These page details the accessibility information on the symposium venues and transport in Nottingham.
Symposium venues
Halfway to the Future will be held across three different venues in Nottingham.
Albert Hall Conference Centre
The main symposium activities will take place in the Albert Hall Conference Centre, Nottingham, UK. The venue is conveniently located in the city centre of Nottingham near to multiple hotels. We will occupy the entirety of the venue throughout the symposium.
We are aware of comments online that there are parts of the venue which are not accessible by wheelchair. The Albert Hall Conference Centre has since installed an additional stairlift to access to the floor of The Great Hall (the room in which the main symposium sessions will take place).
The Albert Hall Conference Centre has an accessible gender-neutral toilet on the ground floor and there will be non-accessible gender-neutral toilets accessible from The Great Hall. The non-accessible toilets on the ground floor will remain gendered at the request of the venue.
All speakers in The Great Hall will have microphones connected to a PA system that includes an induction loop.
The Main Entrance to the Albert Hall Conference Centre is not accessible, but there is an alternative accessible entrance on Maid Marian Way, next to the Central Police Station. We access that, where possible, for attendees use the main entrance to keep this entrance clear for those that need it.
The Park Plaza
The preferred hotel for guests, The Park Plaza, is fully accessible. Guests should contact the hotel in advance to receive specific advice. The hotel is a short distance (by pavement) from the Albert Hall Conference Centre. There is a small gradient on this hill between the Albert Hall Conference Centre and the hotel.
The symposium dinner will also take place in Park Plaza. Although the dinner will take place on the 11th floor, the nearest gender-neutral accessible toilet is by lift to the ground floor.
Nottingham Contemporary
The Welcome Reception will take place at the Nottingham Contemporary art gallery, in the café/bar. This is fully wheelchair accessible with gendered and gender-neutral accessible toilets conveniently located next to the café. The café is accessible by lift from the ground floor/entrance of the gallery.
Public Transport
Most public transport in Nottingham is fully wheelchair accessible, with all major bus operators (NCT, trentbarton, CT4N, and Your Bus), operating low-floor buses, with most of the buses having designated bays for wheelchair users as well as priority seats for those less-abled.
NET, the Nottingham tram system, only operates 100% low floor trams, all of which are wheelchair accessible. Some trains which stop at Nottingham Railway Station have a gap between the platform and the train—staff on the train or at the station can provide a ramp for wheelchair users.
Nottingham has an extensive network of taxis, many of which can carry individuals with a wheelchair. When booking a taxi, you should explain your needs to the taxi company. The major taxi operators are DG Cars and Nottingham Cars.
Questions or concerns
If you have any concerns regarding accessibility, please do not hesitate to contact the Local Arrangements Chair. If you wish to make the organisers aware of any accessible arrangements prior to the symposium, please also contact the Local Arrangements Chair.
