Jeremy Byrne, in that open letter, makes me think we need This-Fannish-Experience-Had-Massive-Accessibility-Problems Bingo.
Accessibility is obviously a very important consideration for community organisations and events like the Natcon. However, as the DDA exceptions Robert quotes above imply, practical limitations may impact on the delivery of ideal outcomes, and convention committees are volunteer groups called upon to devote large amounts of unpaid time to balance a range of often competing interests which include venue size and location and membership price. (I have no doubt that more people had their participation in the Natcon this year restricted due to membership and room costs than due to venue accessibility, for example.)
The 2013 Natcon and Ditmar Awards are currently homeless, in part because they have developed a reputation for being burdensome to the host convention–a situation for which I bear some personal responsibility, regrettably. The kind of righteous indignation which results in suggestions that the host convention be forced to do anything, rather than informed, assisted and encouraged, is simply unhelpful. Snark and blame-laying are lazy and ineffective mechanisms for effecting change; the resolution of important community issues of this kind requires empathy, cooperation and mutual support. While it’s very important that this discussion be had and acted upon, “what can I do to help fix this?” will always be more successful than “who can I fail-tag?”
(And then he goes on, in the comments to come, explaining that it's really hard to get a hotel, dudes, and there aren't enough volunteers to run the con, and maybe it won't even happen next year!)
Let's see:
1. Tone argument 2. Accessibility is important for an IDEAL outcome 3. We are volunteers and we work really hard 4. People with accessibility needs are a smaller group than all of the other people we are trying to serve 5. A nasty insinuation -- which I'm sure he would deny was intended if it were pointed out -- that accessibility is "burdensome to the host convention" 6. How dare you point out accessibility needs without volunteering to be on the concom to fix them yourself? (This is the one that always makes me most outraged.) 7. If we insist on picking a hotel that has a ramp to the front entrance (seriously, read the comments, apparently it didn't!), no hotel will take us at all and the convention will fail because of you crappy people who insist on wheelchair access.
Honestly, the only bingo square I didn't see him there was "can't we all just compromise and get along?"
Well, you know, disabled people are over there somewhere and only exist in theory! *eyeroll* What's with this term "fail-tag"? Ugh.
Sometimes I dream about sending Access guerillas into conventions, armed with blue tape, signs, and scent-free soap, and they can just effing do it. Trouble is, they would also need to build ramps.
OTOH, maybe they could rustle up some of the most stiffnecked opponents like the gentleman in question, make them lay down in a useful pattern to provide an entry surface for wheeled vehicles.
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(no subject)
Date: 2011-04-28 02:18 pm (UTC)(And then he goes on, in the comments to come, explaining that it's really hard to get a hotel, dudes, and there aren't enough volunteers to run the con, and maybe it won't even happen next year!)
Let's see:
1. Tone argument
2. Accessibility is important for an IDEAL outcome
3. We are volunteers and we work really hard
4. People with accessibility needs are a smaller group than all of the other people we are trying to serve
5. A nasty insinuation -- which I'm sure he would deny was intended if it were pointed out -- that accessibility is "burdensome to the host convention"
6. How dare you point out accessibility needs without volunteering to be on the concom to fix them yourself? (This is the one that always makes me most outraged.)
7. If we insist on picking a hotel that has a ramp to the front entrance (seriously, read the comments, apparently it didn't!), no hotel will take us at all and the convention will fail because of you crappy people who insist on wheelchair access.
Honestly, the only bingo square I didn't see him there was "can't we all just compromise and get along?"
(no subject)
Date: 2011-04-28 08:31 pm (UTC)Sometimes I dream about sending Access guerillas into conventions, armed with blue tape, signs, and scent-free soap, and they can just effing do it. Trouble is, they would also need to build ramps.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-04-29 03:44 am (UTC)....and a few other things :,)
OTOH, maybe they could rustle up some of the most stiffnecked opponents like the gentleman in question, make them lay down in a useful pattern to provide an entry surface for wheeled vehicles.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-04-29 07:36 pm (UTC)