Inclusion

DisCon III already has many plans in place to ensure all our members feel included at our convention.  We’re listing them here so potential and existing members can be aware of the efforts we are making for a welcoming Worldcon in Washington, DC next year.

  • We were administering Capitalize!: The DisCon III Fan Fund, which will aid fans and participants from marginalized communities in attending our convention.
    • We have seeded the fund with 20 memberships.
    • All of DisCon III’s income from merchandise sales through OffWorld Designs until July 31, 2021 will be passed to Capitalize!
  • We are taking steps, including recruiting a diverse programming staff, to ensure diversity in programming and we publicly pledge that absolutely no panels will be both all white and all male. In addition:
    • Pronouns will be listed in program participant bios and on table tents in program rooms for those who wish to have them listed.
    • All panel moderators will receive information on inclusion (e.g. respecting pronouns, moderation guidance) in their program packets.
  • In terms of our events, open real-time captioning and/or ASL interpretation will be provided for the Hugo Awards, Masquerade, Opening/Closing Ceremonies, and WSFS Business Meeting. We are examining the possibility of providing these services for other program items and events.
  • We are also working to ensure our facilities, which are already fully ADA compliant, are welcoming to all our members and that members have the information and resources they need to get around the facilities and find food that fits their dietary restrictions:
    • We will publish an access report of our function space on our website, highlight it in member emails, and include this information in our program book.
    • Gender neutral restrooms will be available within our function space and we will post signage reminding members not to challenge others’ choices of bathroom.
    • Nursing areas are available in the restrooms in the Omni Shoreham.
    • We will provide a quiet space for any member who needs some time away from the sounds and stimuli of the convention.
    • Motorized and non-motorized wheelchairs will be available for rent.
    • Signage in all locations of the convention will highlight stair-free routes, availability of reserved seating, and other accommodations for those with access issues.  Pending the reopening of our facilities, we will work to film getting around the venues in a mobie scooter.
    • We will also clearly label stairwells so those who are able to use the steps can leave the elevators/lifts for members with access needs.
    • We will work with our facilities to provide comprehensive ingredient lists for dishes and provide some dishes with limited ingredients.
  • We are taking additional steps to make DisCon III welcoming to fans of all genders:
    • Our registration staff will be trained in using gender neutral language
    • All staff are encouraged to include their chosen pronouns in their email signatures and we encourage others to do so, too, if you feel comfortable.
  • Our publications will also be inclusive, accessible, and informative:
    • At-con publications (i.e. pocket program guide) and signage will clearly communicate our Code of Conduct, accessibility options (Accessibility Policy, location of Access Desk/scooters, available access services, etc.), and the availability of pronoun stickers.
    • As noted above, our program guide will list pronouns for participants who wish to have them listed.
    • We will use alt-text in all online visuals.
    • We will translate the Hugo Awards nomination and voting ballots, as well as the site selection ballot, into other languages upon request and make large print and braille site selection ballots available on request.
    • While we had planned that our restaurant guide would list Kosher, Halal, vegan/vegetarian, and gluten-free options, we were unable to produce a restaurant guide due to limited volunteers and COVID. Some of this information is available on Google or Yelp or call restaurants for more information.

Washington, DC is a majority-minority city and we are conducting outreach to our local community, including minority-owned and BIPOC- and LGBTQ-friendly businesses. If you have any contacts or would like to help promote DisCon III at a local business or group, please reach out to info@discon3.org .

As a reminder, our Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment and Anti-Racism Policies apply to all DisCon III attendees – which includes Committee, staff, volunteers and members, and all others trading, exhibiting and otherwise participating. More information on these can be found at https://discon3.org/about/coc/ .

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