ASHE 2017 Accessibility Guide

Transcription

1 ASHE 2017 Accessibility Guide HOUSTON TEXAS Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy BOX 3068 Las Vegas, NV

2 Welcome Welcome to Houston, the country's fourth-largest city and third-largest county! The purpose of this guide is to help you prepare for your visit and ensure you have the best possible experience at this year s ASHE Conference and location. Our goal is to address many accessibility issues that attendees should find useful during their trip to Houston for the 2017 ASHE Conference. If there are any questions or needs that have not been addressed in this guide, please feel free to contact us so that we may address your concerns individually. Sincerely, The Association for the Study of Higher Education ashe@unlv.edu Phone: (702) Executive Director 2017 Program Chair Director of Conference & Events Kim Nehls, PhD kim.nehls@unlv.edu James Soto Antony, PhD james_antony@gse.harvard.edu Holly Schneider, PhD holly.schneider@unlv.edu

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) 2 George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) 2 TSA Help Line 4 Getting to the Hotel/Conference 4-6 Taxi Servies 5 Shuttles & Buses 6 Hotel Accommodations Marriott Marquis Houston 7 Parking 7 Hotel Accessibility 8 Common Areas 8-9 Room Accessibility At the Conference Conference Accessibility Services Conference Accessibility Special Thanks 16

4 ARRIVING IN HOUSTON WILLIAM P. HOBBY AIRPORT (HOU) 7800 Airport Boulevard Houston, Texas Airport Information: Airport Police: TDD: William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) is located approximately 11 miles southeast of downtown Houston and is the closest airport to the Marriott Marquis Houston. GEORGE BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT (IAH) 2800 North Terminal Road Houston, Texas Airport Information: Airport Police: TDD: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is located approximately 22 miles north of downtown Houston. The Airport is accessible from Interstate 45, U.S. Highway 59 (Interstate 69), the Hardy Toll Road, and the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8). Airport Accessibility at HOU & IAH Both William P. Hobby and George Bush Intercontinental Airport are ADA compliant and offer the services detailed below throughout the airports: Parking: Accessible parking spaces are located on all levels at all airport-owned parking garages as well as at ecopark. Customers may call to inquire about

5 accessible parking. Shuttles are available from ecopark locations to the IAH airport that accommodate wheelchairs. Wheelchair Assistance: Wheelchair service is provided by airlines for passengers and should be requested when booking travel. Airline special assistance pages can be found for each airline here. Security Screening: The Transportation Security Administration has established TSA Cares to provide additional assistance during the security screening process to travelers with disabilities, medical conditions, and other special circumstances. Contact TSA Cares at least 72 hours prior to traveling with questions about screening policies and procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. Contact information and call-in hours for TSA Cares can be found here. Restrooms: Airport restrooms are wheelchair accessible and family restrooms that accommodate companion care are located throughout the airport. Signage: Braille signage is on each of the elevators and international symbol designations on all terminal signage. Service Animals: Service animals are welcome at both airports. HOU: An animal relief area is located on Level 1 near Ground Transportation Zone 4 and the Red Garage. A map of Level 1 can be found here. IAH: Animal relief areas can be found at the following locations: o Terminal A, west side near Hotel Shuttles and Parking Shuttles pick-up o Terminal B, south side near Limousines pick-up o Terminal D, inside (post-security), across from Gate D6 o Terminal D, southwest and southeast of terminal entrance o Terminal E, northwest and northeast of terminal (shared with Terminal D) o A map of the locations can be found here. TTY: TTY telephones are located throughout the airport. The phones are designated with the TTY symbol and may be found next to the pay telephones. ADA Coordinator: Comments or concerns regarding ADA and airport accessibility issues can be directed to the Houston Airport System ADA Coordinator Todd Curry at todd.curry@houstontx.gov. Information about the City of Houston s ADA Policy and Grievance Procedure can be found here. Inter-Terminal Connector Trains (IAH): Both the pre-security below-ground Subway train and the post-security above-ground Skyway Automated People-Mover are wheelchair accessible. Additional information about both train systems can be found here.

6 TSA Help Line TSA provides a TSA Help Line to assist travelers planning to fly on any airline in the United States. TSA Cares is a help line to assist travelers with disabilities and medical conditions. TSA recommends that passengers call 72 hours ahead of travel for information about what to expect during screening. Travelers may call TSA Cares toll free at prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures, and what to expect at the security checkpoint. TSA Cares will serve as an additional, dedicated resource specifically for passengers with disabilities, medical conditions, or other circumstances. In addition, travelers may also request a Passenger Support Specialist ahead of time by calling the TSA Cares hotline at The hours of operation for the TSA Cares Help Line are Weekdays 8 a.m 11 p.m. ET and weekends/holidays 9 a.m. 8 p.m. ET. Travelers who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to contact TSA Cares or can TSAContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov. When a passenger with a disability or medical condition calls TSA Cares, a representative will provide assistance, either with information about screening that is relevant to the passenger s specific disability or medical condition, or the passenger may be referred to disability experts at TSA. GETTING TO THE HOTEL/CONFERENCE Marriott Marquis Houston 1777 Walker Street Houston, Texas, 77010, USA The 2017 ASHE Conference and hotel accommodation will be located at Marriott Marquis Houston which is connected to the George R. Brown Convention Center via a sky bridge. The Marriott is located nearby attractions including Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center, Space Center Houston, Houston Zoo, Discovery Green, and BBVA Compass Stadium. Houston is notorious for substantial traffic. Expect high traffic times in Houston between 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., as well as 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. There may also be slight traffic during lunch in downtown Houston. You may also expect traffic build up around road construction.

7 Directions from HOU: Exit the airport on Hobby Airport Loop. Continue onto Broadway St. Travel 2.0 miles and take a slight left onto Gulf Fwy. Keep right to stay on Gulf Fwy then take the ramp on the LEFT onto I-45 N. Travel 4.4 miles and take exit 45 toward Scott St. Travel 0.9 miles. Keep LEFT at the fork, follow signs for St Joseph Pkwy. Travel 0.9 miles and turn right onto Dowling St. Travel 0.4 miles Directions from IAH: and turn left onto Polk St. Taxi services Travel 0.4 miles and turn right onto Avenida De Las Americas. Travel 0.3 miles and turn left onto Walker St. The hotel will be on the right. Directions from IAH: Clayton Pkwy. Travel 2.5 miles and turn right onto Eastex Freeway Service Rd. then take the US 59 S ramp on the LEFT. Travel 0.3 miles and merge onto I-69. Travel 12.6 miles and continue onto US-59 S. Travel 3.0 miles and take the Jackson St. exit toward George E Brown Convention Center. Travel 0.5 miles. Take a slight left onto N. Jackson St. then take the 1st left onto Ruiz St. Travel 2 blocks and turn right onto N. Hamilton St. Travel 0.4 miles and turn right onto Capitol St. Take the first left onto Avenida De Las Americas. Take the second right onto Walker St. The hotel will be on the right. The following ground transportation services are available from both Houston airports: Taxi Services From HOU: Taxi service to downtown is approximately $26 before gratuity. For HOU taxi pick-up locations visit: From IAH: Taxi service to downtown is approximately $53 before gratuity. For IAH taxi pick-up locations visit:

8 Shuttles & Buses The Marriott Marquis Houston does not offer shuttle service to/from the hotel, but other shuttle and bus services are available. From HOU: Shuttle service is available from HOU to downtown through SuperShuttle for approximately $20 one way. SuperShuttle pick up is located at Curb Zone 1 outside Baggage Claim/Arrivals Level. Tickets can be purchased at a counter in baggage claim, although advance reservations are highly recommended. For more information or to book reservations, call or visit Public bus service is also available from HOU to downtown Houston for approximately $50 one way. METRO Bus 40 provides local service and continues to downtown Houston and the George R. Brown Convention Center. Transit time to downtown can run one hour. More information about ground transportation from HOU is available here. From IAH: Shuttle service is available from IAH to downtown through SuperShuttle for approximately $25 one way. SuperShuttle pick up locations are outside Baggage Claim/Arrivals Level, Terminals A, B, C and E. Tickets can be purchased at counters for Super Shuttle in Terminals A, B, C: Baggage Claim; Terminal E: Arrivals Level; Advance reservations are highly recommended. Public bus service from IAH to downtown Houston is also available for approximately $50 one way. METRO Bus 102 serves the airport and surrounding vicinity with multiple stops and continues to the METRO station downtown. The fare is $1.25 (cash only; the driver does not make change). Transit time to downtown can run 1.5 hours. Riders may stow luggage in the baggage compartment accessed from the outside of the bus (drivers do not assist with luggage). Pick up and drop off is at the METRO Bus Stop on Baggage Claim Level, south side of Terminal C. More information about ground transportation from IAH is available here.

9 HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS MARRIOTT MARQUIS HOUSTON Marriott Marquis Houston 1777 Walker Street Houston, Texas 77010, USA Tel: Website: YouTube: Opened in fall, 2016, the Marriott Marquis Houston All the conference meetings and events will occur in the Marriott Marquis Houston, with the opening session, some panels, and selected activities taking place at the Texas Salon Ballrooms on the fourth floor and meeting rooms located on the third floor. Hotel stay information is in the Hotel Accessibility section below, while conference specific accessibility information is available in the At The Conference section starting on page 12. For conference group rates, please book your Marriott Marquis rooms through the ASHE website here. Room rates and registration information is available here. Parking Valet parking at the hotel is available for a fee of $38 daily. The Marriott Marquis also provides limousine services. Off-site parking is also available for a fee of $8 hourly or $24 daily. Self-parking is also $24 per day in a nearby parking garage located at Rusk and Capitol Streets.

10 Hotel Accessibility The Marriott Marquis Houston is ADA compliant, offering mobility accessible guest rooms with roll-in showers, hearing accessible rooms with visual alarms and visual notification devices for door and phone. There are accessible routes to meeting rooms, guest rooms, and hotel amenities such as restaurants and lounges, front entrance, and fitness center. While pets are not allowed, the Marriott Marquis does allow therapy pets and service animals if documentation is provided. Make sure to inform the hotel you ll have a pet/s staying with you at least three days in advance of your arrival. Common Areas Lobby: The Marriott Marquis Greatroom and first floor of the hotel is largely tiled and without carpet. These areas can be slippery when wet. The lobby is large and open which helps during high traffic times (such as the conference) to feel less crowded. There is ample seating around the lobby and café. The café provides a number of tables equipped with plug-ins to charge mobile devices or laptops, and additional lounge seating throughout the lobby includes access to plug-ins. All public areas are non-smoking. This image depicts the Marriott Marquis Greatroom, an open area that is mostly tiled.

11 Wifi: Complimentary wi-fi access is available in the hotel s public areas. Guest Rooms Wireless: Conference guests booked in the ASHE room block will have complimentary internet in the sleeping rooms. High Speed: Check & browse the Web for $12.95/day Enhanced High Speed: Video chat, download large files & stream video for $16.95/day Hotel Services & Amenities* Include: Concierge Lounge Hours Gift/newsstand Newspaper in lobby Safe deposit boxes, front desk Valet dry-cleaning Vending machines Laundry on-site Notary public Overnight delivery/pickup Post/parcel Copy service Fax service Network/Internet printing *ASHE does not endorse any services recommended by Marriott Marquis Houston. Use at your own discretion. Dining: The Marriott Marquis Houston has several dining options, including: Biggio s (American) Cueva (tapas) High Dive (American) Texas T (coffee house) Walker Street Kitchen (American) Xochi by Hugo Ortega (Mexican) Breakfast Buffet breakfast, fee from: $22.00 Continental breakfast, fee from: $15.00 Full American breakfast, fee from: $29.00 Grab-n-Go breakfast, fee from: $12.00 Hot breakfast, fee from: $29.00

12 Room Accessibility Rooms: The Marriott Marquis Houston has 15 accessible rooms with ADA accommodations. Each room features closed-captioned television, phone and standard fire alarm system with additional emergency strobe light and strobe-light smoke detector. These images are of the main bedroom of an accessible guest room. Other Room Services & Amenities Include: Coffee/tea in-room Housekeeping service daily Mobility accessible rooms Crib/Play Yard: Portable play yard-type crib complimentary Rollaway beds Mini fridge Pull-out sofa bed Cable/satellite TV Newspaper delivered to room, on request Phone calls: toll-free Room service, 24-hour Video games

13 Bathrooms: Bathroom conveniences include roll-in showers, wide doors, grab bars, and a raised toilet seat.

14 AT THE CONFERENCE CONFERENCE ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES The 2017 ASHE Conference Committee is committed to making the 2017 ASHE Conference accessible for all attendees. If you need to request accommodations such as sign language interpreting that may require advance planning on the part of ASHE Conference staff, please contact conference coordinator Holly Schneider at They can best meet your needs when notified prior to September 7, Sign Language Interpreter and CART: Sign language interpreter and Computer Assisted Real Time Captioning (CART) services will be available on request. Please contact conference coordinator Holly Schneider at to request either of these services. To learn more about sign language interpreters, visit this website for more information: For information about CART, click on this link: Childcare Service: If you need childcare services during the conference, please contact the hotel for a referral to a reputable childcare service or contact the 24-hour Concierge service during the conference. * *ASHE does not endorse any service recommended by Marriott Marquis Houston: Use at your own discretion.

15 All-Gender Bathrooms: All-gender bathrooms will be located on Level 3 near the escalators. Lactation Room: A lactation room will be available during the ASHE conference, it will be located on Level 3 in the Vestibule Room in-between the River Oaks Prefunction Room and Annise Parker Boardroom.

16 Graduate Student Lounge: The Graduate Student Lounge will be in David Mitzner on Level 4. Although labeled for graduate students, the lounge is available to all at the conference and can provide a quiet, calm space where convention attendees can spend time away from the noise, lights, and other stimuli of conference spaces. Conference Accessibility The Marriott Marquis Houston is ADA compliant, including braille and visual signage compliant. In addition, all meeting rooms, restrooms, and phones are wheelchair accessible. All ASHE Conference events and sessions will take place on Levels 3 and 4. Service animals are welcome.

17 The Conference Ballrooms: The 2017 ASHE Conference sessions will take place in various meeting and ballrooms primarily on the 3 rd and 4 th floors of the Marriott Marquis. Conference rooms may have round tables, rectangular tables, or rows of chairs. This is an image of a ballroom. Chairs are movable, padded, and of cloth material.

18 THANK YOU SPECIAL THANKS Many thanks to the current and previous conference committee members, whose hard work continue to make this conference possible. Once again, if there are any questions or needs that have not been addressed in this guide, please feel free to contact us so that we may address your concerns individually. Sincerely, The Association for the Study of Higher Education Phone: (702) James Soto Antony, PhD 2017 Program Chair Kim Nehls, PhD Executive Director Holly Schneider, PhD Conference Coordinator