Ubicomp/ISWC 2014 Accessibility Statement

Our goal is to make Ubicomp/ISWC 2014 accessible and inclusive for anyone who would like to attend. Below, we have provided both a list of specific steps that we are taking to try to accommodate a wide range of accessibility needs. We encourage attendees who may want to take advantage of reasonable accommodations, or simply want to know more about the current arrangements, to contact the accessibility chairs (accessibility2014@ubicomp.org).

Ubicomp/ISWC 2014 Accessibility Q and A

Who is this Q and A for?

We are prepared to make reasonable adjustments and accommodations, or otherwise take steps to ensure that people with disabilities can take part in the conference. This Q and A is for anyone who may fall into this category, if you do, please keep reading.

What do you mean by ‘a disability’?

A disability is any impairment or condition that places an individual at a substantial disadvantage in relation to one or more daily life activities. This includes mobility, hearing and visual impairments, as well as a number of conditions that might be less immediately obvious as a disability (e.g. Mental Health Conditions, Specific Learning Disabilities, Autism, Chronic Illness, Cancer, HIV amongst other all fall within this definition).

What can I request?

In short, we are willing to take all steps that are possible to include people with disabilities at Ubicomp/ISWC2014. Some examples are shown above. This includes anticipatory steps we are taking in advance of the conference to ensure accessibility takes place for as many of our attendees as possible without the need for a specific request. In addition, we fall within ADA title III, which includes provision at the expense of the conference for assistive aids and qualified interpreters (e.g. ASL) as appropriate for an individual attendees.

Does this include travel and accommodation?

We have ensured that the conference hotel has a number of ADA-compliant rooms that have appropriate facilities for those disabled people who may need them. While we cannot pay additional travel and accommodation costs in and of themselves, there are a wide range of Educational Charities that you can apply for, or other grants (including our Student Travel Grants). It is also possible your academic institution will be obliged to cover your travel and accommodation costs under the law, given the career development and educational opportunities intrinsically tied to attendance at a world-leading conference in this field. To discuss this proposition, or for support in dealing with your institution in this regard, please contact the accessibility chairs at accessibility2014@ubicomp.org. You are encouraged to register and begin planning as early as possible both for funding and logistical purposes – if you are ultimately unable to attend due to a disability-related reason, we will fully refund your registration fee.

How do I request a reasonable adjustment or accommodation?

There’s two ways of doing this. The first is getting in touch in confidence with the accessibility chairs (Greg Smith and Reuben Kirkham) at accessibility2014@ubicomp.org. We encourage this if you have a complex request, or just want to be sure that any request will be met before you register for the conference. The second is to indicate this on your registration form as you register for the conference. We aim to approve most requests within two weeks of receipt, although if further investigation or consultation is required, this may take longer.

I have a complex request for a reasonable accommodation. How will you decide upon whether or not this can be honoured?

In short, we will generally honour a request if it is possible for us to do. The more notice we have the better, and the more likely we would be able to find an effective implementation of your request that fits with any competing challenges that also apply to our conference. We may need to consult with ACM and more widely in order to fully investigate such a request, in which case we would ask your permission to do so.