Getting to the host hotel
ONA19 will be hosted at the Sheraton New Orleans. For specific details about room accessibility, please visit their fact sheet.
The main entrance to the venue is on the ground floor via a pull-through car entrance connecting Canal Street to Common Street. Since automobiles also use the pull-through, there is a car-sized curb cutout on both the Canal Street and Common Street sides. There is no curb in front of the main entrance. The entrance features a push button for the door.
If you’re navigating by walker, wheelchair or scooter, the city of New Orleans provides details for using public transit and rental services.
For parking, the city states: “Travelers with legal handicap credentials are permitted to park in metered spaces for free for up to three hours. For questions and parking information, call (504) 658-4020 or email ppmccranie@nola.gov.”
ONA19 will also hold sponsored pre-conference events and about 20 percent of program sessions at the InterContinental New Orleans, about 1.5 blocks from the host hotel.
What to expect onsite
We require participants to adhere to our Code of Conduct. To report a problem, you can ask a volunteer to assist in finding an appropriate staff member. Staff are trained to manage a variety of requests. You can also email Head of Programs and Events, Trevor Knoblich, trevor@journalists.org or Director of Programs, Jennifer Mizgata, jennifer@journalists.org.
- Most, if not all, presentations are in English.
- Sponsor lounges are provided throughout the venue for anyone needing a quiet space to relax.
- Some restrooms will be designated as all-gender; we’re determining locations with the hotel.
- The conference room and our reserved common areas will have physical access lanes that are at least 3.5-feet wide.
- Chairs in the conference rooms are armless.
- Anyone can reserve a front-row seat or general space for their wheelchair/mobility device. You will be able to note this request in your registration form, or you can contact registration@journalists.org by Friday, Aug. 30.
- We are happy to provide on-site ASL interpreters. You will be able to note this request in your registration form, or you can contact registration@journalists.org by Friday, Aug. 30.
- Per the host hotel: “Service dogs are welcome for persons with disabilities.”
- Because our focus is on the journalism community, who avidly document their experiences, we do not restrict photography; that said, we ask anyone taking photographs to be mindful of others and ask permission whenever possible.
What to expect if you’re remote
- New this year! All sessions marked as “featured” on the schedule, as well as our opening remarks, will have real-time captioning, allowing remote participants to monitor the conversation and participate in conversations on the session hashtag. We will have a trained TypeWell transcriber on site to provide captioning to ensure a speedy process; you can learn more about TypeWell here. Captioning will be provided in English only.
- Additionally, conversations marked “Featured speaker” or “Featured session,” as well as our opening remarks, will have more detailed transcripts provided in English shortly after our event ends, which allows our partners time to review transcripts for accuracy. This allows people to search transcripts after the session ends for keywords, or read the conversation in its entirety.
- Audio recordings will be provided for a large proportion of educational sessions. We record most sessions, with exceptions being interactive table discussions and workshops, or instances when participants request the conversation to be off-record.
Opening Night Venue
The Opening Night Reception will be held at:
Generations Hall
310 Andrew Higgins Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70130
Most attendees will walk to the venue, though we will provide limited shuttle service for anyone with mobility issues.
Generations Hall is a little more than half a mile (1.3 km) from the Sheraton hotel. The venue is primarily a single-floor venue with an accessible main entrance. There are iron walkways on a second floor that will help relieve crowds moving between rooms. There is no elevator access to these walkways, but all entertainment, drink services or other elements of the party will be hosted on the ground floor to ensure access for all.