ACCESSIBILITY

ACCESSIBILITY Commitment

Film Festival Alliance and Art House Convergence, the organizers of the Independent Film Exhibition Conference, are committed to accessibility as a core value of the conference. In practice, this looks like transparency, clear and timely communication of important information, and a dedicated resource for accommodation requests.

Please scroll down for Venue-specific accessibility.

WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS ARE READILY AVAILABLE?

Quiet Room: The conference will offer a quiet, low-sensory room available to attendees each afternoon at the Chicago Cultural Center.

CART: CART will be made available for several sessions and will be indicated on the web version of the program guide as it is finalized. It will also be announced via email and Slack to attendees.

how do i request accommodations?

To request accommodations, please reach out to us via email or phone. You will also have an opportunity to request accommodations in your Attendee Form and at registration.

Please reach out as early as you can so we can best work with you on an accommodations plan. We ask for a minimum of two weeks’ notice for ASL and additional CART requirements. We may not be able to meet all needs, but we seek to work with you to find the best approach.

The FFA Executive Director, Barbara Twist, will be overseeing accessibility plans.

Contact us by Email:accessibility@indiefilmex.org

Contact us by Phone (call or text): 616-634-1220

How will you assess your accessibility impact?

The IND/EX conference will seek feedback from attendees using the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard, a collaborative initiative of the Film Event Accessibility Working Group (FEAW), FWD-Doc, FFA, and 1IN4.

last updated April 30, 2024

Transit Information

General Transit Notes:

  • Not all CTA train stations or Metra have elevators, and elevators may be temporarily out of service.

  • All CTA buses are wheelchair accessible and equipped with ramps and designated wheelchair spaces.

  • You can pay for CTA transit using:

    • Ventra Card (reloadable)

    • Ventra mobile app

    • Apple Pay or Google Pay (tap to pay)

Getting Downtown (the ‘Loop’) from the Airport

From O’hare:

  • Follow "Trains to City" signs in Terminals 1, 2, or 3 to the lower-level station. (If at Terminal 5, take the free ATS shuttle train to Terminal 2/3 first)

  • Hop on a Blue Line Train for a 45 minute trip to downtown

  • The closest station to The Congress Plaza Hotel, Le Meridien Essex Hotel, and The Best Western Grant Park hotel would be the Jackson Blue Line (Accessible)

  • The closest station to The Silversmith Hotel would be the Washington Blue Line (⚠️ This station does NOT have an elevator) or the Jackson Blue Line (Accessible)

From Midway:

  • Follow the "CTA Trains" signs in the baggage claim area to the enclosed, direct walkway. The station is located just east of the airport terminal.

  • Hop on an Orange Line Train for a 35 minute trip to downtown

  • The closest station to The Silversmith Hotel is the Washington/Wabash Orange/Brown/Purple/Pink/Green Line Station (Accessible)

  • The closest station to The Congress Plaza Hotel is the Harold Washington Orange/Brown/Purple/Pink Line Station (Accessible)

  • The closest station to The Best Western Grant Park Hotel and Le Meridien Essex Hotel is the Roosevelt Orange/Green/Red Line Station (Accessible)

IND/EX VENUES

  • 610 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605
    https://venuesix10.com/

    Nearby Transit:

    Bus Routes (within 500 ft):

    • 1, 2, 3, 4, X4, 6, 7, J14, 26, 28, 126, 143, 147

    Train & Metra:

    • Harrison Red Line — 0.2 miles
      ⚠️ This station does NOT have an elevator

    • Jackson Red Line (accessible) — 0.4 miles north

    • Roosevelt Red Line (accessible) — 0.6 miles south

    • Harold Washington Library Brown Line  (accessible) — 0.4 miles

    • Van Buren Metra (accessible) — 0.3 miles

    • LaSalle Street Metra (accessible) — 0.5 miles

    Distance from Partner Hotels

    • Congress Plaza Hotel — 200 feet north

    • Le Meridien Essex — 0.2 miles south

    • Best Western Grant Park — 0.4 miles south
      (6-minute bus ride north via X4, 3, 4)

    • Silversmith Hotel — 0.6 miles north
      (9-minute bus ride south via 26, 3, 4, J14, X4)

  • 3733 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613
    http://www.musicboxtheatre.com/

    Nearby Transit

    • 152 Bus — 0.2 miles

    • 9 Bus — 0.3 miles

    • Southport Brown Line (accessible) — 0.4 miles

    • Addison Red Line (accessible) — 0.7 miles

    Getting from Venue SIX10 to Music Box Theatre

    Distance: ~8 miles north

    By Rideshare / Taxi

    • ~30 minutes via Lake Shore Drive (traffic dependent)

    By Public Transit (45–60 minutes)

    Option 1: Red Line

    • Board at Jackson or Roosevelt (accessible) or Harrison (⚠️ This station does NOT have an elevator)

    • Take Red Line toward Howard

    • Exit at Addison (accessible)

    • Walk 0.7 miles or transfer to:

      • 152 bus → Addison/Southport (0.2 mile walk to theater)

    Option 2: Brown Line

    • Board at Harold Washington Library (accessible)

    • Take Brown Line toward Kimball

    • Exit at Southport (accessible)

    • Walk 0.4 miles north to theater

  • 940 W Weed St, Chicago, IL 60642
    http://www.joesbar.com/

    Nearby Transit

    • 9, 72, 73 buses — within 0.2 miles

    • 8 bus — within 0.3 miles

    • North/Clybourn Red Line — 0.2 miles
      ⚠️ This station does NOT have an elevator

    Getting from Venue SIX10 to Joe’s on Weed Street

    Distance: ~5 miles north

    By Rideshare / Taxi

    • ~15 minutes via I-90 W/I-94 W/Lake Shore Drive (traffic dependent)

    By Public Transit (25–45 minutes)

    Option 1: Red Line

    • Board at Jackson or Roosevelt (accessible) or Harrison (⚠️ This station does NOT have an elevator)

    • Take Red Line toward Howard

    • Exit at North/Clybourn (⚠️ This station does NOT have an elevator)

    • Walk 0.7 miles

    Option 2: Brown Line

    • Board at Harold Washington Library (accessible) 

    • Take Brown Line toward Kimball

    • Exit at Sedgwick (accessible)

    • Walk 0.8 miles or transfer to:

      • 72 bus → North Ave/Fremont (.1 mile walk away)

  • 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602
    chicago.gov

    Nearby Transit 

    Bus Routes (within 500 ft):

    • 3, 4, X4, 20, 26, 60, 66, 124, 143,147, 151, 157

    Bus Routes (within .2 miles): 

    • 2, 6, 29, 36, 62, 146, 148

    Train & Metra:

    • Lake Red Line (accessible) — .2 miles

    • Washington/Wabash Brown, Orange, Purple, Green, and Pink Line (accessible) — .1 miles

    • Millennium Station (accessible)— 350 feet

    Getting from Venue SIX10 to the Chicago Cultural Center 

    Distance: ~1 mile north

    By Rideshare / Taxi

    • ~5 minutes via Michigan Ave (traffic dependent)

    By Public Transit (11 minutes)

    • Walk to Michigan & Ida B Wells (.1 miles) 

    • Board the 3, 4, X4, or 6 bus north

    • Exit at Michigan & Monroe and walk .1 miles north to the Cultural Center