do you have any good tips for people with disabilites who are new to DragonCon?

[cheriedcds]

We are looking to add a page to our wiki with helpful tips for people with disabilities coming to DragonCon.  If you are one of our more experienced consumers, could you let us know a few things you do to prepare for the crowds, the hill, the heat, etc.  I am really looking for help, not just "the elevators are terrible" type comments.  So how do

Comments

[glasscannon]

I used Disability Services for the first time last year, but I've been on a sliding scale of disability for several years now, and have been seriously chronically ill for almost a decade. My number one piece of advice is: use Disability Services. It's intimidating the first time, especially if you've spent any amount of time with unsympathetic doctors or people who find invisible disabilities difficult to grasp, but if you're at the point of having to choose between your health concerns and being able to enjoy the con, Disability Services is the place for you. And the people who volunteer for DS are exceptionally nice. Go there first thing, they can help you get your badge if need be.

I've talked with a few other spoonies (people with invisible chronic illnesses, especially those for whom fatigue is a major issue) about attending DragonCon, and for that sort of disability/illness, I think that staying in a host hotel is really crucial, especially one with minimal elevator wait. I've stayed in the Hyatt Radius Tower every year I've gone to DragonCon, and for me it's the best combination of right in the middle of the action, zero elevator wait, and quiet rooms. I've also heard good things about the Sheraton, Westin, and Hilton (in that order) when it comes to elevator waits and quiet rooms. Being in a host hotel means that you have DCTV in your room, so even when I have to retreat to my hotel room to recharge, I still feel like I'm part of the con. Without the combination of DCTV, Radius Tower, and Disability Services, I wouldn't be able to go to DragonCon at all.

For anyone facing health issues at DragonCon, I think it's worthwhile to bring along anything you'd use for a "bad day" at home -- breakthrough medications, mobility aids, braces, heating pads, etc. There's a CVS in the Peachtree food court if you forget anything standard. Use pacing strategies so you don't wear yourself out before the con is half over. Try to eat similarly to how you eat at home (if you eat all organic at home, suddenly eating all fast food and junk food is likely to upset your system), take medications at similar times, drink lots of water, and treat yourself as though a flare is coming on. Vitamins, AirBorne, Purell, etc are especially important if you have immune system issues.

Plan your costumes around your disabilities, not vice versa. If one of your costumes is somewhat uncomfortable to wear or takes a lot of effort to get into, plan to wear it early in the weekend and during the time of the day when your health bothers you the least. Make sure your costumes all have pockets and/or bags, so you can keep emergency medications and medical info on you. Plan something easy and comfy to wear later in the weekend. Make sure your costumes let you handle any routine medical issues on your own as you normally would -- ie, don't wear a costume that you have to remove completely to use the bathroom if you're likely to need an emergency bathroom visit at any moment. Hidden zippers and snaps can go a long way to making a costume work with your health issues without changing the look or accuracy of the costume.

And I find it very helpful to remember that DragonCon is a 24/7 con, with multiple amazing things going on at every hour of the day -- no one gets to see all of it. Everyone, regardless of health, has to choose which things to prioritize and which things to skip in favor of sleep. Everyone. Keeping that in mind helps me not feel so left out or like such a weirdo when I have to skip something I want to do because my body isn't cooperating.