Accessibility Statement: Caring for Each Other

2024 marks our first year offering a hybrid festival: “Visions of Care and Collaboration” will be presented through both in person and virtual screenings. While not every film program is offered in person, all of our film programs will be streamed live during our festival weekend and remain online for viewing on our website. We are looking forward to seeing our communities again face to face, but we’re also mindful that a hybrid festival poses a not insignificant number of challenges to a small organization like TQFF as we try to grow and deepen our commitments to accessible festival presentations.

We are also firm in our belief that refusing to participate in masking and other acts of care during a pandemic will continue to exacerbate socio-economic and health inequalities. As part of our commitment to providing a low risk space during our in person gatherings, and in recognition of the fact that COVID-19 is a serious and disabling health concern, we are requiring that all attendees wear respirators in festival spaces. We are also offering free PPE to all attendees and COVID care kits to those requesting them. We are adopting a symptom free policy for the duration of our festival and we ask that any guest experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or cold symptoms refrain from visiting the festival venue.

This year a mix of our symposium events and festival programming will be offered as ASL interpreted. We also continue to offer open captioning on all our film programs. And our festival tickets continue to be pay what you can, and no person will be turned away for lack of funds.

We are experimenting this year with a number of new access offerings, including our care kits, robust PPE, and active listening services during select programs. We recognize that what we have achieved toward accessibility thus far must be re-imagined in the context of embracing robust pandemic protection measures. And we convene this year under the banner of “care and collaboration” in recognition of the fact that, in the absence of collective care, there will be increasing friction among competing access needs in any gathering, especially as organizations continue to grapple with the retreat of public health guidance, the elimination of supplementary funds to offset COVID precautions, and the relegation of care to individuals and families during an ongoing health crisis.

We continue to be disappointed by the lack of public funding available to organizations wishing to implement robust and inclusive accessibility practices for their audiences. Part of our commitment to operating without corporate sponsorship stems from our belief that accessible community gatherings should not be subject to a profit imperative.