WHEN YOU ARRIVE
Registration is located just inside the Charles Street entrance to the Baltimore Convention Center. This is an accessible entrance. If you’re an attendee or speaker who has pre-registered, please proceed to any check-in kiosk and scan the QR code on the ticket that was emailed to you or from the conference app. (You will also be able to search for your registration.) Take the printed label to any attendee registration desk to receive your badge.
To register onsite, visit our website to purchase a registration, then proceed to a check-in kiosk. If you requested a media pass, go to Media Check-in. If you have any problems, please ask a volunteer.
Need Assistance?
If you need assistance throughout the conference, look for a volunteer in an orange shirt or text the staff at (415) 737-6389.
KEY SPACES
When you enter the Charles Street entrance, you’ll see the Netroots Nation Registration Desk. Our general session room is Hall A, and our Town Square is Hall C. All breakout rooms are on the third floor.
Restrooms
On the first floor, restrooms are located on each side of the Registration Desk and in the Pratt Street corner outside of Hall C. On the third floor, restrooms are located outside of rooms 303/306 (gender neutral), rooms 313/315, and 317/320 (gender neutral).
Wellness/Quiet Room
Room 323 is dedicated as our Wellness/Quiet Room. Special programming, including morning yoga and midday meditation moments, will be held in this room (check the schedule for times). When programming is not happening, feel free to use this space for a quiet moment as needed.
Nursing Room
If you need a private space to nurse a child or pump, there is a Nursing Room just outside of Room 341 on the third floor of the Convention Center.
Accessible Seating in Session Rooms
In all session rooms, we will have reserved seating in the front of the rooms for those who need to sit closer to the presenters to see or hear. Look for dedicated spaces labeled “Accessible Seating.” We ask other attendees to leave these spaces clear for folks needing accommodations. (Folks using accommodations are of course welcome to have a friend sit in these areas with them.)
Scooters
We will have five mobility scooters available for attendees to share, and you’ll be able to pick them up at the registration desk. We won’t charge you for this. But we’ll limit you to 4 hours at a time (and ask you to re-charge them, if they run low on battery).
If you need your own personal scooter, please arrange for your own rental. If you rent from The Scooter Shop (email: jim@yourscootershop.com), they’re willing to deliver your scooter with our fleet on Wednesday and pick it up with ours on Monday. The Scooter Shop will require that you make arrangements with them by June 15.
Accessible Transit
Transportation to, from, and around the Baltimore Convention Center can be accomplished with ease. The Center is a 20-minute drive from BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and a short ride using the Light Rail train system. It is less than 2 miles from Baltimore’s Penn Station and can be reached within 10 minutes by taxi or ride share services.
Click here for more information on public transit options in Baltimore.
Captioning
All keynotes and featured panels, plus 36 other panels, will be live-streamed via our virtual platform, which offers both a mobile app and web-based platform with built-in captioning in more than 30 languages. Captions will automatically display for those watching live through the app and those watching an archived recording.
In both the web platform and mobile app, captions automatically display the language that attendees set in their app profile settings (click here for info on how to change your settings). There is an up to 30-second delay on captions.
If you are attending in person and are in a session room of a panel that is being streamed and need captions, you may open the stream on your device to access closed captioning. We just ask that you mute your audio as to not disturb your fellow attendees.
Our keynote sessions will have live captioning on the stage screens.
All panel and training rooms also have amplified sound, and all speakers have been asked to use microphones and repeat any audience questions that may not be picked up enough on mic.
Food Allergies
There will be water stations throughout the hotel, so we encourage you to bring a water bottle with you to fill up as needed. For any food you may be served within the hotel, catering staff will be able to tell you if any of the foods you’re allergic are involved in the preparation.
COVID Precautions
While we are not requiring that everyone mask at all times, we recognize that large gatherings are still unsafe for many, and the best way to keep each other safe is by masking while in indoor meeting rooms.
However, we are requiring everyone to carry a mask at all times (extra masks are available at Registration). If you’re speaking with someone wearing a mask, as a default, put yours on as well. If someone asks you to put on a mask, whether it is an individual with whom you are conversing or a presenter of a session, respect their request and mask up without delay.
Even and especially if you are not someone who typically opts to wear a mask, we thank you for respecting our policy and helping us to enact a compassionate and collective approach to holding a large-scale gathering during an ongoing health crisis.
If you are feeling unwell and experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home or in your hotel room and take a test as soon as possible. If you must stay home due to testing positive or feeling unwell, your ticket can be transferred to someone else this year or credited to next year’s event. If you are at the convention and don’t feel well or need assistance, text us at (415) 737-6389. We’ll be happy to drop a test and some supplies by your room.
Remember: Masking is an act of community care. It shows that the person wearing the mask is considering the needs of others, especially the high-risk people who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and who have undergone the most isolation and trauma. Netroots Nation may strengthen our requirements if the situation warrants it.”
Accessibility Tips for Presenters
If you’re a presenter, here are some things to consider to make your sessions and handouts (if using) accessible:
- Identify yourself by name before speaking. Not only is this helpful for persons with visual and auditory disabilities to identify who is speaking, it also helps captioners.
- Speak clearly and slowly at a medium volume.
- Read out loud any important details and repeat back or read out loud any questions posed.
- Use text that is high-contrast and in a large, legible font, such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Avoid italics and specialty or decorative fonts. Use an online color contrast checker.
- Using slides? Describe images used in the presentation and read relevant text from the screen for people who have difficulty reading or seeing text and visual images.
Community Guidelines
Our Community Guidelines offer tips on how to be inclusive of all attendees, including those with disabilities. A few important things to remember:
- Identify yourself by name before speaking. Not only is this helpful for persons with visual and auditory disabilities to identify who is speaking, it also helps captioners.
- Speak clearly and slowly at a medium volume.
- Use “person-first” labels to ensure that people are not labeled with their disability (“person with a disability” instead of “disabled person” or “person who uses a wheelchair” instead of “wheelchair-bound”).
- “Handicapped” has a negative connotation. Instead use “person with a disability.”
- If you are using slides during your session, consider using a color contrast checker to check to ensure your background and text colors are readable.