Accessibility


Accessibility and Awareness

Scent-aware policy

Butch Voices strives to create an environment in which everyone experiences the conference as a comfortable and accessible space. In keeping with this goal, our stance is that the conference space be a scent-aware environment. For more information on our scent-aware policy and how to be scent-aware click here.

ASL

We believe that providing American Sign Language (ASL) services at all plenary events as well as in requested workshops is crucial. To that end, we are doing our best to secure ASL interpretation for all of our keynotes and requested workshops. If you require interpretation, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can secure ample interpreters

If you are an ASL interpreter licensed and certified in the state of California and are willing to volunteer your services at the conference, please contact us!

Dietary

To keep conference registration costs down, we did not include any meals in the conference registration fee. There are, however, two restaurants in the hotel that are able to cater to many dietary requirements. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/restaurant/oakdt-oakland-marriott-city-center/

Additionally, the following restaurants can be found near the hotel:

Bistro Soizic (0.4 miles)

French

Near Jack London Square, savor French fare with Californian, Mediterranean & Asian flair.

  • Open for lunch and dinner

  • Dress code: Casual

  • Phone: 1-510-251-8100

Caffe Verbena (0.1 miles)

American

An intriguing menu showcases seasonal cuisine with a Californian-Italian flair.

  • Open for lunch and dinner

  • Dress code: Casual

  • Phone: 1-510-465-9300

Le Cheval (0.2 miles)

Vietnamese

This perennial area favorite is known for its tantalizing Vietnamese cuisine.

  • Open for lunch and dinner

  • Dress code: Casual

  • Phone: 1-510-763-8495

Golden Lotus (0.2 miles)

Vegetarian

Cuisine: Chinese, Southeast Asian, Thai/Burmese, Vegetarian/Vegan, Vietnamese

  • Open for lunch and dinner

  • Dress code: Casual

  • Phone: 1-510-893-0383

Lavende East

Asian-Fusion

Combines flavors from Asia, Latin America, and Europe

  • Open for lunch and dinner

  • Dress code: Casual

  • Phone: 1-510-835-5585

Restaurant Peonys (0.3 miles)

Chinese

A genuine taste of Cantonese fare, set in the vibrant heart of Oakland Chinatown.

  • Open for lunch and dinner

  • Dress code: Casual

  • Phone: 1-510-286-8866

Scott’s Seafood (0.5 miles)

Seafood

Located in Jack London Square, this restaurant is known for their popular Champagne brunch.

  • Open for lunch and dinner

  • Phone: 1-510-444-3456

Yoshi’s (0.5 miles)

Japanese

You’ll want to come for the sushi, but stay for the jazz at this plush eatery & nightclub.

  • Open for lunch and dinner

  • Dress code: Casual

  • Phone: 1-510-238-9200

The City Center (0.2 miles)

Fast food/various sit down restaurants

The City Center offers a diverse selection of eateries that satisfy any appetite

  • Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

  • Dress code: Casual

Burger King

1240 Broadway

Oakland, CA

(510) 839-7494

Subway

1312 Broadway

Oakland, CA
(510) 465-0199


You can find further information on these Establishments (and on those located farther than 0.5 miles from the hotel) here:
http://www.discoverourtown.com/CA/Oakland/Dining-2081.html

As the conference organizers we are not able to provide food from sources external to the hotel. However, please feel free to individually bring whatever food you may need to meet your specific dietary requirements.

General:

ADA compliance

The Oakland Marriott is fully accessible and is in compliance with the 1990 American with Disabilities Act.


Questions about the Oakland Marriott City Center:

  • If you need unscented products or need your room to not be near the pool, kitchen or laundry facilities please let the hotel know when you make your reservation.

  • All meeting rooms at the hotel are ADA accessible.  There is an elevator on the guest room side of the hotel, as well as an elevator bank on the convention center side which goes to the garage floors, as well as our 1st and 2nd floors where meeting space is located.

  • There are braille numbers located on the elevators as well as each floor in the doorway of the elevator indicating which floor you are currently on.

  • If you need any assistance you can contact the front desk and they can contact one of the AA co chairs to assist you.

  • The restroom closest to our conference meeting spaces will have signage posted on both restrooms indicating gender neutral.

You can find information on gender neutral / genderfree / all-gender restrooms in the Oakland area here: http://www.safe2pee.org/beta/. Please note that safe2pee also has a texting function, so you can locate the nearest genderfree or traditionally gendered single stall or locking restroom even when you’re out and about in the city!  (http://www.safe2pee.org/beta/text.php)

Transportation:

BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
http://bart.gov/guide/accessibility/index.aspx

Following is a partial list of the features which make it easy for seniors and persons with disabilities to use BART.

If you are blind or vision-impaired:

  • Textured rubber tiles along the length of BART train platforms warn passengers that they are close to the platform edge. These tiles can be detected with a cane or foot.

  • Train Operators announce the name of the next station as well as instructions for transfers.

  • Service animals are permitted in BART stations and on trains.

If you are deaf or hearing-impaired:

Changeable message signs on the platform announce the destination of each arriving train.

There is at least one Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) in each BART station.

If you use a wheelchair or have limited mobility:

  • All BART stations have accessible elevator service to all levels.

  • There is level boarding from the platform to all trains.

  • All BART cars have space to accommodate wheelchair users.

For all passengers:

  • All BART stations have public and white courtesy telephones at all levels that connect directly to the Station Agent.

  • All BART cars have designated priority seating near the doors for seniors and persons with disabilities.

DISCOUNT TICKETS
Seniors age 65 and older, disabled persons with a Regional Transit Connection (RTC) Discount Card, and people with other valid identification listed below are eligible for discount tickets. You may purchase discount tickets at the Lake Merritt BART Station and some San Francisco stations, from selected retail vendors, by mail and online.

Green tickets entitle seniors to a 62.5% discount.

Red tickets entitle disabled persons or Medicare cardholders to a 62.5% discount.

Personal care attendants (PCAs) who accompany disabled passengers on BART are eligible for the discount fare if the use of a PCA is indicated on the RTC Discount Card. People entering or exiting a station using a discount ticket may be asked to verify their eligibility by showing valid identification. Valid ID includes: For seniors using a green ticket:

  • Photo ID with proof of age.

For people using a red ticket:

  • RTC Discount Card;

  • Medicare card (not Medi-Cal) plus photo ID;

  • Disabled person placard or license plate from California DMV plus photo ID; or

  • Valid transit discount card from another California transit agency plus photo ID.

ELEVATORS
All BART stations have accessible elevators. In some stations you may need to use two different elevators to get from the street to the train platform level. If you arrive at a BART station and are unable to enter or exit the station because the elevator is not working, contact the Station Agent. They will help you enter or exit in another way if possible, or refer you to an alternate means of transportation such as a bus or paratransit.

If you find out in advance that an elevator is not working at the station you want to go to, call the BART Transit Information Center to find out what transit alternatives are available to you. To check the status of elevator operation at any station, call (510) 834-LIFT or (888) 2-ELEVAT. In case of fire, do not use the elevators.

If you need to communicate with the Station Agent while inside the elevator, use the emergency telephone. If the Station Agent does not answer within 90 seconds, your call will be directed to BART Central Dispatch. If the emergency telephone is picked up for at least two minutes but there is no voice communication, BART will treat this as a call for assistance. This ensures that help is available to elevator passengers even if they are unable to speak.

ESCALATORS
All BART stations have escalators. Generally, the escalators operate in the direction of main passenger flow, which varies depending on the time of day and location. Where possible, escalator service is provided in both directions. To ensure your safety and the safety of others, be sure to hold on to the handrail while using the escalators. Wheelchairs are not allowed on the escalators. To check the status of escalator operation at any station, call the BART Transit Information Center.

AT THE PLATFORM
Stand behind the wide yellow strip of textured rubber tiles that runs along the length of all BART platforms. These tiles can be detected with a cane or foot. Black rubber tiles are used to mark the approximate location of train doors when the train pulls into the station. In some stations, an extra row of black tiles marks the entrance to the two middle cars of the train. Exact door locations may vary. Do not approach the train until it comes to a complete stop.

BOARDING THE TRAIN
Do not approach the train until it comes to a complete stop; the train may adjust its position at the platform before the doors open. Allow passengers to exit before you enter. Pay attention to the narrow gap between the platform edge and the train.

Seats near the train doors are designated as priority seating for seniors and persons with disabilities. Hold on to the vertical handrails, overhead handrails or seat-back handholds to steady your ride when the train is moving.

The Train Operator’s booth is in the first car of the train. Bicycles are not allowed in this car. For these reasons, passengers with disabilities may wish to board the first car of the train.

WHEELCHAIR USERS
Pay special attention to the gap between the platform edge and the train. This gap may vary, so don’t hesitate to move to another car if the gap at a particular door is too great. The Train Operator will wait for you to enter. It is generally preferable for passengers in wheelchairs to enter and exit the train with the rear wheels first or at a slight angle. If possible, position the wheelchair at a right angle to the direction of train travel in the clear area near the door. Lock the wheelchair’s brakes. In some BART cars, a space to the right of the door is reserved for passengers in wheelchairs. The international access symbol marks the outside of these cars.

SERVICE ANIMALS
Passengers with disabilities may ride with their trained service animal. Service animals must be leashed and kept on the floor and out of the aisles as much as possible, and must be under the control of their owners at all times.

EXITING THE TRAIN
Train Operators announce the name of each station as the train approaches. Signs indicating the station name are also visible from inside the train. When leaving the train, move to the doors just prior to arrival. The train may adjust its position at the platform before the doors open.

PARATRANSIT SERVICE
BART provides ADA paratransit service to eligible individuals whose disability prevents them from accessing, boarding or riding BART trains. Service is provided by lift vans and sedans and is generally by reservation only. For more information, visit the Paratransit page.

BART WEBSITE
The BART website incorporates numerous accessibility standards for persons with disabilities including guidelines from the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220). BART will provide alternate media to access information about BART programs and services.

If you have suggestions for improving BART website accessibility, please let us know by contacting the BART website manager.


AC Transit:

http://www.actransit.org/riderinfo/accessibility.wu

Accessibility

All AC Transit buses are equipped with the following accessibility features:

  • Passenger lifts or ramps (for wheelchair/mobility aid users, or anyone who has trouble climbing steps)

  • “Kneeling”, which lowers the first step several inches to make the first step easier (note: special “Flash Cards” are available upon request from AC Transit, which passengers can display prior to boarding, for requesting lift or kneeler)

  • Priority Seating near the front of buses, for persons with disabilities and seniors

  • Two wheelchair securement locations per bus, each equipped with securement devices which hold the wheelchair safely in place, and are required for all wheelchair users. Drivers provide securement assistance as needed. Also provided are lap/shoulder belts which wheelchair users can request, along with assistance from driver.

  • A special Wheelchair Marking/Tether Strap program is also available for identifying/providing proper securement points on wheelchairs

  • Stop announcements at major intersections and transfer points, provided either verbally by drivers, or by automated equipment.

  • See “Riding the Bus is Easy” for more information. For sight-impaired customers, use Adobe Reader 7.0 to read the information out loud to you. Open the pdf and select “Read Out Loud” from the View menu. To download a free copy of Adobe Reader 7.0, go here.

http://www.actransit.org/pdf/securement.pdf


Conference Off-site Event Venues:


The Den at the Fox Theater
19th and Telegraph
Oakland, CA 94612

Wheelchair accessible

Humanist Hall

390 27th Street

Uptown Oakland, CA 94612-3104

(510)-451-5818

Wheelchair accessible


BFUU Event Hall

1924 Cedar Street (at Bonita Avenue)

Berkeley, CA 94709

(510)-841-4824

  • 1700+ sq. ft. (36′ x 48′ plus adjacent alcoves etc.)

  • Wheelchair accessible (ramp to side door; one restroom accessible)

  • Maximum capacity 175; seated audience 100; with dinner tables 80.

The main hall is approximately 1700 sq. ft. (36′ x 48′), with a slightly raised and recessed stage/chancel (6′8″ x 17′4″) on the east wall, a small kitchen and serving alcove on the west wall, a separate foyer room at the front door, and another separate entrance room with a ramp for wheelchair accessibility. There are two restrooms directly off the Hall.

The Vibe Lounge

2272 Telegraph Avenue

Between 23rd Street and West Grand Ave

Oakland, CA

(510)-451-VIBE
Wheelchair Accessible