Accessibility

We are committed to making ORFC as welcoming, inclusive and accessible as possible to all delegates. All venues are fully accessible, except for the Merton Room in St Aldate’s Tavern, which unfortunately does not have lift access. These provisions are in place across the conference to support those with accessibility needs:

Queueing for registration: At registration, we have a separate fast-track queue for those who have difficulty queueing. Please approach a volunteer at the Catholic Chaplaincy who will direct you. 

Time Between Sessions: We heard delegate feedback that more time was needed to travel between sessions. We have reduced all session times from 90 to 80 minutes, so there will be extra time to move between spaces. 

Accessible Seating: We will be reserving accessible seats in each session space for those with accessibility needs. If that’s you, please speak to the volunteer on the door. If these seats are not in use when the session is starting, they will be released for use. 

Carer Ticket:
Delegates with accessible needs are entitled to a free carer ticket for one personal assistant/carer who accompanies any delegate with access needs. All delegates except for the carer require a purchased ticket. Please contact caitlin@orfc.org.uk to request a carer ticket by Thursday, 4th December 2026.

Signage and Lanyards: Look out for our newly designed signage across the conference, with larger text to help you navigate around the venues more easily. Lanyard badge font and size have also been redesigned to make them more legible. 

Quiet Spaces: There is a dedicated quiet space in the Ploughman Room on the first floor of the Town Hall. You can head to this space at any time if you need some time to recharge in silence. Please respect this space for peaceful relaxation: it is a laptop free zone. 

Wellbeing Support: We have a dedicated wellbeing support staff member, Sarah Webster. If you need wellbeing support during the conference, you can approach any staff member or volunteer and they will connect you with Sarah. 

First Aid: Sarah Parker is our dedicated first aid officer and will be on hand to provide assistance if needed. Please approach a member of staff or volunteer who can help take you to Sarah. 

Hearing Loops: Hearing loops are available in the Main Hall, Assembly Room and Old Library (Town Hall), Cheng Building and Ship Street (Jesus College), The Sanctuary (St Columba’s) and in the Woodshed (Story Museum). 

JAM Card: We welcome JAM (Just a Minute) card holders. To find out more, see www.jamcard.org.