Access Fandom

When I started working on WisCon access in 2007, some kind soul (name lost) gave me a black teeshirt printed in tactile gold--with both Latin letters and braille. It sang the praises of ELECTRICAL EGGS, who advocated for handicap accessibility in the 1970s and 1980s. I loved the shirt but didn't know their history.

So I was thrilled when the September 2025 Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, volume 14 number 2, starts off with Eric Vero's article:

Oral History of The Electrical Eggs: Science Fiction, Disability Activism, and Fan Conventions

https://cjds.uwaterloo.ca/index.php/cjds/article/view/1262

The journal offers PDF, HTML, and "simplified HTML" versions of each article; all are open access, peer-reviewed, and Creative Commons licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

ABSTRACT

Before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990, American science fiction fans in southern states organized, collaborated, and practiced accessibility at conventions. This grassroots movement began with the work of Samanda B. Jeude and a coalition of other science fiction fans who fought for visibility and access to convention spaces. In this oral history of their organization, “The Electrical Eggs,” I interview two key members decades after their participation in making conventions accessible. I complement these oral sources with brief histories of the role of eugenics and ableism in science fiction and the rise of disability activism in America. Although, the science fiction fandom still faces historical forces like ableism that have been present since its beginnings, the work of the Eggs is a testament to the power of collective action to provide accessibility in fan communities.

WisCon will happen in-person and online during U.S. Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-30, 2022 in Madison, Wisconsin

I'm proud of how WisCon helped push/guide other SF cons into making fandom more accessible. I was sad to read this in a WisCon mailing:

We need to let you all know that we are having a volunteer emergency in terms of pre-con volunteer positions. We're still missing some significant roles with only eight weeks left until the con.

We're at the point now where if we don't get volunteers ASAP, we'll have to make cuts to what WisCon can offer in terms of accessibility, food, and events.

Access Lead (1-2 people, attending in person)

major tasks include

• Coordinate our efforts on Signage, Blue Tape, ASL/CART
• Set up Transport Plan to/from Thursday night reception at Madison Public Library (Central Branch)
• Ensure the Quiet Place & Introvert Corner have space & supplies
• Ensure Restroom basket supplies are ordered/purchased before con & restocked throughout the con
• Organize and staff the Access table at the Gathering

More volunteering details: contact personnel@sf3.org

We've documented why and what and how we do, and volunteering is a great way to turn theory into practice!

It's a hybrid one-day con, both online and in-person March 27, 2022, through the School of Art at Syracuse [New York] University. Free!

Submission deadline is 1 February 2022.

Check www.geekartconfluence.com for last year’s content.

( details and contact info )

4th Street Fantasy has been a single-track Minneapolis-based con in June for many years (unable to track down its founding date).

When they canceled this year due to pandemic, they swerved to a super-accessible alternative:

No need to wrangle with expensive video conferencing software -- simple MP3s and transcripts are available http://4thstreetfantasy.com/programming/2020-4th-street-programming-podcast-edition

I was also impressed by the language in their accessibility policy.

http://4thstreetfantasy.com/policies/accessibility-policy/

kestrell explains how we can make more books readable.

Bookshare.org provides ebooks to folks who have official status as print-impaired. Unlimited access is free for students and US$50 per year for adults.

Many writers and publishers still don't know about Bookshare, so in my emails I usually include a link to the Bookshare page describing how authors can get their books added to the library
https://www.bookshare.org/cms/partners/authors

Heartening success story: kestrell chatted with his publisher in the Readercon dealer's room and next year Chip Delany's books were on Bookshare