ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION
Here at TFNation, we are serious about doing everything we can to provide a welcoming, accessible and inclusive environment for all of our attendees. This pack gives a general overview of the accessibility and inclusion services and facilities offered by the convention.
Unfortunately, we cannot make every aspect of TFNation barrier-free. We are limited by finances, logistics, facilities, and volunteer staffing. If you have any suggestions or resources to help make TFNation more accessible, please contact us direct at support@tfnation.com.
We also have a PDF version of this guide which you can find here!
The Hotel
The Hilton Birmingham Metropole is accessible friendly. A list of hotel facilities can be found here.
The hotel also has its own accessibility pack, which can be found here. Scroll down to 'Accessible Amenities' and click on the pop-up of a full list.
Hotel staff are friendly and helpful. Please feel free to contact them directly if you have any questions.
Travel
The hotel is located in the centre of the UK and is easily accessible by air, rail, or car, whether you are travelling from the North or South, or even internationally!
Travel by Air & Rail
Upon arrival at Birmingham International Airport (BHX), take the complimentary monorail for a fast and easy journey to Birmingham International Railway Station.
From the Railway Station, the Hilton operates a courtesy bus to take its guests the short distance to the venue. The bus can be called by using the yellow phone next to the Subway fast food store.
Alternatively, the Hilton is approximately a 15-minute walk from the Railway Station or a 5-minute taxi ride.
Travel by Car
The hotel is located 200 yards from Junction 6 of the M42 Motorway and A45. Please use the postcode B40 1PP if using a Sat Nav!
From the North: M6, then M42 exit at Junction 6.
From the South: M40, then M42 exit at Junction 6. M5, then M42 exit at Junction 6. M1, M6, M40, then M42 exit at Junction 6.
Parking
The hotel includes an award-winning 700-space "Safe Park" car park. Parking is charged at the hotel's rate.
Should spaces fill quickly, the nearby National Exhibition Centre has thousands of parking spaces! You can find out more about their pricing and car parks here.
Please keep an eye on our social media accounts, or join our newsletter, to stay informed of any travel disruptions that may affect your journey to the convention.
Ticket Collection
Once you have purchased your ticket online, and you have received confirmation of your purchase, you don't need to do anything until the weekend of the event.
Our Welcome Desk is open from Friday morning for our weekend attendees to collect their wristbands (or lanyards for children). All you will need is the barcode found on your confirmation email.
The email can be printed onto paper, or you can save it to a smartphone or tablet (smartwatch screens are too small).
If you are a young adult (older than 16, but younger than 18), people bring photo ID verification to the convention so we can double-check you have the correct ticket for your age.
Don't worry if you can't access your email on the day! Your name and address should help us find your booking(s). Please help us by bringing some photo ID with you, such as a passport or driving licence, in case we require it.
The Convention
All attendees at the convention tend to be warm and welcoming. Often, you will find fans sitting in the communal areas of the hotel discussing Transformers. Don't be scared to approach and join them! Any positive comments about Transformers are bound to break the ice and start a conversation!
The programme for the weekend will inform you of all the details of what is happening and where. If you are unsure of where any events are being held, please just ask one of our crew or volunteers.
Volunteers
We have a large team of friendly volunteers who will do all they can to assist you. During the weekend they will be wearing brightly coloured T-shirts with 'Volunteer' or 'Crew' written on them. If you need any help at any point, don't feel scared to approach them and ask; we are always around to help!
Panel Rooms
Each TFNation panel room can have taped off wheelchair/scooter seating available on request. Tripods should not be set up in aisles.
Event Seating
If you need accessible seating for an event at TFNation (or if you have visual impairments, hearing impairments, wheelchairs/scooters, or other mobility issues), please alert one of our volunteers, and they will do everything they can to get you accommodated.
Any accessible seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. We advise to arrive 20 minutes before panels start, so our volunteers will have time to help you.
Unfortunately, there is no room for storage of unused scooters or wheelchairs within the convention. If you want to transfer from your scooter or wheelchair to a stationary chair, your scooter or wheelchair will have to be stored outside the panel room area. A TFNation volunteer will assist in relocating and returning your mobility aid to you after the show.
Please contact TFNation directly if you have any questions.
Scheduling
Where possible, TFNation schedules 10-minute breaks between the end of one panel and the start of the next one. This is to give everybody time to use hotel facilities and to travel safely between the rooms.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to schedule breaks, especially during busy periods.
Waiting in Queues or Lines
If you have physical challenges with standing in queues or lines, please alert a TFNation volunteer and they will assist you.
If you have limited mobility or if you use a mobility device such as a scooter, walker, crutches, or a wheelchair, you may wait near the front of the line so that you will be able to take advantage of the accessible seating.
Publication Formats
PDF versions of the TFNation Programme will be available on the TFNation website prior to the convention. A large-print PDF of the TFN schedule will also be available for you to download and print.
Maps
A map of the hotel is contained within the TFNation Programme.
Large maps will also be displayed at the hotel.
Maps showing accessible paths in the hotel are available on request.
Gender Identity
Diversity of gender identity is embraced at TFNation. All are welcome to use the restroom that best fits their identity. There are Men's and Women's toilets available during the convention. Please see the Hotel Maps page for specific locations.
Parents
If you need space at TFNation to feed your infant or toddler, change nappies/diapers, or breastfeed, please contact one of our volunteers for advice.
Parents with infants, young children, or children with special needs, should please contact TFNation volunteers if they require any advice or assistance.
Assistance Animals
Assistance Animals are welcome at TFNation. Please let us know you will be bringing an Assistance Animal by email support@tfnation.com.
To help us verify your Assistance Animal, you can either scan and email a copy of their registration document to support@tfnation.com or bring a paper copy with you to the convention. If your Assistance Animal isn't registered, don't worry – just drop us an email to support@tfnation.com and we'll ask a few questions to make sure you and your Assistance Animal will be able to access the convention easily.
Emotional Support Animals may be permitted in some instances and at our discretion, but we will need to obtain some additional information from you about the animal and its role.
Medical Needs
There are qualified First Aiders available at all times. If you need First Aid, please speak to one of our volunteers.
Should you need to take prescribed medication (e.g. insulin) and would like a quiet place to administer it, please ask a TFNation volunteer for advice.
Potential Barriers
TFNation strives to be accessible to all attendees. Unfortunately, due to financial, logistical, facility, and volunteer staffing limitations, some barriers still remain.
Here are some of the potential barriers you may need to consider:
- Public areas can get very crowded.
- Not all of the Hilton shuttles are always wheelchair/scooter accessible.
- Valet parking is not always available at the Hilton during the convention.
- Most of TFNation's event rooms are illuminated with fluorescent lighting.
- Some panels, events, or spaces may utilise strobe lighting and/or black lights.
- Some panels, events, or spaces, can be very loud.
- Most convention signage features regular-sized print. If you have any questions about signage during the convention, please visit the ticket desk.
- TFNation is not scent-free.
- Some public hotel toilet facilities may use binary language such as "Men" and "Women".
TFNation welcomes suggestions for making our convention more accessible! If you have a comment or suggestion about accessibility at TFN, please directly email support@tfnation.com.