INTRODUCTION

The Accessibility Disappearing Task Force met six times between June and early August of 2020. Our task was to discuss and generate ideas for improving accessibility at the CSPC in a variety of areas. This work was prompted and framed in part by the accessibility inquiry document presented by one of the task force members (Paul, who discussed this document at a previous board meeting).

The task force was made up of Center volunteers and community members, many of whom have disabilities and speak from personal experience about the challenges they've faced in attending events. We discussed ideas for improving accessibility at the CSPC in a variety of areas. 

OVERVIEW OF RECOMMENDATIONS

There’s no way to “fix” accessibility all at once through broad policy strokes. The range of accessibility needs among our members and potential members is too diverse. Improving accessibility at the CSPC will be an iterative process in which we’ll improve from each interaction and each attempt to accommodate an individual.

In order to get those interactions going we’ll need to advertise the fact that the CSPC is doing this work to increase our accessibility and inclusivity. Some people who are used to living with their disabilities might not expect coming out to an event to even be possible, or might have lowered expectations about their ability to engage. Getting the word out could help improve the experience for people who might normally not share the fact that they have a disability.

Consistent effort will need to be put forth in order to improve accessibility. The CSPC will need to present a willingness to engage in a variety of ways, and then follow up with actions that support members on a case-by-case basis. A benefit of this approach is that nobody at the CSPC needs to be an expert on every type of need or accommodation. Instead, we’d accept that any given person is the expert on their own needs, and provide a process for discussing and implementing the easiest and most effective accommodations.

There are some changes to consider implementing right away (prior to any specific requests) that would make the CSPC more accessible to some members. An example of this is the Accessibility Buddy role.

EXAMPLE ACCOMMODATION: ACCESSIBILITY BUDDY ROLE (GUEST OR VOLUNTEER)

This is one possible accommodation which was brought up as being potentially helpful in a number of contexts, because the idea itself is very flexible. An Accessibility Buddy is a person who is assigned to help with a specific member’s needs during part or all of an event.

In its simplest form, a member/potential new member could already have a person in mind to act as the Accessibility Buddy (e.g. “I need an interpreter, can I bring along person X?” or “I have mobility needs, and person Y could help me at the party.”). Simply allowing the member to bring their own Buddy to the party as a guest (without additional cost) would be a win-win scenario for the CSPC. We’re getting a member to come out who otherwise would not be able to, and they’re providing their own accommodations – all the CSPC would need to do is make it easier for them to do so. No significant new systems or processes need to be created to make this happen (the existing Guest paperwork could be used to ensure that the Buddy has ID, etc.).

A more complicated form of the Accessibility Buddy could occur when the member requesting accommodations does not have a person available to provide them. It would be possible in such cases to make an agreement with one or more volunteers, who would then spend all or part of their shift(s) assisting the member. For this case we’d recommend:

•  Including the party champions and at least one board member in the discussion with the member

• Spelling out the accommodations anticipated prior to the party, so that any volunteers taking on this role are aware of the specific duties involved

• Making the decided-upon accommodations available to the ECs prior to the event 

• Combining this role, where possible, with other roles that don’t interfere with its duties (e.g. a party Champion or Ambassador could probably also act as an Accessibility Buddy in cases where the accommodations are not too time-consuming; on the other hand it would likely be best not to ask a Monitor to provide accommodations that require them to stay near the member, since Monitors should be moving around)

• Making this a volunteer shift as opposed to a role that lasts the entire event (if the member needs accommodations throughout an event, they’d have a shift change at some point)

• Getting general guidance from the CSPC Board regarding liability and any limits to keep in mind when arranging accommodations, so we don’t accidentally promise something that we legally can’t deliver (e.g. would it be allowed for a volunteer Accessibility Buddy to transport the member to and from the party in a private vehicle?)

AREAS DISCUSSED AND IDEAS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS

During the DTF meetings we covered a variety of topics, and brainstormed ideas for actions the CSPC could take to improve accessibility in each area. The topics discussed were:

• Transportation

• Building/Venue

• Food/Beverages

• Social Interactions

• Community Engagement 

The committee believed that these areas would most benefit from the committee’s time, discussions, and reflection. What follows is a summary of the ideas and suggestions for accommodations generated by the task force within each of these areas.

TRANSPORTATION

Concern: Many people may not be able to attend events at the CSPC because they lack adequate transportation options or parking, or cannot get safely to and from the Center.

Recommendations:

• Website/e-mail advice for various methods of transport (private car, metro bus, light rail, flex transit, Uber/Lyft, carpool, taxi, limo).

•  Social media forum to sign up for carpooling/ride sharing.

•  A transportation fund that members can donate to when signing up for the party, which could be used for accessibility issues or other transportation emergencies (if somebody needs help we could get them an Uber or taxi).

• Even without funding, we could provide assistance with backup plans for when members have a ride home fall through (having an Internet-connected device available at registration for them to use, or just assisting them with using their own device to call/text a friend or otherwise arrange a ride).

• Hosting events at different times could help with some types of rides (Access/Dart and other public transportation options have limited hours). But moving events earlier would have to be weighed against things like whether people on a work schedule could actually make it to a new member orientation. Weekend events would be easier to schedule early.

• Using some volunteer time to walk people to/from parking or bus stations.

• Having volunteers give rides might be possible, but there are some concerns around that (availability of volunteers who have cars they can use, driver safety and insurance, how much would/could the center reimburse for things like gasoline).

BUILDING/VENUE:

Concern: The building might not be accessible to some people, or they might not be able to understand what is happening at events.

Recommendations:

• For online meetings, using a service which allows attendees to turn on automatically-generated Closed Captioning is very helpful (if sometimes imperfect).

• For physical venues, it’s best to avoid areas that have stairs, difficult walkways, unsafe drop-offs, and other dangerous conditions.

•  Prior to attending events, having pictures, diagrams, and text descriptions of the venue could help people decide if it’s a space they’d feel comfortable navigating.

• Just having somebody to talk to about the space could help potential members figure out any areas where they might need help. This will vary greatly depending on the person attending and their abilities.

• Paperwork done in person at the party can be a problem for people who are visually impaired. It would be great if we had PDFs that could be filled out/signed prior to the party. The same is true for any party-specific rules or other handouts (making them all downloadable beforehand could be a big help).

• Improved lighting in the registration area. Due to a combination of dimmer lighting for the party environment and the angle of the single light over registration, holding forms towards yourself blocks the light’s angle, making check-in forms hard to see. A possible solution could be to use desk height lamps at the registration desk and information handout table where seats are provided already for filling out forms. This would provide lighting at better angles, and also would not disturb party lighting.

•  Orientation would be more accessible if all the information was presented in a visual form (handouts or slide deck) as well as verbally. This is already being worked on as part of our online New Member Orientations and should be a continued practice when in-person orientations resume.

• Announcements made at events should also come in multiple forms (e.g. use a projector with text matching the “15-minute warning” that’s being given over the PA, blinking the lights to draw attention that an announcement is being made).

• It would be possible to project an image of a laptop that is doing on-the-fly Closed Captioning (e.g. one person logged into a Google Meets room). This would make all kinds of things, from orientations to announcements, more accessible to hearing-impaired members. While this type of captioning is not perfect, it would be significantly easier to arrange than an ASL interpreter.

• Locating things like sign-up boards for pick up play near a volunteer’s station (registration, possibly the food serving area at some events) would make it easier for members who can’t reach or see the whiteboard to ask a volunteer for assistance.

• The location of the lockers downstairs in our present space is a potential issue for people who want to change or use them for valuables, but who have difficulty getting down there. This could be worked around if a buddy/volunteer could run things down to a locker for them.

• Some way of separating play from social areas (police tape, stretchable barriers) could help people avoid accidentally walking through scenes, and could help visually-impaired people know where the play areas are.

FOOD/BEVERAGES: 

Concern: Food allergies/restrictions, as well as motor skill differences, can prevent members from fully participating in an event that offers food and beverages.

Recommendations:

• Some kind of information on our website about what food/beverages are typically available would be helpful for members with diet restrictions, so they can plan ahead (we don’t always know every detail when we have somebody purchasing food for the party, but there are common items we could list).

• For sanitary reasons (in part related to the pandemic), there was a general preference among the DTF members for individually-wrapped snacks. We also discussed the possibility of having a volunteer stationed at the food area, who could be responsible for handing out food on request (which reduces the number of hands in the bowls) as well as for keeping food the proper temperature.

• Although having every kind of adaptive utensil would be unrealistic for the center, simply having individually-wrapped plasticware and straws on hand can be helpful for a variety of situations.

SOCIAL INTERACTIONS:

Concern: Members might not be comfortable with or understand how to connect socially at events, and might not know how or from whom to seek assistance.

Recommendations:

• Having pre-scene conversation checklists available could help newer members prepare. Some possible items could be:

  • Safety parameters (what’s allowed/not)

  • Safe word info (for center and participants), as well as reminders about what monitors can and can’t do (any should respond to “safeword” if they hear it, but monitors will not know to listen for any other safe word unless notified it’s in use)

  • Hard limits for participants

  • Desires/expectations

  • Participant conditions (physical/mental/emotional)

• Practice role-playing advocating for and arranging a scene (with the agreement beforehand that it’s just a practice exercise), could be helpful for people with social anxieties/inhibitions.

• Possibly a party activity or a whole party could be held around the idea of practicing communication/negotiations. People could switch places round-robin and then practice again with new partners. Exercising those muscles will make them stronger.

• Having a forum for people to talk about their experiences outside of scenes/events could help people understand and be more willing to jump in and try attending an event. We’re doing this right now with the member munches, but it could be a community-building event we continue to hold even after in-person events resume.

• Wristbands (indicating things like play style/scene availability, or to “ask about my needs”) and more complicated signs can help people start conversations. One good example is the custom of putting up signs by scenes at the Myself! Party with instructions. One of our task force members indicated that they don’t object to wearing a sign that says “blind jogger” at the track, so that people are aware. We could make signs and cues like this available to members who could use them to inform or start conversations with others.

• Encouraging socialization prior to a party (e.g. starting discussion threads about the party on social media, and pointing people who register toward these discussions) can allow party-goers to get to know one another and break some of the ice early. Doing this online can help some members who are less able to approach new people in person.

• People with disabilities have been, to varying degrees, segregated and isolated from certain social activities. We will have stereotypes and other assumptions challenged as we work with members. Awareness of this and willingness to think outside the box will help. Allowing the individual members to lead the conversations and engaging with them in a search for solutions will be more beneficial than trying to create a one-size-fits-all solution for any area.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:

Concern: People might not know about the CSPC and its events. They might think there is no way to accommodate them or that the Center isn’t willing/able to work with them.

 Recommendations:

• Making some statement to let people know of our commitment to this (similar to companies calling out that they’re “equal opportunity employers”) would potentially be an opening to start discussions.

• We currently have a non-discrimination statement on the front page of the web site, and it specifically calls out that people with special needs are welcome (“welcomes everyone, regardless of…ability, disability, or body type.”). It might be good to get this message out in places beyond the web site and the member manual, so that people who are considering us can easily find messaging about our commitment to inclusivity. (We included the statement in the latest newsletter, and there’s certainly more than can be said about this when we work out any processes for members to request accommodations.)

• As we examined our current non-discrimination statement, the group had some suggestions for improving it:

  • Including the words “special needs,” since “disability” is focused on a person not being able to do something.

  • Potentially working in the words “accessibility” and/or “accommodations,” in the context of discussing our commitment toward individual members’ needs.

  • There were mixed opinions around the list of “phobic”/biased remarks members should avoid. While some of us felt it was helpful to call out specific things to avoid like that, others of us felt the list was long and yet still not complete/encompassing of all the possible ways to be prejudiced. Perhaps something along the lines of this would help reduce the repetition of “phobic” if we decide to go that direction: “Remarks that are intolerant or phobic of others based on race, sex, sexuality, gender, [continue list]… will not be tolerated.”

• Although the general advice of the group is that accommodations will need to be very individualized, it would be helpful if we could give some kind of specifics about the kinds of things we can/will do. A good example of this would be if carpooling/ride sharing is available from volunteers or worked out among attendees in a designated discussion group (whatever the details, knowing it’s even possibly available helps people who might need such accommodations figure out if they can attend).

• Letting people know who may scout our location in advance that we do have a ramp for the first step of our location available and how to let us know when they arrive, if they need it and are arriving alone.

• Letting members know that they can request accommodations when they register for an event online. Including a text field for them to request specific accommodations would be a good conversation starter. It would also help to give examples of what kinds of accommodations we are currently able to provide, and to set the expectation that making a request will begin a conversation with a CSPC representative, who will discuss ways we could potentially help.

• Getting the word out about our commitment to inclusivity/accommodation means connecting to other communities. Some ideas that were thrown around included:

  • Website

  • Newsletter

  • Social media channels

  • Handouts/flyers at various organizations

    • Speech Hearing and Deafness centers

    • Services for the Blind

    • Counseling/mental health organizations

    • Relationship anarchy organization

    • Colleges

    • Any place where people who might enjoy being members might be looking for social groups and other like-minded people

We need to help members and potential members who have special needs feel encouraged to reach out to us and find out what is possible. If we don’t make an effort to let them know that we’re willing to help, they’ll probably assume that our events are inaccessible to them.

CONCLUSION

The Accessibility DTF and this document are meant to be first steps in an ongoing discussion, leading to continued improvements that make the Center for Sex Positive Culture a more inclusive and accessible space for all. Comments, questions, and suggestions are encouraged. Please email info@thecspc.org with your thoughts.