We’re dedicated to crafting a conference that is accessible and inclusive. There are around four million people with disability in Australia alone, and this number doesn’t take into account those with temporary mobility ranges, considerations that are not officially recognised, and all the other things that happen in life that aren't captured in a survey.
Our goal is to create a conference that runs safely and smoothly and attracts a wide range of people. Putting accessibility first and foremost will ensure that we include the broadest range of people.
High on the list of our considerations are:
We are also focusing on:
Contacting us prior to the event if you have any specific requirements would be great for us! We’ll try very hard to accommodate requests, but may require extra time and planning, so please get in touch as early as possible.
We’re excited to be hosted by University of Melbourne! With their generous venue sponsorship comes their great facilities, and due to the nature of the world class University, many accessibility considerations come built in!
Levels features:
The toilets at Levels will be gender neutral. This means you can share a toilet block with anyone, you never know who you’ll run into! This can sound uncomfortable for some people, the best way to think about it is that your uncomfortableness can be enabling someone else to feel included and comfortable. Companies that we look towards, like REA Group, have this at their office, and we believe this is the direction forward for bathrooms worldwide. You’re part of a movement!
There are no dedicated Parents Room facilities built in, but we have set aside a room in the building for parents. Parents should bring all the consumables required to care for your little ones, and we will provide a quiet, semi-private space.
Some of things we aim to provide are:
We have Hearing Loop facilities and headphones available for those without hearing aids that require additional aid. Please mark if you require this on your ticket registration, so we can prepare and arrange this in advance. If you find yourself in need on the day, please speak to one of our clearly marked organisers who will be able to help you.
There will be some visual effects throughout the day, most prominently in speaker presentations. We’ll check slide decks beforehand, and we use our “What to Expect” slide to flag anything that you might need to know about, prior to each talk.
Each talk will have a slide at the beginning of what to expect. This can include trigger warnings about potentially distressing content, audio and visual warnings and any other information as required.
You’re going to be hearing all about our food options prior to the event, but to break it down:
Need a break from people? Don’t worry, we get it, and that’s totally okay. We’ll have a separate room dedicated to just hanging out. This will be an ideal place to recharge your phone, take any medication you need to.
Speakers will be provided with a dedicated room to prepare before speaking… or to just work on your slides last minute! Haha
The registration desk will remain open throughout the day. This is the best point of contact for speaking with a Levels staff member who can help you with questions, resolve problems, and take feedback. This is the best place to report a Code of Conduct violation on the day, as it can be immediately escalated to the designated code of conduct staff member. At least one of these staff members will be first aid trained and can provide assistance for any non-emergency medical issues.
In the event of an emergency, dial 000 and follow instruction from the phone operator.
Relevant numbers:
If you would like to reserve seating to ensure that your needs are met with sounds, audio, accessibility, please email hello@LevelsConf.com
If you see a reserved seating sign, please leave that seat available unless it is for you. If you are having trouble yourself, please see one of the staff who will find you an appropriate seat.
Levels will be well signed, with simple, clear signage for all manner of things. From directions to toilets, to the agenda, to food labelling. We won’t be relying on spoken announcements either, Organiser announcements will be accompanied by slides as a written form of communication as well.
We will have a dedicated volunteer staff member who is across all of the access options for the venue. This person will be identified on the day and is a great point on contact for any questions about accessibility.
All of the Levels volunteer staff have a commitment to making the event awesome and to make a welcoming and inclusive event. All staff will be briefed prior to the event in how to handle different situations, including code of conduct violations, being familiar with the events time table, access areas, and emergency procedures.
We’re always learning more about accessibility, and we’ve heavily borrowed from this guide which the City of Melbourne have expertly put together.
If you’d like to discuss any details of our pledge please reach out.
Our goal is to bring together the Developer community of Australia and beyond. We aim to give people a platform to share, grow and connect, regardless of experience level.
Grab your ticket today!