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 onsite, 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 Seattle Convention Center, will have an entrance for attendees with disabilities who would prefer not to stand in long registration lines, in addition to a wheelchair-height registration kiosk.

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

Onsite Accessibility Contact

We will post onsite contact information in early March 2023.

Onsite Accessibility Tour

The Accessibility Tour is scheduled at 3:00 p.m. on March 8. The location of where the tour will start will be announced in January of 2023.

Accessibility Desk

Requests for help onsite are best addressed directly to the Accessibility Desk. While the conference is in session, AWP’s small staff cannot monitor social media for requests. Please see the staff at the Accessibility Desk if you have a request. The location of the Accessibility Desk will be located directly next to the registration Help Desk. If you require assistance after-hours, or are unable to get to the Accessibility Desk, please see the Onsite Accessibility Contact section of this document.

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 5:30 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.

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 onsite 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 Chris Grace at chris@awpwriter.org by Wednesday, February 22, 2023, with a list of the events you plan to attend. AWP makes every effort to accommodate requests that arrive after February 22, 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. More details will be posted throughout 2022.

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. Additionally, conference presenters are encouraged to describe themselves and any visual aids they might use.

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, February 22, 2023, to Chris Grace at chris@awpwriter.org. AWP makes every effort to accommodate requests that arrive after February 22.

Attendees requiring specific problem solving and onsite 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 19, 2022 to make the request. If contacted before September 19, AWP can almost certainly provide this technology.

Unfortunately, AWP is not always able to fulfill technology requests that come after September 19. In cases where presenters request to Zoom in after September 19, 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

Several lounges throughout the bookfair provide seating options for attendees. When possible, additional seating has also been provided in hallways and common areas at Seattle Convention Center.

The Dickinson Quiet Space is a dedicated space for attendees to collect their thoughts, unwind, and escape the literary commotion. The quiet space is not available for conversations or meetings. The location of the Dickinson Quiet Space will be provided when the full schedule is announced this fall.

AWP will also designate a space as a non-florescent quiet room. The location of the non-florescent quiet space will be provided when the full schedule is announced this fall.

Weather

Seattle, Washington in early March has an historic average temperature high of 49-52 degrees, and a low of around 40 degrees. Please prepare accordingly and visit a source such as AccuWeather for the most up to date Seattle 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.

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 Chris Grace at at chris@awpwriter.org.

Scooters & Wheelchairs

10 scooters and 10 wheelchairs are available free of charge at the Seattle Convention Center. These may be reserved by emailing Chris Grace at chris@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.

If you would like to rent a scooter or other mobility equipment during your time in Seattle, please see Scootaround’s website for more information.

Offsite 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 offsite venues listed in the offsite schedule are accessible according to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you have any questions or concerns about specific offsite events, please contact the organizers of the event directly. If you attend an offsite event and find it is not accessible in accordance with the ADA, please contact Chris Grace at chris@awpwriter.org to let us know.

Closest Pharmacies

Walgreen’s
222 Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98101 (0.2 miles)
Store Hours: Daily 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. PT
Pharmacy Hours
Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT
Sunday: Closed

CVS
1401 2nd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101 (0.3 mi)
Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. PT
Saturday-Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT

Bartell Drugs
1628 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA (0.2 mi)
Store Hours: Daily 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. PT
Pharmacy Hours
Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. PT
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT

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

Greater Seattle Intergroup of AA
5507 6th Avenue S., Seattle, WA 98108
Staff available by phone 24/7: 206-587-2838
http://www.seattleaa.org

Click here to find Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Seattle

Narcotics Anonymous Meetings

Narcotics Anonymous Seattle Area
Seattle Area Meetings
https://seattlena.org/