As our conference shifted to a virtual format in 2020/2021, we learned a lot from our fantastic Accessibility Coordinators and identified steps we need to take to become more inclusive. Our goal is for the EPIC conference to be accessible to virtual and on-site attendees with a wide variety of access needs (including people with disabilities, people with dietary needs, and nursing mothers). To meet this goal, we have an accessibility team in place to answer questions before the event, and to assist with remote and on-site logistics.
Our accessibility team will be glad to answer your questions, and explore options to make the conference a fully accessible experience for you. Please email us at accessibility@epicpeople.org. and one of our team members (Greg, Kate, and Hannah) will be glad to correspond with you directly.
IN AMSTERDAM
We know that getting reliable information about the conference venue, the schedule, the meal offerings, and beyond is critical for attendees to plan in advance. The venues are historic buildings that are updated for accessibility, with a couple of exceptions. Please read on for more detailed information.
Photos of the Felix Meritis venue and Olof’s Chapel may provide valuable information in addition to the descriptions. See the photos here.
Felix Meritis – Main Conference Venue
Felix Meritis has the following accessibility features:
- Front entrance with steps – a sturdy metal ramp can be made available
- Step-free back entrance
- Elevator access to all floors, except the tower room which is only accessible by stairs
- Tactile markers on the floors
- Quiet room with a restroom for nursing mothers/sensory breaks
- Disabled restroom on the ground floor with adjustable support railings
- Pump-style soap dispensers in restroom
- Sinks with touchless, automatic sensors to start water flow in restroom
- Hand dryers with touchless, automatic sensors in restroom
Ramps & Access Points
It has a front entrance with steps on Keizersgraght Street, and a sturdy metal ramp can be made available there. The building has a step-free back entrance on Prinsengracht Street. There is a curb on the street in front of both entrances. To find a nearby curb cut, go down the street to the nearest intersection. Inside the building, there is a step-free path to the front reception area and to a central space with an elevator. The building has elevator access to all floors, except the small uppermost floor. All conference sessions will be held in rooms with elevator access. The venue has tactile markers on the floors to guide participants with visual impairments.
Toilets
There is a disabled restroom on the Felix Meritis ground floor, with support rails that raise and lower on both sides of the toilet. All restrooms in the building have pump-style soap dispensers at the top left of the sink. The sinks have touchless, automatic sensors to start the water flow. The sensors are located directly behind each faucet. The hand dryers have touchless, automatic sensors. They are located at the top right of the sink.
Sensory & Nursing Room
The Felix Meritis venue will make a small, quiet room with a built-in restroom available for nursing mothers and people who may need a sensory break. If you think you may have a use for this room, please contact the accessibility team in advance of the event.
Olof’s Chapel – Conference Dinner Venue
Olof’s Chapel has the following accessibility features:
- Step-free front entrance
- No disabled restrooms
- Narrow restrooms stalls without support railings
- Pump-style soap dispensers in restrooms
- Paper towel dispenser in restrooms
Ramp & Access Points
Its front entrance is step-free, but there is a curb on the street in front of the entrance. To find a nearby curb cut, go down the street to the nearest intersection. Inside the building, there is a step-free path to the site of the dinner.
Toilets
Olof’s Chapel does not have a disabled restroom: the stalls around the toilets are narrow and there are no support rails. There is a row of sinks in the bathroom, and each sink has a single-handle faucet. Pump-style soap dispensers are mounted to the mirror above the sinks in multiple places, and there is a paper towel dispenser on the countertop, close to the center of the row of sinks.
Amsterdam Venue Photos
Photos of the Felix Meritis venue and Olof’s Chapel may provide valuable information in addition to the descriptions. Click here to see photos: 2022.epicpeople.org/accessibility-photos-amsterdam.
If these images bring up additional questions for you, or you want to clarify an issue, we want to communicate with you! Please do get in touch with our accessibility team via email: accessibility@epicpeople.org.
VIRTUAL SESSIONS
You will access virtual sessions via the Pathable online platform. If you have questions about how this experience may work with your assistive technologies (such as screen readers, keyboard controls, and more) please do contact our team: accessibility@epicpeople.org. We will work with Pathable to learn the answers in advance of the conference.
- Closed captioning is available for all sessions on Zoom (transcripts are not retained for social and networking sessions)
- Closed captioning will not be available for livestreamed presentations, but the recordings that we publish in our library will be captioned after the conference.
- Conference proceedings, including full Papers & Case Studies articles, will be available in HTML and PDF after the conference.
QUESTIONS & FEEDBACK
These features are a step in the right direction, but we know they don’t make all aspects of the conference inclusive. If you encounter any accessibility challenges during the conference, please reach out to the accessibility team and we will try to remedy the problem as quickly as possible. We welcome any and all feedback about accessibility, which will be a great help in making this and future conferences more inclusive. Email: accessibility@epicpeople.org.