FLGBTQC is learning that radical inclusion and radical love bring further light to Quaker testimony and life. We are also still learning how to be that radically inclusive community. The 2010 Midwinter Gathering planning committee strove in our site selection to find a site that would be accessible to the most possible participants, keeping in mind needs around financial cost, geographic location, wheelchair accessibility, gender-free bathrooms, food allergies, and a scent-free environment. Our site, Graymoor, does not fully meet all our accessibility needs; for this we are deeply sorry. However, the staff at Graymoor are committed to working with us to create the most accessible experience possible.

Wheelchair accessibility:

The conference center at Graymoor, in which we will hold all of our group activities, has elevator access to all floors but only has one fully accessible bathroom, which is not on the same floor as any of the bedrooms. We are working on getting grab bars for more bathroom stalls and shower seats, but this obviously does not create full wheelchair accessibility. In addition, some doorways may be difficult, although not impossible, to navigate. This situation is different from what we believed when we committed to the site.

Accessibility across the gender spectrum:

There will be three clusters for housing and bathrooms: women-only, men-only, and all genders. Please note your housing/bathroom preference on your registration form. Both trans- and non-trans participants are welcome in all clusters, and no participant's housing/bathroom selection will be questioned. For those Friends who do not request a particular roommate, we will assign rooms in accordance with housing cluster requests. In the non-residential floors of Graymoor, all except one bathroom is gendered; we are negotiating whether we can re-label some other bathrooms.

Dietary Concerns:

As meals are shared with the Franciscan Friars and other visitors to Graymoor, we have limited control over food options. We will make every effort to accommodate special food needs but cannot guarantee that all needs will be able to be met by the kitchen staff; please contact us if you have any questions. There will be a refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven, hot plate, and basic cooking implements available for Midwinter attenders who need to bring their own food to supplement that available from Graymoor.

Information for those with chemical sensitivities:

Graymoor is not a scent-free facility. Sheets at Graymoor are laundered by an outside professional service; while we will re-launder sheets for attenders housed in our scent-sensitive housing/bathroom cluster, this may not remove all chemical residue. Furthermore, Graymoor uses scented cleaning products; while we are negotiating whether they can change to fragrance-free products we do not know if we will be successful. We are also currently exploring the possibility of re-cleaning some areas using scent-free products, but this will not remove the residue of fragrant product. During our recent visit to Graymoor, there was a strong fragrance from the cleaning supplies.

We are requesting that all Midwinter attenders refrain from using scented personal care and laundry products immediately prior to or during the Gathering; however, we cannot guarantee that all attenders will respect this request.