Can-Con is committed to making the convention enjoyable and welcoming for everyone. If you have a question or concern before or during the event, please contact Jamieson Wolf, Can-Con’s accessibility liaison, at jamiesonwolf@gmail.com. If you can’t reach or find Jamieson, please ask a con volunteer or organizer to get a message to him.
Please also contact Jamieson before the convention, if possible, if you require specific assistance or supports. Can-Con may not be able to accommodate all requests, but we will do what we can to make sure everyone can attend and have a safe and enjoyable convention.
After the event, Jamieson would very much like to hear your feedback or suggestions about how Can-Con could improve its accessibility in future years. Feedback from has been so valuable and it always helps us to grow! We’ve been thrilled to see how the overall level of community support for a culture of accessibility.
Can-Con asks its attendees to refrain from wearing scented products such as perfumes, colognes and lotions, out of consideration for other guests. Also, please follow all of the items in the Covid-19 policy.
We ask all attendees to be aware of the visible and invisible needs of others, to make space, show respect and accommodate. Moderators can do their part by making sure panels end on time, to leave plenty of time for everyone to make it to their next destination.
Can-Con 2023 accessibility information:
Things are a little different this year with the ongoing threat of Covid. Please make sure to view our Covid-19 policy.
Main entrance and overall layout:
The accessible entrance to the Sheraton is near the valet parking sign just to the east of the main doors. Most con events are on the second floor, accessible by elevator. On higher floors, you’ll find the consuite and party rooms, and a programming room in the penthouse. The penthouse is accessible, but it has one major issue to be aware of: After you get out of the regular elevators, there’s a short staircase leading up to the room. For anyone who needs it, there is an elevator beside the stairs, with an operator, that can take one or two people at a time up that final level.
The restaurant/bar is accessible and on the ground level. The hotel is easy to get to by public transit and cabs, and parking at the World Exchange Centre across the street is free on Saturdays and Sundays.
Washrooms:
The washrooms on the convention floor are accessible with push buttons inside and out, and large stalls. There is a non-pushbutton door between the area where the women’s washroom is and the main convention space; we will prop that door open during the convention. If you see it closed, please alert a con volunteer. Alternatively, there are washrooms on a mezzanine between the lobby and convention floor, but those washrooms are not accessible, and are on a landing halfway up a staircase. There are washrooms on the penthouse floor, with wheelchair-accessible stalls, but the doors to those washrooms do not have push buttons. If you use the penthouse washroom, please feel free to ask for assistance with the door from the elevator operator, or a Can-Con volunteer, or a friend. (And let’s all keep an eye out for anyone who needs a hand with those doors). Both washrooms on the main event floor will be labelled with gender-neutral signage during the con. We require all areas, including washrooms, to be free of harassment or rudeness toward trans, non-binary and genderqueer attendees; please review the Can-Con Code of Conduct for more.
Program areas:
The doors to the panel rooms are not push-buttoned, so please knock if you arrive to a panel late and the door is closed and you require assistance. There is no raised “lip” on the floor in the program room doorways. During the breaks between panels, please try to keep the doors open and clear so people can get in and out. Every program room will have two seats reserved in the front row of each event for visually and hearing-impaired attendees. All panel rooms have space reserved in the seating area for a wheelchair or similar device.
Hallways:
There are couches and benches in the hallways; please be aware of attendees with mobility issues and make space. If you encounter a wait or queue that could create discomfort or medical concerns, please let a Can-Con volunteer know immediately and we will make sure to move you to the front of the line, offer you a chair and/or find a safer space.
Support:
Service animals are welcome (we spotted water dishes for dogs in the hotel lobby, and there are some green spaces for walking not too far away.) If an attendee with a disability requires a caregiver or support person, that support person attends the convention free of charge. Please contact registration beforehand so we can make a name badge for them at can.spec.lit@gmail.com.
Quiet areas:
Salon C, located on the second floor, is our designated Quiet Room (available for the duration of the con). Please feel free to use it for any quiet purpose but take all conversations outside the room. The consuite is open to all attendees and can be a good place to take a break, and the World Exchange Centre across the street is not very crowded on weekends and has some quiet places to sit. If you need a space where you can be alone, or have a medical issue and need to rest, please contact a con organizer or Jamieson – we will bring you to a suitable room.
Online Content
For those who are immunocompromised or feel more comfortable not attending Can-Con in person, we will be streaming certain panels through YouTube, which will have closed captioning.