Inclusivity

Making participants feel welcomed and included by ensuring that the program venues are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations; creating private lactation spaces in the convention center and in each hotel; designating all-gender bathrooms in the convention center and headquarter hotel; creating a wellness/quiet room for attendees who need a break from the crowd or space for prayer; giving attendees the option to choose their pronouns on their badge; a land acknowledgement; and special needs requests during registration.

Safety

Creating an environment where participants are physically safe, including working with local partners to monitor crimes occurring within a certain radius of our event venue; hiring security to safeguard our space; learning and sharing how the emergency notification system works, especially for those with disabilities; stocking emergency response resources; creating a crisis plan specific to our conference spaces in Anaheim; holding a preconference security meeting with all major event vendors to review the security procedures; and establishing protocols for reporting personal safety concerns to APTA staff.

Health

Providing health and wellness resources for attendees, including first aid and on-site EMTs; curating a list of the closest hospitals and urgent care locations; documenting automated external defibrillator, or AED, unit locations throughout the convention center; and establishing emergency response protocols for APTA staff.

Accessibility

Seeking reasonable accommodations to help participants have a meaningful and engaging experience, including collecting requests for special needs during registration; securing hotel rooms that meet Americans with Disabilities Act regulations as requested; making closed-captioning available in all programming located in the convention center; reserving wheelchair-accessible space in each session room; and identifying accessible street crossings between venues.

Sustainability

Developing solutions to minimize our environmental footprint in the venues and throughout the surrounding community, as well as requesting all recycling, reuse, and food waste options from our venues including the recycling of textiles; working with our caterers to donate all leftover food to local food banks; providing event materials electronically; donating leftover exhibitor materials to local teachers and students; providing watercoolers at event venues and encouraging reusable water bottle use; supporting the use of green cleaning products; and reusing signage as appropriate from year to year.

You can report an incident using APTA's independent, Whistleblower Hotline.

Accessibility, Wellness, and Family Resources

Download this PDF for a full list of accessibility, wellness, and family needs resources including parking options, lactation rooms, stroller rentals, and more.

Mobility Constraints*

Due to the size of the Pennsylvania Convention Center and Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, the distance between sessions can be considerable. If you are a regular wheelchair user, you should bring your chair. For attendees who do not bring their own wheelchairs or have mobility needs that may require assistance, please make arrangements to rent a wheelchair or electric scooter before arriving, as the venues do not have any available to rent on-site.

At the Pennsylvania Convention Center, scooter and wheelchair rentals are ordered directly through Scootaround. Daily rental fees are as follows:

• $65 for scooters
• $25 for wheelchairs

To reserve a scooter or wheelchair, call 888-441-7575 and enter extension 6101 as soon as you hear a voice on the line. It is recommended to reserve at least 72 hours in advance to guarantee your rental will be available when you arrive.

Alternatively, to order a mobility device, contact Cloud of Goods toll-free at 407-545-3103, by email, or online. Make your reservation early to ensure availability. All arrangements are the attendee's responsibility. Cloud of Goods can be delivered to the convention center or your hotel in advance.

*APTA disclaimer: APTA does not endorse, makes no representations or warranties for, and disclaims all liability regarding the listed services. APTA recommends that you conduct your own due diligence to ensure that you are comfortable with a service provider.

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