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On-Site Accessibility Services

Accessibility services for #AWP25 will be posted at a later date. Below, please find a copy of the in-person and virtual services available for #AWP24 in Kansas City, Missouri for your reference.

  • In-Person Conference & Event Space
  • Convention Center & Event Space Limitations
  • Mobility Constraints
  • Registration Services
  • On-Site Accessibility Contact
  • On-Site Accessibility Tour
  • Accessibility Desk
  • Service Animals
  • Interpreters and CART
  • Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services
  • Blind and Low-Vision Services
  • Attendants & Assistants
  • Volunteer Assistance
  • In-Person Zoom & Technology
  • Presentations & Handouts
  • Hallway Seating & Quiet Space
  • Weather
  • Allergy Accommodations & Fragrances
  • Hotel Rooms
  • Scooter & Wheelchair Rentals
  • Visual Cues
  • Convention Center & Hotel Maps
  • Convention Center Layout & Visual Cues
  • Off-Site Events
  • Closest Pharmacies
  • Sober AWP
  • Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings
  • Narcotics Anonymous Meetings

    • In-Person Conference & Event Space

    All convention centers and hotels the conference occupies are accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). All rooms at the conference are wheelchair accessible and have seats in the first row and back row marked as reserved for individuals with accessibility needs. Please use these accommodations if you need them and we ask that no one question anyone’s use of this accommodation as some disabilities are invisible.

    Space has been left for two wheelchairs in the front and back of each meeting room. Please keep designated wheelchair areas and aisles clear for person who may be using wheelchairs, canes, crutches, or motorized scooters. Space should be left around the doors and aisles to allow access.

    Convention Center & Event Space Limitations

    AWP works closely with the hotels and convention center to plan the conference and assure Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and related accessibility compliance. However, AWP does not control or oversee the building’s accessibility for the hotels or the convention center. The hotels and convention centers are responsible for the accessibility of all common areas, building entrances and exits, room entrances and exits, hallways, bathrooms, roll-up doors and air walls, escalators, and elevators. AWP does not have the authority to make alterations to these spaces or their fire codes and security policies. While AWP has taken numerous steps to ensure these properties adhere to the guidelines set forth in the ADA, including multiple assessments of each property, as well as obtaining contractual language guaranteeing ADA adherence, we rely on the hotel and convention center staff at these venues to make sure the buildings themselves are accessible. Each building has ADA accessible entrances as outlined in this document, but some other entrances must be locked to the outside for all attendees to ensure the security of the building for all attendees.

    Mobility Constraints

    Due to the large size of the AWP Conference & Bookfair, the sessions are often spread out, and distances between sessions may be considerable. Please remember in your travel plans to bring any mobility equipment you may need to help navigate throughout the conference, including between the convention center, hotels, and surrounding areas. If you find you need to rent equipment on-site, please see the Scooter & Wheelchair Rentals section of this document. If you require help navigating the conference, please see the Attendant and Assistants and Volunteer Assistance sections of this document.

    Registration Services

    AWP’s online registration system provides attendees with the opportunity to indicate if they have accessibility needs. If you indicate that you have accessibility needs when registering, an AWP staff member will contact you to follow up and help ensure those needs are met.

    AWP does not require that any conference attendee disclose a disability; however, we can better meet specific needs if we know well ahead of time that a reasonable accommodation will be needed. Onsite registration, located in the exhibit hall of the Kansas City Convention Center, will have an a specific wheelchair-height Accessibility Services Desk for attendees with disabilities or those who cannot stand in long registration lines to pick up their registration materials.

    For any questions regarding the registration process, please email registration@awpwriter.org.

    On-Site Accessibility Contact

    An onsite contact for questions about accessibility services will be posted in January 2024.

    On-Site Accessibility Tour

    The Accessibility Tour is scheduled at 3:00 p.m. on February 7. Please meet at 3:00 p.m. at the Accessibility Services Desk, located in Exhibit Hall E on Level 3 of the Kansas City Convention Center.

    Accessibility Desk

    Requests for help on-site are best addressed directly to the Accessibility Desk. While the conference is in session, AWP’s small staff cannot monitor social media for requests. The Accessibility Desk will be located in Exhibit Hall E on Level 3 of the Kansas City Convention Center. If you require assistance after-hours, or are unable to get to the Accessibility Desk, please see the On-Site Accessibility Contact section of this webpage.

    AWP conference staffers will be available at the Accessibility Desk from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to offer assistance.

    Service Animals

    All service animals are welcome in all spaces at the AWP Conference & Bookfair.

    Attendees are reminded that service animals are working animals and should not distract or attempt to pet them.

    Attendees with service animals can find relief areas at Barney Allis Plaza, near the Central St and W 13th St Kansas City Convention Center entrance, and outside Ballroom D of the Kansas City Convention Center, near the corner of Central St and W 16th Street. Please note that the Barney Allis Plaza location may be affected by construction in February 2024.

    Interpreters and CART

    Interpreters, including American Sign Language, Cued Speech Alliteration, and Computer Assisted Real Time Captioning (CART) are available.

    AWP can provide interpreters and CART services for any on-site conference event, including the bookfair, from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm.

    Arrangements for interpreters and CART require advanced planning for a conference as large as AWP’s. Interpreters can best meet interpreting and CART needs when requests are received for the specific events you will attend in advance. To make a request for an interpreter, contact Conference Staff at conference@awpwriter.org by Wednesday, January 24, 2024, with a list of the events you plan to attend. AWP makes every effort to accommodate requests that arrive after January 24, but sometimes interpreters are unavailable unless booked well in advance of our conference.

    All featured events will be ASL interpreted and live-captioned. All virtual events will include captions.

    Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services

    In addition to scheduling interpreters and/or CART services, assistive listening devices will available. If you would like an assisted listening device scheduled for a certain room or session, please reach out to conference@awpwriter.org.

    Blind and Low-Vision Services

    The conference program is provided in multiple formats to accommodate multiple accessibility needs. Large format and plaintext digital versions of the schedule will be available closer to the conference. A limited number of printed plaintext versions of the schedule will be available at the Accessibility Services Desk. Additionally, conference presenters are encouraged to describe themselves and any visual aids they might use.

    The Kansas City Convention Center uses a mix of florescent and LED lighting inside the facility. The meeting rooms all include LED lighting, as does the exhibit hall. The bathrooms throughout the facility are a mix of LED and florescent.

    If you do need a dark private space, please use room 2525A, located on Level 2 of the Kansas City Convention Center, directly outside of Ballroom A. This area includes two sliding doors into a small seating area, and additionally has a backroom with a latched door. This backroom will be unlocked and completely darkened for those needing this accommodation.

    Attendants & Assistants

    Registered attendees requiring an attendant or assistant to facilitate their participation and accessibility needs will be granted one complimentary registration for an attendant/assistant. To register an attendant/assistant, please email registration@awpwriter.org.

    Volunteer Assistance

    Volunteers are available for those who may require assistance throughout the conference. Volunteers can provide assistance with note taking, navigation, and other tasks. AWP can best meet volunteer assistance needs when requests are sent by Wednesday, January 24, 2024, to Conference Staff at conference@awpwriter.org. AWP makes every effort to accommodate requests that arrive after January 24.

    Attendees requiring specific problem solving and on-site assistance during the conference should request it from personnel at the Accessibility Desk. Please see the Accessibility Desk section of this document for directions.

    In-Person Zoom & Technology

    AWP welcomes those unable to attend the conference due to a disability to Zoom in as a presenter via the virtual conference platform.

    AWP is able to provide internet, a projector, and screen for Zoom if the organizer of the event emails Events Coordinator Aubrey Kamppila at events@awpwriter.org before September 15, 2023 to make the request. If contacted before September 15, AWP can almost certainly provide this technology.

    Unfortunately, AWP is not always able to fulfill technology requests that come after September 15. In cases where presenters request to Zoom in after September 15, organizers can purchase internet for their event and use a personal laptop or tablet to Zoom in their remote presenter.

    Email events@awpwriter.org if you have questions.

    Presentations & Handouts

    Please see the Presenter Guidelines webpage for more information about how best to fulfill obligations to the audience, including attendees with accessibility needs.

    Hallway Seating & Quiet Space

    AWP will add hallway seating throughout the Kansas City Convention Center where possible per fire codes.

    AWP will also designate a meeting room as a Quiet Space for attendees needing a respite from the hustle and bustle of the conference. Please check the #AWP24 schedule for this room assignment in October 2023.

    Weather

    Kansas City, Missouri in early February has an historic average temperature high of 39-44 degrees, and a low of around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Please prepare accordingly and visit a source such as AccuWeather for the most up to date Kansas City weather forecast.

    Allergy Accommodations & Fragrances

    As a courtesy to attendees with chemical sensitivities, attendees should refrain from using scented products to help ensure the comfort of everyone at the conference. The Kansas City Convention Center uses only unscented products throughout the facility, with the exception of scented toilet cleaner.

    Some conference hotels offer allergen-free rooms, cleaning products, and bedding, as well as a mini-fridge, upon request. Please contact the hotel of your choice for more information.

    Hotel Rooms

    All AWP conference hotels are ADA accessible and should be contacted directly for reservations. Hotel contact information may be found on the Hotel & Travel webpage. These hotels have a limited number of rooms available for guests with accessibility needs. Given the number of attendees, and attendees with accessibility needs at the conference, AWP hotels often sell out months in advance as reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. If you require an ADA room, please make reservations as soon as possible. If you are having difficulty securing an ADA room, please contact Conference Staff at conference@awpwriter.org.

    Scooters & Wheelchairs

    10 scooters and 10 wheelchairs are available free of charge at the Kansas City Convention Center. These may be reserved by emailing Conference Staff at conference@awpwriter.org. Reservations are not required. Scooters and wheelchairs will also be available on first-come, first-served basis throughout the days of the conference.

    Convention Center Maps

    Street Level Level 2 Level 3

    Visual Cues

    Please find photos and visual cues for the Kansas City Convention Center. All of AWP’s sessions and the bookfair will take place in this building.

    The main entrance to the Kansas City Convention Center is located at the corner of Central Avenue and Thirteenth Street.

    This photo shows the main entrance to the Kansas City Convention Center at Central Avenue and Thirteenth Street. There is a crosswalk across Central Avenue and the main entrance is depicted from across that street.


    The Convention Center is built over certain intersections, including the main entrance intersection of Central and Thirteenth. As you walk up Thirteenth Street and under the second story of the Kansas City Convention Center, there are three sets of doors. Only the middle set of doors include doors equipped with wheelchair buttons. One accessible door is located as the right-most door and one is the left-most door in that middle set of doors. The right-most door is photographed below.

    A set of bright red double doors with silver grab handles. In the right window is a wheelchair accessible sticker. To the right of the doors is a silver post with a wheelchair button.


    Once you enter this first door, there is another set of doors to enter the 2200 Lobby of the Kansas City Convention Center, shown below.

    A set of black double doors with silver grab handles. In the right window is a wheelchair accessible sticker. To the right of the doors is a silver post with a wheelchair button.


    Once you enter these doors, you will be in the 2200 Lobby. Some meetings will take place in rooms off of this lobby.

    This photo shows the 2200 Lobby of the Kansas City Convention Center. It is a long lobby space with white columns and brown textured carpet.


    To the left of this lobby, or the area closest to Central Avenue, is access to a hallway that will lead to more meeting rooms, registration, and the bookfair.

    This photo shows the beginning of the hallway off of the 2200 Lobby. There are white columns down the hallway, windows along Central Avenue to the left, and light and dark brown striped and textured carpet.


    This hallway leads to more meeting rooms, registration, and the bookfair. The hallway is approximately 416 feet long. To the right of this photo is a grab-and-go snack and drink station called The Kitch.

    This photo shows the Kansas City Convention Center’s business center. The walls of the business center are painted dark blue and the area has the same light and dark brown textured carpet as Lobby 2200. There is a blue column indicating the business center to the right of the photo. A large sign at the counter of the business center says “UPS and FedEx ship here.”


    Along this hallway from the 2200 Lobby to the left is the Kansas City Convention Center’s business center.

    This photo shows a set of silver escalators with three lanes leading up in a lobby. There is light and dark brown textured carpet in front of the escalators. There is an orange and white directional sign on the right side of the photo


    This is a close-up of the light and dark brown textured carpeting in the 2200 Lobby and the hallway leading from the 2200 Lobby to the 2300 Lobby.

    This photo shows a close-up of the light and dark brown textured carpet in the 2200 Lobby and the hallway leading from the 2200 Lobby to the 2300 Lobby.


    At the end of the hallway, you will enter the 2300 Lobby. This lobby has two sets of escalators and one elevator to registration and the bookfair on Level 3 of the Kansas City Convention Center. On the right side of the lobby, this set of escalators will take you to Hall D and the bookfair.

    This photo shows a set of silver escalators with three lanes leading up in a lobby. There is light and dark brown textured carpet in front of the escalators. There is an orange and white directional sign on the right side of the photo.


    At the far end of the 2300 Lobby, there is an elevator on the left side and another set of escalators on the back wall. The elevator leads to Halls D and E, and the registration area in Hall E. The elevator is reserved for attendees using wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility aids. The escalator on the back wall leads to the registration area in Hall E. There are approximately 192 feet between the two sets of escalators in the 2300 Lobby. On the left side, there is a wall of windows letting in natural light.

    This photo shows a long lobby with dark and light brown textured carpet. On the left side of the photo, there is a white wall with an elevator door. In the background, there is a set of silver escalators with three lanes leading up. On the ceiling, there are three square-shaped, decorative yellow lights.


    If you use the elevator in the 2300 Lobby to go to Level 3, you will exit the elevator into this elevator landing. To the right, the double doors will be open to Hall E of the bookfair and the registration area. To the left, not pictured, the double doors will be open to Hall D of the bookfair.

    This photo shows an elevator landing with concrete flooring. There is a set of glass double doors with silver push bars, and “Hall E” is written on the right-hand door. On the right side of the photo, there is a silver elevator door.


    This is a close-up of the gray, speckled concrete flooring outside the elevator near Halls D and E on Level 3.

    This photo shows a close-up of the gray, speckled concrete flooring outside the elevator near Halls D and E on Level 3.


    Once you take the escalators or elevator to Level 3, you will enter the Bookfair in Exhibit Halls D and E. Hall E, pictured below, is where registration, the AWP Help Desk, and the Accessibility Services Desk will be located. There is LED lighting in the exhibit hall and concrete flooring.

    This photo shows a large open space with gray, speckled concrete flooring, white walls, and high ceilings with LED lights.


    This is a close-up of the gray, speckled concrete flooring inside Halls D and E, where the Bookfair, registration area, AWP Help Desk, and Accessibility Services Desk will be located.

    This photo shows a close-up of the gray, speckled concrete flooring inside Halls D and E of the exhibit hall.


    From the exhibit hall, you can walk towards the 3500 Lobby, where there are more meeting rooms where events will take place. The middle set of doors includes a door equipped with a wheelchair button.

    This photo shows three sets of glass doors with silver handles that open into a hallway. There is a wheelchair button to the left of the middle set of doors, and a wheelchair accessible sticker on the left-hand door of the middle set. A large sign above the doors reads “3500 Lobby.” There is concrete flooring in front of the doors.


    This hallway crosses over Central Street and leads to the 3500 Lobby and more meeting rooms. Windows to the left and right of this photo let in natural light. This hallway and the 3500 Lobby together are approximately 414 feet long.

    This photo shows a long hallway with dark and light brown geometric carpet. There are windows letting in natural light in the top-right corner. In the background, there are several white columns.


    This is a close-up of the dark and light brown geometric carpeting in the hallway leading from Halls D and E to the 3500 Lobby.

    This photo shows a close-up of the dark and light brown geometric carpet in the hallway leading from Halls D and E to the 3500 Lobby.


    From the 3500 Lobby, you can take an elevator, escalator, or staircase to the 2500 Lobby, where there are more meeting rooms. The stairs are to the left of this photo, and the elevator is to the right of this photo.

    This photo shows a set of silver escalators with two lanes leading down. A hallway extends in the background with white columns, dark and light brown geometric carpet, and windows on the left-hand side. At the top of the photo, there is a blue and white directional sign.


    This is the entry to a meeting room. Most meeting rooms have entrances like this. There is light and dark brown carpet both inside the meeting room and in the hallway outside the meeting room.

    This photo shows two sets of blue doors with silver door handles opening into a meeting room. The set of doors on the left has both doors propped open, and the set of doors on the right has the right-most door propped open. There is dark and light brown geometric carpet inside the meeting room and in the hallway outside the meeting room. There is a line of red chairs and gray tables inside the meeting room.


    This is another example of a meeting room in the Kansas City Convention Center. There is a mix of fluorescent and LED lighting in this meeting room.

    This photo shows a large meeting room filled with rows of red chairs. There is a high ceiling with square-shaped lighting, yellow and gray walls, and dark and light brown geographic carpet.


    This hallway on Level 2 of the Kansas City Convention Center leads from Lobby 2500A to Lobby 2500B and the Grand Ballroom, where #AWP24 Featured Events will take place. This hallway is approximately 344 feet long and runs along the Wyandotte Street side of the Kansas City Convention Center.

    This photo shows a hallway with white walls, white columns, dark and light brown geometric carpet, and two silver trash cans. On the right in the background, there is a blue and red mural that reads 'Kansas City.'


    This is Lobby 2500B outside of the Grand Ballroom. The windows look out onto Wyandotte Street, and at the end of the lobby, there is access to the Loews Kansas City Hotel.

    This photo shows Lobby 2500B of the Kansas City Convention Center. The lobby has high ceilings and blue carpet with a circular pattern. Along the left side of the lobby, there is a wall of windows letting in natural light.


    This is the entrance to the Grand Ballroom, where #AWP24 Featured Events will take place.

    TThis photo shows the entrance to the Grand Ballroom. There is a line of brown double doors with silver door handles. On the left side of the photo, a man is holding one of the doors open for two women entering the ballroom. There is blue geometric carpet in the entrance area.


    This is the inside of the Grand Ballroom, where #AWP24 Featured Events will take place. There is a mix of fluorescent and LED lighting inside the ballroom.

    This photo shows the inside of the Grand Ballroom. There are white and gray walls, blue carpet with a circular pattern throughout the ballroom, and lines of recessed lights on the ceiling. In the midground and background, there are several stacks of tables and chairs.


    This is the far end of Lobby 2500B, where you can use the stairs, escalators, or elevators to exit the Kansas City Convention Center onto Sixteenth Street. Access to the sky bridge leading to the Loews Kansas City Hotel is to the left of this photo.

    This photo shows the end of Lobby 2500B. On the left, there is a set of stairs leading down. In the middle, there is a set of escalators leading down. On the right, there is an elevator bank with two elevators. There is blue carpet with a circular pattern on the floor and white ceilings. There is a wall of windows letting in natural light in the background.


    At the far end of Lobby 2500B, you can use this set of stairs, this set of escalators, or this elevator to access the sky bridge to the Loews Kansas City Hotel.

    This photo shows the entrance to the sky bridge to the Loews Kansas City Hotel. On the left side, there is a set of stairs leading up. In the middle, there is a set of two escalators leading up. On the right, there is one elevator door. There are white walls and blue carpet with a circular pattern.


    This is the view of Lobby 2500B if you are coming from the Loews Kansas City Hotel and walking back towards Lobby 2500A.

    This photo shows Lobby 2500B of the Kansas City Convention Center. The lobby has high ceilings and blue carpet with a circular pattern. Along the left side of the lobby, there is a line of brown doors opening into the Grand Ballroom. Along the right side of the lobby, there is a wall of windows letting in natural light.


    This is a close-up of the blue carpeting in Lobby 2500B and the Grand Ballroom.

    This photo shows a close-up of the blue carpeting with a circular pattern in Lobby 2500B and the Grand Ballroom.

    Off-Site Events

    Offsite Events are not produced, moderated, or curated by AWP, and AWP is not responsible for their quality or accessibility services. We list these events as a courtesy to the literary field. The organizers of these events have promised to AWP that the off-site venues listed in the off-site schedule are accessible according to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you have any questions or concerns about specific off-site events, please contact the organizers of the event directly. If you attend an off-site event and find it is not accessible in accordance with the ADA, please contact Conference Staff at conference@awpwriter.org to let us know.

    Closest Pharmacies

    CVS
    921 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64105 (0.5 miles)
    Store Hours
    Daily 7:00AM to 8PM CT
    Pharmacy Hours
    Monday-Friday: 7:30AM to 1:30PM, 2-6PM
    Sunday: Closed

    Walgreens
    300 W 19 Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64108 (0.5 mi)
    Monday-Friday: 8:30AM to 5PM CT
    Saturday-Sunday: Closed

    Sober AWP

    The conference hosts a daily 12-step meeting. The time and location of this meeting will be made available in the conference schedule. All in recovery are welcome. Please contact soberawp@gmail.com for more information.

    Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings

    Kansas City Area Central Office AA
    200 E 18th Ave, North Kansas City, MO 64116
    24/7 local hotline: 816-471-7229
    Virtual and in-person meetings available
    Click here to find Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Kansas City

    Narcotics Anonymous Meetings

    Kansas City Narcotics Anonymous
    24/7 local hotline: 800-561-2250
    Virtual and in-person meetings available
    Click here to find Narcotics Anonymous Meetings in Kansas City

     

    Attendee Terms & Conditions

    #AWP24 Anti-Harassment Policy

    Refund Policy

    Health & Safety Policy

    #AWP24

    February 7–10, 2024
    Kansas City, Missouri

    Kansas City Convention Center

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    Please submit your request to conference@awpwriter.org.

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