenting Room
  • Elevator for accessibility use
  • Diaper changing stations
• Optional pronoun badge stickers
• Optional disability badge stickers

Social Narrative for CONvergence

Autism Society of Minnesota has created a Social Narrative PDF for CONvergence 2023.

Panel Rooms

Each CONvergence panel room has taped off wheelchair/scooter seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each panel room also has a taped off area for setting up camera tripods. Tripods should not be set up in aisles.

Event Seating

If you need accessible seating for an event at CONvergence, please alert a Nerf Herder line management volunteer (wearing a green smock) and they will do everything they can to get you accommodation. Accessible seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For those who need accessible seating at MainStage (including members with visual impairments, hearing impairments, wheelchairs/scooters, or with other mobility issues), please arrive 20 minutes before showtime. MainStage has a reserved section of priority seating for those requiring assistance or accommodation. Once the doors have been opened for all to be admitted, MainStage ushers cannot guarantee anyone—even those with special needs—a seat.

There is room for storage of unused scooters or wheelchairs within the MainStage space if you want to transfer from your scooter or wheelchair to a stationary chair. Please note, however, that your mobility aid will not be able to charge while in storage. MainStage ushers will assist in relocating and returning your mobility aid to you after the show. Please contact CONvergence MainStage if you have any questions.

Recommended Apps

Deaf and Hard of Hearing members who usually rely on speech reading may not be able to understand you through your face mask. A great option is to write down what you want to say, or use a speech-to-text app to automatically transcribe what you say. Here are a few apps to check out!

• LiveTranscribe (Android)
• Ava (Android and iPhone)
• Wushi (iPhone)
• Speech to Text (Android)
• Voice to Text (Android)
• Cardzilla (Android and iPhone) is also a great app for typing what you want to say!

Scheduling

All CONvergence panels and events are scheduled with at least one half hour break between them in order to allow everyone ample time to use the restroom and to travel to their next destination.

Waiting in Lines

If you have physical challenges with standing in lines, please alert a Nerf Herder line management volunteer (wearing a green smock) and they will ensure you get accommodation.

If you have limited mobility or you use a mobility device such as a scooter, a walker, crutches, or a wheelchair, you may wait near the front of the line so that you will be able to take advantage of the accessible seating.

Publication Formats

Included with your CONvergence membership is a small print Pocket Programming Grid, and a regular print Programming Guide and Souvenir Book. These are all available when you pick up your badge. PDF versions of the Programming Guide/Souvenir Book will be available on the CONvergence website prior to the convention. A large-print PDF of the CONvergence schedule will also be available for you to download and print.

If you would like a text-only version of the CONvergence Programming Guide, please contact CONvergence Publications with your request before June 15 of the convention year.

Maps

Maps showing accessible paths in each of the CONvergence hotels are available on the Maps page.

Plain text maps for CONvergence 2023 are also available on the Maps page. These maps were designed to help blind and low-vision members navigate the convention and should be compatible for all screen reading software.

If you are interested in having a tactile map for a future convention, please contact CONvergence Accessibility & Inclusion.

Captioning

The following CONvergence 2023 events will feature live captioning both projected next to MainStage and broadcast on CVG-TV:

• Opening Ceremony
• Masquerade
• Closing Ceremony

Other panels and events around the convention may offer live captioning, especially if requested in advance. If you have question about captioning service for a particular panel or event, please contact CONvergence Accessibility & Inclusion.

ASL Interpreters

There will be ASL interpreters at Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Masquerade, and at panels by request.

If you would like American Sign Language interpretation services during CONvergence 2023, please contact the Accessibility & Inclusion department with your request by June 30, 2023. 

W cannot guarantee an available interpreter without an advance request. Please also help spread the word about this, as it is a change from some previous years!

PCAs

If you use a PCA and will need the assistance of one in order to attend CONvergence, please contact CONvergence Accessibility & Inclusion.

Gender Identity

Diversity of gender identity is embraced at CONvergence. All are welcome to use the restroom that best fits their identity. There are Men’s, Women’s, and All-Gender restrooms available during the convention in the Hyatt Regency. Please see the Maps page for specific locations.

Add a pronoun sticker to your convention badge! Pre-printed pronoun stickers for They/Them, He/Him, and She/Her, as well as blank stickers for you to write in your pronouns, are available at Registration & Badge Pick-up, The Bridge, and the Accessibility Table.

Not sure which pronouns to use for a new friend at CONvergence? Check their badge for their pronoun sticker, or if they don’t have a sticker, just go ahead and ask. It really is not a big deal!

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Something set off your spider sense? CONvergence strives to provide a welcome con for BIPOC and culturally-diverse members, but we acknowledge that we can do better.

CONvergence DEI has an anonymous feedback form and encourages you to fill it out to let us know how you want CONvergence to improve. You can also contact CONvergence DEI at any time.

Service Animals

Service Animals as defined by the Federal ADA are welcome at CONvergence. At this time, CONvergence does not allow Emotional Support Animals or pets in convention spaces.

Please visit our Service Animals page for more information!

Medical Needs

The First Advisors Room, located in the Hiawatha Room on the second floor of the Hyatt Regency, offers both a refrigerator to store your medication for the day and a controlled space to see to your own medical needs. It is available at all times during the convention.

Please visit the First Advisors page for more information!

Sensory Break Room

The Sensory Break Room is the ideal place to take a break from the con with minimal distractions. It is located in the Cedar Lake Room just off the Great Lakes Promenade on the 4th floor of the Hyatt Regency and across from Space Lounge.

Please visit the Sensory Break Room page for more information!

Parenting Room

Parents and caregivers with infants, young children, or children with special needs, as well as mothers and people who need to express milk, are welcome in the Parenting Room, located in suite 435.

Please visit the Parenting Room page for more information!

Remote Content

Sometimes you just run out of spoons and need to rest at home or in your hotel room. CONvergence live streams and broadcasts some events so you can enjoy them even when you are not at the convention. Head to the CVG-TV page for the streaming and hotel TV broadcast schedules.

Hotels & Facilities

If you need an ADA compliant/accessible hotel room, please contact the hotel directly.

Maps showing accessible paths in the Hyatt Regency are available on the Maps page.

Potential Barriers

CONvergence strives to be accessible to all members. Due to financial, logistic, facility, and volunteer staffing limitations, some barriers still remain.

• Some public areas can get very crowded.
• Valet parking at the Hyatt Regency may not be available during the convention.
• Most of the programming rooms are illuminated with fluorescent lighting.
• Some parties, events, or spaces may utilize strobe lighting and/or black lights.
• Face masks are not required in Dealers Room, Artists Alley, and Parties hallways. Room parties may or may not require face masks.
• COVID-19 vaccination is not required to attend CONvergence.
• ASL must be requested in advance to guarantee interpreter availability.
• Not all of CVG-TV is captioned.
• Most convention signage features regular-sized print. If you have questions about signage during the convention, please visit the Accessibility Table (located in the Greenway Promenade on the second floor.)
• CONvergence is not scent-free. The First Advisors Room trys to minimize scents within their space.
• Some public hotel toilet facilities may use binary language such as “Men” and “Women”. At the Hyatt Regency, there are several All-Gender restrooms available for use.

CONvergence welcomes suggestions for making our convention more accessible! If you have a comment or suggestion about accessibility at CONvergence, please contact CONvergence Accessibility & Inclusion.