Accessibility

Please view our Accessibility Statement at this link.

The Accessibility Department is here to provide improved access to all Capricon members.  If you have a specific request or require assistance that is not on our website, please email accessibility@capricon.org.

The current Accessibility Coordinator is Eljay Rich, who can be reached directly at eljay.rich@capricon.org

Latest Updates

January 6, 2024: Capricon has always been dedicated to the community of science fiction fans in Chicago.  This year, we are focusing on expanding that community, including offering Helper badges, a low-sensory room, help with parking and scooter rental, and more!

We hope this not only makes it easier for our long-term members to attend, but makes our space welcoming for new members across fandom. 

Please take a look and let us know if you have any questions or suggestions: access@capricon.org

COVID Policy: Our COVID Policy has been updated. We are requiring masks in all convention spaces this year (except for eating and drinking), and will be taking steps to improve air quality in spaces where masks may be temporarily down.  

Helper Badges: If you or your child need a helper to navigate the convention, we now have a number of low-cost badges you can purchase for a helper, aid, or companion.  These are available in the registration system now for $20 and must be purchased with a regular badge. No special disclosure or information about your need is required to make your purchase.  For example:

  • If you have an injury and need someone to help you manage your bags, crutches, etc while moving around the convention
  • If you’re a vendor but have vertigo or a back injury and need someone to lift heavy boxes in your booth
  • If you’re Deaf or have a language processing disability and want to bring someone who can interpret for you at programming.

These badges give your helper access to all areas as needed to make your convention comfortable and fun!  

Guaranteed Parking: We have a small number of parking passes available for those who may need them.  They include in-out privileges.  If you need one, please email access@capricon.org with the subject line: Parking Pass. Please let us know if you have handicap plates when making your request.

Low-sensory Room: We will have a quiet room available for those who may get overwhelmed.  It will be in Bucktown and will be available at the below schedule.  There will be seating, water, and some quiet activities available.  

Thursday: 6PM – 10 PM
Friday: 10AM – 10PM
Saturday: 10AM – 10PM

Scooter Rentals: We have reached out to the company that provided the Windycon fleet and will have an update soon.  If you are interested in renting a scooter/power chair for the convention, please email access@capricon.org and we’ll update you directly when we have them available.

We’d love to do more to help everyone access Capricon.  If you have any other suggestions or questions for us, reach out to access@capricon.org!

Accessibility is for Everyone

Any member of the Capricon community can request accommodations by emailing accessibility@capricon.org.  This is not limited to those who consider themselves disabled.  To quote An Introduction To Accessibility on digital.gov: 

“Disability is a mismatch between a person and their environment. For the person who isn’t able to do something, it’s this mismatch that impairs an individual.

What might first come to mind are people who have mobility restrictions, tremors, or low- or no vision, or are deaf or hard of hearing.

It’s important to understand that everyone experiences some form of disability. As an example, imagine that three people are trying to watch the same video, but each person has a different type of disability:

  • Mark lost most of his hearing after a severe illness. He has a permanent disability.
  • Jesse’s ears are ringing after a concert, and they are having trouble hearing a video. They have a temporary disability.
  • Sam is struggling to listen to a video in a loud office. She has a situational disability.

The fix that benefits everyone in this circumstance might be to apply a captioning service to the video. That would directly help Mark who has a permanent disability, but also benefit Jesse and Sam who have temporary and situational disabilities. This is known as the “Curb-cut effect.” When we design for people with permanent disabilities, folks with temporary and situational limitations can also benefit.”

We encourage members of the Capricon community to request accommodations for permanent, temporary, and situational needs. We will do our best to provide what we can within the financial and time constraints of our volunteer-driven organization.

Current Access Programs

Our Accessibility Team is brand new, but here’s what we’re working on for the upcoming convention!

Communication Badges

Capricon will provide red/yellow/green communication preference badges similar to those recommended by the Autism Self-Advocacy Network.

Signage Improvements

We’re working with the department heads to make the signage and sign-ups easier to read and handle throughout the convention!

Website Accessibility

We are working on providing text size and font selectors and improving the layout of our web properties.

Wheelchair/Scooter Parking

We are working to make parking easier for wheelchair and scooter users who want to stay in their chairs while in our programming audiences as well as those who prefer to transfer to the audience chairs.

Wheelchair and Scooter Rentals

We are working with a Chicago company to make it easy for our members to rent manual and powered wheelchairs for the convention weekend.