FAccT 2024 is committed to providing an inclusive environment, and we will do our best to accommodate requests for special assistance. This page describes the accessibility features of FAccT 2024, to help you make an informed decision about whether the conference will be accessible to you.

Feel free to contact the Accessibility Chairs (Siddharth Mehrotra and Wells Lucas Santo) at accessibility@facctconference.org if your question is not answered here, or if the arrangements as described are not enough to allow you to attend. We will work with you to the best of our ability to make the conference accessible for all attendees.

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How do I communicate accessibility needs to FAccT 2024 organizers?

The Accessibility Chairs for FAccT 2024 (Siddharth Mehrotra and Wells Lucas Santo) aim to ensure the conference is accessible to all attendees.

When you register for the conference, there will be a registration question labeled, "Do you have a disability or special need that impacts your access to ACM conferences, special interest groups, publications or digital resources?" When you answer "Yes" to this question, a set of accommodation options will open up, such as wheelchair access, braille or a guide. Please select any options that will help make the conference accessible to you. Also, please indicate dietary restrictions on the registration form in response to the question "Do you have any dietary restrictions?" Please be aware that some accommodations and dietary needs may be difficult to provide at short notice, and we may not be able to accommodate every request.

The accessibility chairs will follow up after your registration to discuss your needs in more detail. You can also contact us directly at any time by emailing accessibility@facctconference.org.

Who do I ask if my question is not answered here?

If there is specific accessibility information you would like to see here, or if you wish to discuss any specific conference accessibility needs, please contact our Accessibility Chairs by email accessibility@facctconference.org, and we will respond to you shortly. We will also incorporate any additional accessibility information that arises to this FAQ.

Will sign language interpretation or captioning be available?

There will be live captioning services available for the keynotes in English on dedicated small screens. For paper sessions, tutorials, and CRAFT sessions, access to automated captions will be available.

What are the transportation options for getting to the conference venue?

Recommended options for getting to the conference include:

Who can I ask about accessibility in Rio?

For information about Rio accessibility, including accessible public transportation options, you can go to Accessibility Information for Travelers with Special Needs.

Can a student volunteer or caregiver assist me during the conference?

Student volunteers will be available to assist attendees with navigation or other general accessibility needs. If you will need volunteer assistance at the conference, please indicate this on your conference registration form.

Attendees who require personal care assistance should bring their own assistant. Personal care assistants will need to register for the conference, but we will provide them a registration code that waives the registration fees. Please specify this during your registration, and the Accessibility Chairs will follow up with you.

What is the conference space like?

For the floor plan of the venue, please refer to this map of the conference space.

The Venue has three levels dedicated for the conference.

At Level 1 are the exhibit halls and main lobby. The Main Lobby is a combined space of 417 m2 named as Copacabana A & B which is reserved for the keynotes. Elevators and restrooms are located at the far left and far right of the lobby area. Furthermore, there are stairways which can be used to navigate between the levels.

On Level 2 are the meeting rooms for conference sessions. From the escalator that comes up from the main lobby, at 11 o’clock lies a wide central concourse lead to the meeting rooms. Meeting rooms Conrado, Guaratiba and Pontal are reserved for the sessions. There are also stairs leading up.

On Level 3, from the top of the escalator from the main lobby, further hallways are at 11 o’clock and 2 o’clock. These run along the front of the building above the lobby, each leading to a side hallway lined with meeting rooms. On level 3, the room Asian is reserved for the conference sessions and Grego for Lunch & Socials.

Will the conference be accessible by wheelchair or power scooter?

Yes, the conference will be accessible to wheelchair users. The hotel has rooms that are wheelchair accessible, and both the hotel and conference venue are wheelchair accessible.

If you would like more information on the accessibility features of the hotel, please contact hotel management staff at recepcao.roph@othon.com.br. For attendees who require a wheelchair for use outside the venue, rentals are available from Mobiloc.

Official offsite events planned by the Social Chairs will be wheelchair accessible as well.

What are the restroom facilities like?

We are currently still gathering information about the restroom facilities at the venue.

What are the arrangements for presenters with accessibility needs?

The stages and podium locations differ between rooms. For rooms with stages, there are stairs up to the stage with handrails. If you are a presenter who uses a wheelchair, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can make arrangements for ramps.

If you would like a student volunteer to operate slides or guide you onto and off the stage, or have other accessibility requests, please contact accessibility co-chairs at accessibility@facctconference.org.

Can I bring my guide animal?

Yes! Guide dogs and other service animals are welcome at FAccT 2024. Please indicate on your registration form if you anticipate bringing a service animal to the conference. Below are some rules shared by the venue with us:

  1. Due to venue regulations, it is necessary to inform the venue about the weight and gender of the guide dog or pet.
  2. The hosting of guide animals has a daily value of R$ 150 + 15% of fees, Rio Othon Palace.
  3. The guide animal should weigh up to 34 kg.
  4. It is mandatory to bring the vaccination card for your guide animal.
  5. There is a maximum of 1 guide animal per hotel room.
  6. Guide animals will not be able to circulate in feeding areas.
  7. The hotel rooms for guests with guide animals are located on the 6th floor. Check in downstairs.
  8. The venue will have a water fountain, a feeder, a walk, and a carpet.
  9. The venue indicates the Bicho Bacana as Pet Shop + Veterinary + Tosa + Bath, and will grant 10% for the pets of our Hotels, only in the part of the Pet Shop; and pointed out a walker as well. The hotel is not responsible for any service provided by the Pet Shop or walker, we only indicate.
  10. The venue does not have a specific area for all guide dogs or pets.
  11. Guide animals or pets can circulate on venue premises only with a collar. Medium and large animals should use a muzzle as well.
  12. The guide animal or pet can not remain alone in the hotel room.
  13. The guide animal or pet will have a check in form for the responsible party to complete.
  14. The responsible person must sign a term of responsibility for hosting the guide animal or pet.

According to Health Surveillance rules in Brazil, pets or service animals will not be allowed to circulate in areas where food is available, such as the swimming pool, bar, lobby bar and restaurants. Furthermore, they are not permitted in gyms and spas.

Can I attend the conference by robot?

Unfortunately, we are not able to ship robots to the conference venue.

How much walking or standing will be needed?

We will soon provide an annotated venue map with alt-text including distances. The document will include links to photos of the venue. We are currently still gathering information about the venue facilities. Each room at the conference will have chairs for seating and space for wheelchair users.

We are still gathering information on walking demands of the offsite events.

Please contact Accessibility Chairs at accessibility@facctconference.org as early as possible if you have further questions or special requests.

Will there be assistive listening devices or induction loops at the venue?

No, the venue will not provide these devices. Attendees must bring their own listening devices or induction loops.

Will speakers and audience members asking questions be using a microphone?

Yes, microphones will be used for all speakers. Attendees with questions will be requested to use the microphones present in each room.

Can the conference accommodate special dietary needs?

Yes, attendees who indicate special dietary requirements on their registration form will be provided with options when the conference catering does not accommodate them. If you have a severe allergy or special dietary need, please indicate this on your registration form. For more detailed information please contact accessibility co-chairs at accessibility@facctconference.org.

Will the conference be a smoke-free environment?

Yes, the entire indoor portion of the conference venue is a no-smoking area. There are no smoking rooms at the venue.

Will there be loud music, strobe lighting, spotlights, or other strong sensory experiences?

There will be flash photography for headshots at the conference. While the location of this photography is still to be determined, there will be signage in the area alerting attendees that photos are being taken.

For the evening events at the convention center, we will provide a quiet room.

We are still gathering other information on sensory aspects of the conference. Participants will be requested not to use flash photography or to wear strong scents. Please indicate on your registration form if there are specific items you would like to know about in advance.

There will be no hired photographers or strobe lights at any offsite event. We are still gathering other information on sensory demands of the offsite events and availability of quiet places.

Please contact accessibility co-chairs at accessibility@facctconference.org as early as possible if you have further questions or special requests.

Will there be a designated quiet space, prayer room, or nursing room at the conference?

We will provide a quiet space, prayer room, or nursing room throughout the duration of the conference. The specific details of the space are to be determined.

What if I have an emergency or health problem during the conference?

For immediate emergencies, you can dial the following numbers:

You can also find a Student Volunteer or head to the Registration Desk to get in contact with the conference organizers, who can alert the appropriate service providers in Rio.

This FAQ was generated and modified from the Accessibility FAQ Generator tool provided by ACM SIGACCESS.