ASHA is committed to providing an outstanding experience for all participants. We strive for access to all ASHA Convention activities—to the fullest extent possible—based on our awareness of participants' needs and advanced planning.
You should indicate the area(s) in which you will need assistance when registering. After you have registered, an ASHA Staff member will contact you to discuss the accessibility accommodations you have requested. Requests for reasonable accommodations at the ASHA Convention should be made as early as possible, and well in advance of the event, so that we have adequate planning time to meet individual needs. We will fulfill requests for accommodations made onsite during the ASHA Convention to the best of our ability, however, resources may be very limited.
For any questions or concerns about accessibility at the ASHA Convention, please e-mail accessevents@asha.org. You may also visit the Seattle Convention Center's website to learn more about specific accessibility details for the facility [PDF].
ASHA provides accessibility features to meet the needs of individuals in the following areas:
ASHA offers a variety of policies and services to ensure everyone can participate in the event.
A small number of priority seats are set aside for individuals with disabilities in each session room. Priority seats are located in different areas of the room to accommodate different needs, including wheelchair and scooter spaces along the aisles for easy access. Priority seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees are encouraged to plan ahead and arrive early for popular sessions and events.
We strive to ensure that vegetarian, vegan, gluten-avoidant, and dairy-free food options are offered at the convention center during the ASHA Convention. For activities that include meals, we make every attempt to meet food allergy or special diet requirements (medically necessary or religious food restrictions), but we cannot guarantee options for all requests as this is highly dependent on the facility.
All hotels in the ASHA Convention block have ADA-designated hotel rooms set aside for individuals requesting them. Please make your hotel reservations as early as possible, as there may be a limited number of accessible rooms available at each hotel.
During the ASHA Convention, complimentary shuttle service is provided between the Convention Center and select official ASHA hotels. Preliminary shuttle routes and daily schedules are posted online in advance of the Convention with final schedules available on-site. Those who use scooters can typically utilize the standard shuttle service; scooters are stowed in the storage area under the bus. Shuttle staff can assist with scooter storage and retrieval.
Upon request, an accessible shuttle with a wheelchair lift can be scheduled between any official ASHA Convention hotel and the Convention Center for attendees in wheelchairs. Call or visit the Shuttle Bus Desk on-site to make arrangements in advance. The phone number will be published on all shuttle signage and in the app. Please allow approximately 45 minutes advance notice of when and where you will need a pickup.
If you require the services of an aide or personal assistant, ASHA will arrange complimentary registration for the individual. Please contact registration@asha.org to register your personal aide or assistant (name, city, and state are required for the badge).
Aides and personal assistants may attend sessions and visit the Exhibit Hall but are not eligible to earn continuing education credit. We ask that they be mindful of room capacity at sessions and use discretion when selecting seating.
Please indicate that you have a service animal when you register. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.
All ASHA in-person events are smoke-free and, as often as possible, held in smoke-free venues. Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted in any meeting or session rooms, business or networking events, or ASHA-sponsored social events. Please be aware that some venues may allow smoking in public areas. When applicable, requests can be made to hotels within our block and the meeting venues that chemicals not be used on carpeting or guest rooms.
In addition, ASHA encourages its meeting attendees to refrain from using perfume, cologne, aftershave and other fragranced personal care products for the health and safety of our attendees.
Although we strive to make the ASHA Convention as accessible as possible to all members, some barriers still remain due to financial, logistical, facility, vendor, or volunteer/staffing limitations.
Please contact us at accessevents@asha.org if you have questions about accessibility or need for assistance in an area not discussed above. We also welcome suggestions for making the ASHA Convention more accessible! If you have a comment or suggestion about accessibility, please let us know.