We will be making every effort to make PyCon UK 2017 as welcoming, accessible, and inclusive as possible.

Minorities in our community

It's not simply iniquitous that the minorities of our community – for example, women, people of non-European descent, people with disabilities, those on low incomes – find it harder to participate in it: their participation is vital to its health and needed now more than ever.

If you belong to one of these or any other under-represented groups, we're especially keen to have you at PyCon UK. We want to help redress the imbalance, make a clear statement about your value to the community, and affirm your position as a first-class citizen of it.

First-timers

If this is your first time at a Python conference, we want you to feel comfortable. We plan to run an event or two where you can meet other people who are new to the community, and be introduced to some old-timers.

Financial assistance

We will be supporting individuals who need help to meet the costs of travel, subsistence or even taking days off work. This will include discounted or free conference tickets.

Don't be reluctant to apply for financial assistance. Many conference speakers and members of the committee will be doing the same. The money is there to help you.

Code of Conduct

Like every PyCon, we have a prominent Code of Conduct that we intend to enforce. This is to ensure that everybody knows that they can expect to be treated with respect throughout the conference, and, should an incident occur where somebody is made to feel unwelcome or be subject to harrassment, we have a procedure for handling it.

Mobility

The PyCon UK venue is fully wheelchair-accessible and has:

• step-free access from the street and car-parks;
• step-free access to all auditoriums, theatres and halls;
• toilets suitable for wheelchair users.

Please contact us about any mobility assistance needs you may have during your stay in Cardiff.

Visual impairments

Preferred seating will be provided and reserved for the visually-impaired. Please contact us about any lighting requirements you may have, and we will do our best to meet them.

Similarly, if you would benefit from having a close-up display of presenters' slides and screens, or from the provision of any assistive technology, just let us know.

Guide dogs are welcome at the conference and social events.

Hearing impairments

All talks will be held in auditoriums with induction loops for hearing aid users.

In addition, many talks will feature simultaneous speech-to-text transcription, which will also be used for subtitling the conference videos that are subsequently published.

On request, we will provide a British Sign Language interpreter (at no charge) for the duration of the conference to any Deaf attendees, to help them participate more fully in discussions and social events.

Please note that while BSL shares significant similarity with Auslan and New Zealand Sign Language, it is quite distinct from American Sign Language. However, we will do our best to meet any request for other sign language interpreters – so please just ask.

Crèche

We will provide a free crèche, staffed by registered and qualified childminders, during conference hours.

You will need to register well in advance for the crèche.

Children will be welcome at all appropriate conference events, during breaks for refreshments and in the audience at talks.

If your child is old enough to have meals and refreshments with us, they are welcome to join us.

If they are not, you will need to provide their food.

Breastfeeding at PyCon UK

If you are breastfeeding your baby, we can provide a quiet room if that's what you prefer. Otherwise, please feed your baby whenever and wherever you like, including during talks and at meal-times. PyCon UK will be a friendly environment for parents and babies.

Dietary requirements

We aim to meet all dietary requirements. You will be able to specify these when purchasing your ticket.

Quiet room

We will provide a clearly-marked designated quiet room at the venue. This room is intended to be a calm and quiet place for anyone who needs to have a break from the bustle of the conference, and will not be used for socialising.

Clothing

At PyCon UK we want everyone to feel comfortable, and that includes wearing clothing that makes you feel comfortable. For that reason, PyCon UK does not have a formal dress code. As long as your outfit does not violate the Code of Conduct, you are welcome to wear whatever suits you best.

Faith

PyCon UK is fortunate to have delegates from all walks of life, including delegates from many different faith backgrounds. While PyCon UK itself is a secular event, it is extremely important to us that our delegates are able to satisfy their spiritual needs as well as their physical ones. Happily, Cardiff is a multicultural city with places of worship for many different faiths. If you are in search of an appropriate place of worship, a quick internet search will locate one: alternatively, if you need more assistance, Cardiff Tourist Information will be able to help you find what you need.

Is something missing?

Have we neglected something you need, or is there something not mentioned here that would make your attendance possible, or improve your experience of the event? Please let us know. We'll do what we can to provide it.