Eleventh Biennial ASLE Conference: Access and Accommodation

ASLE recognizes that sustainability relies on three pillars: ecological, economic, and social justice. We are therefore committed to creating a conference in which all people can participate, and which disrupts the social construction of dis/ability along with other social injustices. In accordance with our Access Guidelines (see the ASLE website) and in conjunction with Disability Support Services (DSS) at the University of Idaho, the following are some of the ways in which ASLE will support access at the 2015 conference in Moscow:
  1. Wheelchair accessible transportation to Moscow will be available to conference participants from College Cabs, which can pick up in both Washington and Idaho (i.e., all conference airports). Please make arrangements well in advance via their website.
    We are confirming the availability of accessible campus dormitory accommodations during the conference. Fully ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible accommodations will be available notwithstanding, at a price equivalent to campus dorms and with easy access to campus, at:
    University Inn Best Western Plus
    La Quinta Inn
    Fairfield Inn and Suites:
    Super 8 Motel
  2. All plenary sessions, concurrent sessions, receptions, seminars, workshops, and film screenings will be fully wheelchair accessible. Accessible washrooms, including gender-neutral single-access washrooms, will be available near to all plenary sessions, receptions and the AGM, and we are endeavoring to schedule all other sessions in buildings that also have these facilities.
  3. On campus shuttles will be available for participants requiring them throughout the conference.
  4. There will be ASL interpretation and visual aids available at all plenary sessions and the Annual General Meeting. ASL will be provided automatically at these sessions; participants requesting visual aids are asked to contact Gloria Jensen at DSS (gjensen@uidaho.edu 208-885-6307) at least three weeks prior to the conference with their preferences.
  5. Participants requesting ASL or visual aids at workshops, seminars, interest groups, and/or concurrent sessions are asked to contact Gloria Jensen at DSS  gjensen@uidaho.edu 208-885-6307)at least three weeks prior to the conference with their personal conference itinerary and/or preferences for visual aids.
All presenters are asked to bring a copy of their presentation (or slides, notes, script, or précis, as appropriate to the form of presentation) to the conference on a USB. If, with advance notice, a participant requests a copy of the presentation for visual support, we ask that you either provide the USB to that participant or print a copy of the presentation for use during the session (participants must return the hard copy and/or erase the file if requested by the presenter). A designated printer will be available at the conference registration desk for this purpose.
Participants with food allergies and sensitivities should contact Gloria Jensen at DSS (gjensen@uidaho.edu or 208-885-6307) at least one month prior to the conference.
In the weeks leading up to the conference, all panel chairs will be sent guidelines about running sessions to facilitate access, including such issues as chair placement (leaving space for wheelchairs, aisle access) and protocols for presenters to facilitate inclusion of participants requiring ASL, visual and other support.
There will be accessible field trip options; please contact the ASLE 2015 local organizers for further details.

To request ASL or other support at ASLE 2015, to inquire about food allergies and sensitivities, and for other specific requests concerning support at the conference, please contact Gloria Jensen, Disability Services Coordinator, University of Idaho (gjensen@uidaho.edu or 208-885-6307)

Further information about campus accessibility at the University of Idaho.

Information about on-campus shuttle services.

A map of gender-neutral, accessible washrooms at the University of Idaho.

If you have questions or comments about ASLE access policies, please contact Sarah Wald, Diversity Coordinator, or Cate Sandilands, ASLE 2015 President and Conference Chair.

For all participants:

As you are preparing your panel or presentation, please consider the following recommendations from the ASLE Access Guidelines:
  • Speak as clearly and distinctly as possible, but do not shout.
  • Use regular speed unless asked to slow down by members of the audience, sign interpreters, or persons using real-time captioning.
  • Make eye contact with the audience (as possible) and avoid monotone and/or rushed speech, which can make it difficult for many people to absorb the ideas in a presentation.
  • Use a microphone when provided.  Microphones should be held (as possible) at a distance from the mouth such that it will pick up your voice while not muffling the sound.
  • Do not communicate key information solely in gesture or visual reference.
  • Avoid speaking from a darkened area of the room.
  • Avoid turning away from the audience while speaking.
  • Some people read lips, so the audience should have a direct and clear view of the speaker's mouth and face.
  • Eye contact and comments should be directed to the person who is deaf and not to the sign language interpreter.
  • Comments should be addressed directly to participants with disabilities and not to their companions.
  • Allow ample time for questions and answers.
  • Because microphones often fail to pick up voices in the audience, the chair should always repeat questions or statements made by members of the audience.
  • In Q&A or discussions, only one person should speak at a time, and speakers should identify themselves so that audience members will know who is talking.
  • ASLE permits the taping/recording of presentations for reasons of accessibility. Those presenters who wish to not be recorded/taped must communicate this to the audience ahead of time.
  • Conference participants should refrain from wearing perfumes or scented products as scented products may contain chemicals that can cause problems for people with asthma, allergies, and environmental illness.