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Accessible Practices at the Annual Meeting

Interactive Table of Contents

  1. Accessible Practices across Environments
  2. In-Person Meeting Accessible Practices
    1. Access Practices Provided by AAA
    2. Accessible Practices to Follow as an Attendee
  3. Virtual Meeting Accessible Practices
  4. Questions?

Accessible Practices across Environments

  1. ASL interpreting is provided during meeting plenary and non-compete events (i.e. Opening Ceremony, AAA Business Meeting, and Presidential Address) and is available to AAA attendees who need them for the duration of the meeting in either in-person or virtual environments.
    1. Note: Please inform AAA if you need ASL interpreting for other sessions or events to ensure we fully meet your access needs. We will best be able to support your access needs if this request is submitted by Friday, October 8, 2021.
  2. CART captioning is provided during meeting plenary and non-compete events (i.e. Opening Ceremony, AAA Business Meeting, and Presidential Address) and is available to AAA attendees who need them for the duration of the meeting in either in-person or virtual environments.
    1. Note: Please inform AAA if you need CART captioning for other sessions or events to ensure we fully meet your access needs. We will best be able to support your access needs if this request is submitted by Friday, October 8, 2021.
  3. All presenters have been informed to provide visual descriptions, read slides where applicable, and speak slowly during their sessions and are expected to review and prepare their presentations and posters using the AAA In-Person Presentation Accessibility Guidelines, Virtual Presentation Accessibility Guidelines, or Poster Preparation & Accessibility Guidelines as appropriate. Specific requirements are outlined for presenters on the Collective Access as a Presenter page.
  4. Screen reader-friendly versions of the program are available upon request. Please contact the AAA Accessibility & Meetings Manager.
  5. Do not take pictures of people navigating the conference or screenshots of presentations without explicit consent.
    1. Presenters who do not wish to have pictures taken of themselves during their sessions or their presentations will include this information at the beginning of their presentations. AAA requests attendees to respect the presenters and to not take pictures of either the presenters or their presentations if requested.
  6. If posting presentation content on social media following the explicit permission of the presenter, please provide content warnings where appropriate.
  7. Avoid using derogatory language, which includes language expressing ableism, racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, etc.
  8. If you have a safety concern, please find and connect with a AAA staff member, who will provide you further assistance, or complete the form below.

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In-Person Meeting Accessible Practices

Access Practices Provided by AAA

  1. AAA encourages Annual Meeting attendees to be scent- and fragrance-free to minimize chemicals and scents in the meeting space.
  2. The AAA Annual Meeting provides no formal meals. However, AAA’s goal is to have a varied menu to appeal to the majority of attendee’s dietary needs in the events that are hosted by the association.
    1. The Annual Meeting Opening Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, November 17, and will include snacks, which will include a list of ingredients, and a cash bar.
    2. Several AAA Sections, Affiliates, and Universities also typically host receptions in the evenings that may or may not be open to attendees. Please contact the organizers of these events to identify what food will be served or available.
  3. Accessibility seating is available in every session room. This seating section will have chairs removed from the front rows for mobility assistive devices. The rows next to the areas with removed chairs are reserved for anyone who needs to be closer to the front, whether for mobility, auditory, sight, sensory, or other needs.
  4. Attendees are welcome to move, sit, lay down, and stand as necessary during Annual Meeting sessions. Please do what your body needs you to do to ensure you are able to meaningfully participate in the meeting.
  5. A prayer room is available to all attendees in the Armistead Room in the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel. This room will provide a quiet location for conference attendees to pray without interruptions that may occur while in the larger conference space. The prayer room is not available for conversations or meetings.
  6. A quiet room is available to all attendees in the Blake Room in the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel. This room will provide low lighting, various seating options, and a space for minimal to no conversation. Attendees can use this space to spend time away from noise, lights, and other stimuli of conference spaces. The quiet room is not available for conversations or meetings.
  7. A nursing room is available to all nursing parents. More information about the location is available at the Annual Meeting Registration Desk. 
    1. Due to COVID-19 vaccination requirements to attend the AAA Annual Meeting, we are unable to offer on-site childcare during the 2021 AAA Annual Meeting. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to offering this service again in the future when we return to a safer public health situation. We will be offering childcare stipends as requested. Please reach out to the AAA Meetings Team for more information.
  8. Designated all gender restrooms will be available at the Baltimore Convention Center.
  9. Yoga mats are available for attendees to check out from the registration desk and use during the meeting, whether for alternative seating during sessions or prayer in the prayer room.
  10. Ear plugs are available for attendees to request at the registration desk.
  11. Stim tools (tangles) are available in the quiet room. Please note that these are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and limited in availability.
  12. Information regarding available service animal relief areas will be provided at a later time.
  13. Maps of the Baltimore Convention Center and the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel are available in the program. 
    1. Note: If you need maps in an alternate format, please be sure to submit an accommodation request.
  14. Signage regarding Annual Meeting major locations and events will be placed around Baltimore Convention Center and the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel. 
  15. Pronoun information ribbons are available to all attendees.
    1. Note: We encourage you to share your pronouns as you are comfortable doing so.

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Accessible Practices to Follow as an Attendee

To foster an accessible environment so that all attendees may enjoy their experience at in-person annual meeting, please follow the accessible practices listed below.

  1. Wear your name tags at all times, and include your pronouns as you are comfortable doing so.
  2. Avoid wearing fragrances and varying scents while spending time in AAA event spaces.
    1. Before you go: Wash your clothing with scent-free detergents or, if you only have scented detergents and dryer sheets available for use, air your clothing out a few days prior to your trip.
    2. This includes not using perfume, cologne, body sprays, and other heavily scented personal care products.
    3. Read one member’s firsthand perspective on how going fragrance-free at the Annual Meeting will help everyone breathe easier and concentrate better.
  3. Respect the smoke-free indoor environment.
    1. Note: If you wish to smoke, please use the venue’s designated outdoor smoking areas and refrain from smoking near any other doorways or paths of travel.
  4. Respect the accessibility-designated rows in the front of every session room.
    1. Note: These rows will have a number of chairs removed for mobility assistive devices and the rows next to those areas are reserved for individuals with accessibility/disability needs, including but not limited to mobility, ASL signers, CART users, etc.
  5. Always use the microphone when you speak publicly during your presentation or as an audience member.
    1. Note: A teacher voice is not enough for those of us who require clearer and amplified access to verbal communication. Please stop and ask for the mic in any session you are attending. Please do not ask “Can everyone hear me without the mic?” It is possible someone can’t but is too nervous to say so.
  6. When using a microphone, prior to sharing your questions or thoughts, first announce your name and, as comfortable, your pronouns.
  7. Do not interact with service animals unless otherwise directed. This includes photography.
  8. Do not smoke in service animal relief areas.

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Virtual Meeting Accessible Practices

To foster an accessible environment in the virtual platform, AAA has incorporated a variety of accessibility features and requests all attendees to please follow accessible practices during the event.

  1. AI captioning is provided for all virtual live-streamed events that do not already include CART. Closed captions and/or transcripts have been required for all view-on-demand events.
    1. Note: Please inform AAA if you need CART captioning for other sessions or events to ensure we fully meet your access needs. We will best be able to support your access needs if this request is submitted by Friday, October 8.
  2. Include your pronouns as you are comfortable doing so in your event login name.
  3. When speaking during a virtual meeting, first announce yourself.
  4. During large video calls, keep yourself on mute and off video unless speaking, and avoid speaking over others.

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Questions?

If you have any questions about the accessible practices available during the 2021 AAA Annual Meeting, please reach out to the Accessibility & Meetings Manager using the form below.

[contact-form to=”accessibility@americananthro.org” subject=”Accessible Practices at the 2021 AAA Annual Meeting Question”][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea”][/contact-form]

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