CCCC 2012 Accessibility Guide: St. Louis

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1 CCCC 2012 Accessibility Guide: St. Louis We are excited to welcome you to St. Louis! We hope that this guide is helpful and allows all guests to fully enjoy the conference. We have attempted to anticipate information that attendees with disabilities might find helpful, but that all CCCCC members should find useful. We understand that you might have questions, or have needs that are not specifically addressed in this guide. We would also like to work with you, to the extent possible, to address your preferences, as well. We encourage you to contact us so that we might discuss with you how to make your conference experience a successful one. Local Accessibility Coordinator: Muffy Walter (mwalter@benedictine.edu) Committee on Disability Issues Chair: Jay Dolmage (dolmage@uwaterloo.ca) The CCCC Access Table will be adjacent to registration throughout the conference stop by if you have any questions or requests. Arrival in St. Louis: Lambert St. Louis International Airport (STL) Lambert Airport is scheduled to complete renovations in April 2012 after a tornado significantly damaged Concourse C in Prior to the completion of renovations, airlines will be using Concourses A, B, D, and E. Concourse E is located in Terminal 2, and was formerly known as East Terminal. The airport is medium-sized with elevators available between lower and upper levels in the terminals and all parking garages. Elevators with Braille signage, raised numbers, and audible information are in each of the terminals and parking garages. The airport is small enough that both ground transportation and the MetroLink system can be accessed near the terminals. Passengers can be picked up outside the bag claim on the Arrivals Road at the terminal where the flight arrived. Skycaps, sighted guides, and wheelchairs are provided by the individual airlines and not by the airport. Individuals who need these services should make advance requests to their airline by contacting the airline directly. Lambert has reserved parking spaces for travelers with disabilities at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 parking garages. The spaces are clearly marked with the International Symbol of Accessibility and are on accessible routes equipped with curb ramps to facilitate entering the terminal. Lambert-St. International Airport offers two outdoor rest areas for passengers with service animals or traveling pets. Each relief area offers 400 square feet of gated space with park benches, trash cans, plastic mitts for cleanup and even fire hydrants. Terminal 1 s animal rest area is located on the upper level, west end, outside exit 6. The Terminal 2 animal relief area is located outside exit 15. Signage all room signs use raised letters and Braille text. High contrast / non-glare finish is provided on directional and informational signage throughout the airport. Taxis Travelers who need ground transportation in wheelchair accessible taxi vehicles from the Airport are encouraged to make arrangements in advance of their arrival. Taxis can be reserved at any time from Metro West Transport (call to reserve ADA taxicab at TAXI. and A Best Taxi ( , Metro West has 5 accessible cabs, and A Best Taxi has four. Both companies are capable of transporting motorized wheelchairs.

2 Metro Link The region s light rail line has stops at both terminals at Lambert Airport. The Terminal 1 platform is accessible from the east end of the ticketing hall. The Metrolink corridor begins near the overlook of the C Concourse checkpoint. The Terminal 2 Metrolink platform is located just south of the Terminal 2 parking garage. Users can access the platform from either level of the garage to the south. Elevators are available at both terminal platforms. The train platforms are equipped with bridge plates to assist people who use wheelchairs in crossing the gap between the train and the platform. Yellow safety stripes are at the edges of all platforms. The Metrolink train runs from Lambert Airport to the downtown area, with a Convention Center stop that is close to the conference facilities and all conference hotels. All Metrolink stops have either an elevator or a ramp. Metrolink can be used to access several interesting entertainment and dining venues in St. Louis, including Forest Park and the Central West End. City of St. Louis Office of the Disabled The City of St. Louis Office on the Disabled works with city residents and visitors to make the City more accessible to individuals with a wide range of disabilities. The Office maintains a website that includes accessibility information about a wide range of popular St. Louis destinations to help people with disabilities make informed choices about where they visit. The Office s current information focuses on physical accessibility; however, they will attempt to find further information on these or other tourist locations if requested. To make this request, go to their home page and them directly or contact them via phone at (314) (Telephone) or (314) (TTY). Conference Facilities The conference activities will take place at the Renaissance Hotel and America s Convention Center. The website for the convention center is The conference hotels include The Renaissance, Holiday Inn, Drury Hotel, and Embassy Suites Hotel. All conference hotels are geographically close to the Convention Center. All hotels are decorated with highly-patterned, high-contrast carpeting. The conference facilities are all technically compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. They have a reputation of being practically accessible as well. Individuals are still encouraged to contact conference organizers to discuss their individual needs and preferences on room arrangement and environment.

3 The Renaissance The conference hotel with hotel rooms, conference facilities, and small meeting spaces. Individual hotel rooms have Braille signs, large accessible bathrooms, lower beds and closets. Décor in rooms is high contrast but attractive. The Starbucks in the hotel does not have power assist doors, but guests can exit thru the main hotel doors and ask a bellhop for assistance opening the street-entrance door to Starbucks, which is a few feet from the main hotel entrance. Guests looking for quiet meeting spaces may wish to look at the small lobby behind The Navigator (Concierge Desk), which can be quiet and pleasant when not used for other events. There are also couches along the Mezzanine Level that frequently offer quieter nooks. The Lounge opens at 2pm daily, but is available prior to opening for guests looking for quiet space. This area is dark with lower-contrast décor and comfortable seating. The Capri is the hotel restaurant and usually serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food is hearty American casual. The restaurant layout is open and easy to navigate. The décor is high contrast and busy. The Drury The décor of this hotel is more dated than the other conference hotels, but the color scheme is more neutral. The rooms offer microwaves and refrigerators. The layout of the hotel includes an atrium, with a pool and dining area surrounded by guest rooms. The rooms along the atrium tend to be noisy, while rooms along the exterior corridor are quieter. The Drury does not have accessible rooms available for reservation during the conference. Embassy Suites The décor of this hotel is certainly the highest end among the conference hotels. The contemporary layout and décor include wheelchair accessible front desk pods instead of a traditional desk. Guests with sensory needs might find the contemporary décor, high contrast colorscheme, and high-efficiency florescent lighting throughout the hotel uncomfortable. Guests needing a physically accessible room will find an ample number of available rooms with wide halls, roll in showers, large open bathrooms, and accessible closets. There is a microwave, refrigerator, and sink in the sitting area of each suite; however, the sink is at a bar height. The hotel will place the microwave at a lower level if requested. The hotel offers an attractive lounge, gathering areas, and some private nooks. Holiday Inn This hotel lacks the character and charm of other conference hotels, but many of the rooms are quite accessible for guests with physical disabilities. As with most of the hotels, the décor is high-contrast and rather busy, but not unattractive. Guests with physical needs should be very specific about their needs when requesting rooms. There is a wide range of accessibility among the rooms at this hotel, with some accessible rooms having high closets rods and bathroom doors that swing into the bathroom that would prevent an individual from being able to fully use the bathroom. Other rooms, however, have ample room, roll in showers, tub chairs, sinks that are wheelchair-friendly, and ample space in a suite layout. In particular, Rooms 274 and 244 seemed to offer accessible space. The hotel layout includes an atrium pool, and many areas of the hotel are noisy.

4 Dining Old Spaghetti Factory 727 N 1st St Ste 150, Saint Louis, MO (314) Menu includes vegan and vegetarian options Gluten-Free Menu available The Dubliner (Irish pub) 1025 Washington Avenue, Saint Louis, MO (314) Flannery s Pub (Irish pub) 1324 Washington Avenue Lucas Park Grille (American Food) 1234 Washington Avenue Chef is happy to work with diners regarding any special dietary needs. Mango Peruvian Cuisine (South American food and drinks) 1101 Lucas Avenue, Saint Louis, MO (314) Mosaic Tapas (Modern Fusion Cuisine) 1001 Washington Avenue, Saint Louis, MO (314) Menu includes some vegetarian, vegan, and Over/ Under Bar and Grill (American Bar Food) 911 Washington Avenue, Saint Louis, MO (314) Menu includes designated vegetarian, vegan, and Blondie s Coffee and Wine Bar (Gourmet breakfast and lunch) 1301 Washington Avenue, Saint Louis, MO (314) Menu includes vegan and vegetarian Bailey s Range (Upscale Burgers and Homemade Shakes) 920 Olive Street, Saint Louis (314) gluten-free options Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar 1004 Locust Avenue, Saint Louis, MO (314) but call ahead (limited seating) Menu includes vegetarian options. Vegan and gluten-free options rotate talk to server when ordering Rooster (Crepes and Sandwiches) 1104 Locust Avenue, Saint Louis, MO (314)

5 Sen Thai Asian Bistro (Thai, Japanese, and Chinese) 1221 Locust Street Menu includes vegetarian options Kemoll s Italian Restaurant (Fine Dining) 211 North Broadway (40th floor) (314) Tony s Restaurant (Fine Dining) 410 Market Street (314) Ask wait staff about vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Dietary needs can be accommodated, but are not noted on the menu Mike Shannon s (Steaks and Seafood) 620 Market Street (314) Menu includes vegetarian and glutenfree items Joe Buck s (Casual) 1000 Clark Avenue (314) Wheelchair Accessible. Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten-Free options. Ask wait staff about these. Brasserie by Niche (French bistro) 4580 Laclede Avenue (314) Special dietary needs can be accommodated. Call ahead to discuss these if possible. Llywelyn s Pub (Pub fare) 4747 McPherson Avenue (314) Menu includes vegetarian and vegan items Wildflower (American) 4590 Laclede Avenue (314) Fitz s American Grill and Bottle Works (American & Fresh Root Beer) 6605 Delmar Blvd. (314) Discuss any special dietary needs with a manager. Pi Pizzeria on the Delmar Loop (Pizza) 6144 Delmar Blvd. (314) Menu includes vegetarian and vegan items. They have a complete gluten-free menu. Miso (Sushi) 16 N. Meramac Avenue (314) Menu includes vegetarian and glutenfree items Google Map of Conference Area with Hotels and Accessible Restaurants Special thanks to Christine Street of Washington University, St. Louis, for her expert consultation and advice about accessibility.

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