Important Venue Accessibility Notice
Physical Access Limitations
We need to be completely transparent: Our venue at Hackers Guild Pittsburgh is a two-floor facility. All conference talks are held on the second floor, which is not wheelchair accessible as there is no elevator or lift available.
Limited Local Streaming Available: Some talks *may* be streamed locally on our internal network to screens on the ground floor. This depends entirely on individual speaker permissions and the sensitive nature of their content. We cannot guarantee in advance which talks will be available for streaming, and no recordings will be made.
We deeply apologize for these significant limitations. We understand this severely restricts access to the conference talks for members of our community. We take full responsibility for this accessibility failure and are genuinely sorry.
What We Can Provide
- Possible Local Streaming: Some talks may be viewable on ground floor screens (speaker-dependent)
- CTF Tournament: Fully accessible on the ground floor
- Networking: All social and networking activities on ground floor
- Meals and Refreshments: Available on the accessible ground floor
- Sponsor Area: Ground floor access to sponsor booths
- Real-time Updates: Staff will inform ground floor attendees which talks are being streamed
Note: On the day of the event, we'll have a board on the ground floor showing which talks are available for streaming. We estimate approximately 30-50% of talks may be streamed, but this is not guaranteed.
Our Accessibility Commitment
While our current venue has limitations, we are committed to making Guild Con as inclusive as possible within these constraints. We value every member of our community and are working towards better accessibility in future events.
Additional Accessibility Features
Venue Features
- Ground floor is fully wheelchair accessible
- Accessible parking spaces available
- Accessible restrooms on ground floor
- Wide doorways and corridors on ground floor
- Seating areas throughout the venue
Communication Access
- Microphones for all speakers
- Good acoustics in main presentation area
- Presentation slides will be made available online
- Quiet spaces available for those who need breaks
Service Animals
Service animals are welcome throughout the venue. Water bowls will be available, and we have designated relief areas nearby.
Dietary Accommodations
Please contact us directly and we will see what we can do to accommodate your dietary restrictions and allergies.
Contact Us
We want everyone to feel welcome at Guild Con. If you have specific accessibility needs or questions, please reach out to us:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: Will be provided closer to event date
- On-site: Ask any staff member for accessibility assistance
Future Improvements
We acknowledge that our current venue doesn't meet all accessibility needs. We are actively:
- Exploring venue options with full accessibility for future events
- Seeking feedback from the community on accessibility needs
- Future Guild Con events will depend on this year's success, financial restrictions, and community interest
- Guild Con will always be local to Pittsburgh
- Next year Guild Con will be separate from Hackers Guild's birthday celebration - they will be different events or in a different venue
- Unfortunately we don't have a crystal ball to predict the future with certainty
Your feedback is important to us. Please share your accessibility experiences and suggestions to help us improve.