Special Needs

Conference Program

All efforts will be made to accommodate the deaf/hearing impaired.  When registering, there is a place to indicate what assistance you need.

Conference Site

The new Raleigh Convention Center is in complete compliance with the most up to date ADA specifications. Elevators are available at every location with stairs to aid in the ease of mobility in and through the new center for folks in wheelchairs.  The connection to the Marriott is also built for accessibility between and throughout both facilities. 

Getting Around Raleigh

All CAT buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts to serve those with mobility impairments.  Furthermore, all buses can kneel to help accommodate passengers with limited mobility.  Just ask the operator to lower the bus to that you can more easily step aboard.  Buses are also equipped with talking bus technology that provides audible stop information from internal and external speakers. 

Visitors with special needs will find downtown Raleigh to be very accessible.  The downtown street plan is on a grid system and flows well.  Sidewalks continue to improve and widen with new construction projects.  All major intersections and most side streets in the downtown corridor offer curb cuts (to ensure smooth transition from street to sidewalk level). Most buildings (offices, shops, restaurants, visitor attractions) may be entered from street level, with special accommodations for those that enter from above street level (ramps and escalators).  Additionally, most major intersections have “chirping” traffic signals in the cross walks.  The sound alert system offers a special level of precaution to alert visually impaired visitors to traffic signal changes.  

Finally, Access North Carolina was developed with the special needs of visitors with disabilities in mind.  Through symbols and ratings the guide simplifies accessibility information for all visitors with disabilities, emphasizing what can be done rather than what cannot be done.