ACCESSIBILITY AT NVNR
Our approach to accessibility is to do our best to remove barriers to participation so that all members of our bookselling and industry communities can join us to learn, ask questions, get inspired, and, of course, socialize and have fun.
Cost is the most common barrier. We reduce expenses for our attendees by subsidizing meal costs, guaranteeing the lowest possible room rates at our host hotel, and choosing locations that are accessible to booksellers in both regions. We also, together as NVNR and separately as NAIBA and SIBA, provide travel grants and scholarships.
There are also many other kinds of barriers that we work behind the scenes to address. Some are our responsibility as conference planners; others require communal participation. If you have barriers we haven’t addressed, please reach out to our accessibility coordinators, Candice Huber (SIBA) and Elliott batTzedek (NAIBA). If you need an accommodation during the conference, bring the request to the registration desk, and they will ensure Candice and/or Elliott receives it and that it is handled. We want all attendees to not only BE here, but be COMFORTABLE here!
Our Responsibilities
Accessibility Pass
As part of its commitment to providing an accessible and inclusive program, NVNR has created an Accessibility Pass. Anyone can register for these – there will be no gatekeeping. Selecting the Accessibility Pass will add an “AP” mark on your registration and badge, which allows you to go to the front of the line for food, author signings, and entry to events. If you have already registered and know you need an accessibility pass, please reach out to NVNR’s Accessibility Coordinators:
- Elliott batTzedek, elliott@naiba.com
- Candice Huber, candice@sibaweb.com
Basic Physical Accessibility
All conference sites will be accessible to people who use wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, canes, and other mobility devices. The exhibition space and conference rooms are all in the same part of the hotel. We are working to ensure there is plenty of seating to sit and rest. We also work to ensure our host hotel provides refillable water bottle stations for the conference.
Bookstore Bus Tours
One of the bus tours will be going only to stores that meet basic physical accessibility requirements, including access without stairs. The bus for that tour will be accessible. We’ll also provide a list of stores on the tours for anyone who would prefer to arrange their own transport.
Language Justice
We will provide live captioning in the Pick of the List, Awards Dinner, Moveable Feast, Monday Breakfast, Monday Lunch, and Association Meetings.
We will reserve seats in the front row of each education session for hearing accessibility. While we do not yet provide on-site ASL interpreters, we will provide a complimentary pass if you need to bring language support.
Neurodivergence
We’ll have a quiet space for retreating when the noise, info, and people-ing is too much. We’ll also have a fun craft space for relaxing. We know the noise level in the exhibition hall can be overwhelming, so this year, we’re also offering free earplugs at the registration desk.
Aides
If you require an accessibility aide, their conference pass will be complimentary, except for the ticketed awards dinner. As everyone needs a badge to enter the conference space, we will need a name and email address on file for the aide.
Gender Inclusivity
We strive to ensure that people of all genders are comfortable at our conference. Our conference restrooms are all-gender. We have a policy to not require pronouns at registrations or on badges, as people are in different places in their gender journeys, and some attendees may not want to reveal their gender, may not have come out yet as a different gender, and/or may have different genders on different days. To respect everyone’s personal gender identities and explorations, we leave a blank space on the badge for pronouns should you want to announce them, but we do not require it. We do not require legal names, rather we use any name an attendee provides. Should the name on your badge not match the name you use, please let us know at registration, and we will gladly print a new badge with the correct name.
Food
The conference offers vegan, vegetarian, and meat/fish options for all meals. We gather information about specific dietary needs, such as gluten-free, to pass along to the food service so they know approximate numbers for different options. Most meals are served buffet style to help everyone make choices that work for them. However, as we don’t make or serve the food, we cannot meet specific needs or preferences with individual choices or meals. All of the conference hotel rooms have mini-fridges, and upon request, the hotel will send a microwave to your room at no charge so people who need to bring some food have options for storing and heating.
Communal Responsibilities
Protection for Chronic Illness/Immuno-Compromised Booksellers
We ask that you please test for COVID/flu on the morning you come to the conference and that you stay home if you are positive. We also ask that you mask up in any large gatherings and populated spaces in the days before you attend NVNR, such as at highway rest stops and on airplanes. Booksellers who live with compromised immune systems risk a lot to participate in NVNR, and we ask you to help them be present with these simple steps.
Allergies
As many people have strong reactions to scented products, we ask that everyone refrain from wearing perfumes, aftershaves, and strongly scented personal products such as shampoos or hairsprays at the conference. Reactions to these products can be severe, forcing people to have to leave a session or triggering headaches or asthma. The scent we all love best is new books, so for these few days, please keep all other smells at bay.
Respect for Diversity
Respect for diversity is inherently part of our culture at NVNR. We ask that you please allow attendees who have an accessibility pass to the front of the line without question at meals, author signings, and events. Please remember to check name tags for chosen names and/or pronouns before introducing anyone.