Conference policies

This page contains conference policies relating to:

• Inclusion

• Accessibility

• Support for carers

• Sustainability

• Risk Assessments for the conference venues

We are delighted to host the QRA 60th anniversary ADM in Manchester. We want every participant to feel welcome, included and safe. Our intention is to create a conference environment that is respectful and welcoming to participants of all genders, races, ethnicities, ages, abilities, religions, and sexual orientation.

During the conference, if anything occurs that makes you or someone you know feel unsafe or excluded, we ask you to contact either Philip Hughes (philip.hughes@manchester.ac.uk) or Abi Stone (abi.stone@manchester.ac.uk), to raise the issue.  Any discussions will be dealt with in confidence.  

We follow the guidelines used by the INQUA 2019 Congress and the 2020 and 2023 QRA Annual Discussion Meetings. These guidelines are:

1. Everyone involved with the Manchester 2024 QRA ADM is expected to show respect towards the attendees, venue staff, the Organising Committee, volunteers and all others participating with the meeting.

2. The open exchange of ideas and the freedom of thought and expression are central to the aims and goals of the QRA 2024 ADM.

3. The QRA 2024 ADM will be an environment that recognises the inherent worth of every person and group, that fosters dignity, understanding, and mutual respect, and that embraces diversity.

4. We will do our best to accommodate specific needs such as accessibility and dietary requirements.

5. The QRA 2024 ADM expects all interactions between attendees to be respectful and constructive, including interactions during the formal programme.

6. Unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated at the QRA 2024 ADM. Examples of unacceptable behaviour include but are not limited to: bullying, intimidation, inappropriate physical contact or unwelcome sexual attention, continuous disruption of events or interference with participation or opportunity for participation of other people attending the meeting.

7. We require attendees to follow this code of conduct during all of the QRA 2024 ADM and in all online interactions associated with the meeting (including social media and any other online facilities) and related social activities.

At ManMet:

• All conference spaces are easily accessible for wheelchair users. The ManMet Business School venue is step-free.

• The lecture theatre contains space at the front for wheelchair users.

• Flexible solutions and seating options are available to all presenters (orals and posters). Please ask if you would like any adjustments made.

• Accessible parking is available if you need it – please contact the organisers to arrange this.

• The conference will run in hybrid form, with live streaming available via Zoom (see registration options).

• Toilets at the ManMet Business School are single stall, with accessible toilets at each level.

Visual  and Audio Accessibility

• The lecture theatre used for oral presentations has two large projector screens with additional LCD screens. The presenter will have a separate monitor to view while speaking.

• The lecture theatre has a hearing loop facility installed.

• Captioning will be available on the live stream service.

• We encourage presenters to use font sizes that are large enough to be easily read on a laptop screen or from the back of a room in a presentation room. This should also apply to labels on figure axes.

• We encourage presenters to avoid using rainbow scales.

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we would like to support those in our community whose caring responsibilities make attendance at conferences more challenging.  In the first instance, we ask attendees with caring responsibilities to consider applying to the QRA Conference Fund/QRA Postgraduate Fund. These funds offer financial support for carers to attend conferences (and to carry out fieldwork).

Examples of eligible caring costs that can be applied for include, but are not limited to:

• Children’s travel costs to accompany the applicant on fieldwork/to conferences.

• Expenses for an accompanying adult to provide childcare.

• Childcare costs at home, whilst the applicant travels, over and above what is normally required to do their job, e.g. nursery or childminder fees.

• Care costs for elderly/ill relative while the applicant travels, over and above what is normally required to do their job.

We are very happy to help identifying babysitting arrangements for children visiting Manchester.  If you are thinking of bringing your child(ren) we recommend you contact the organisers as early as possible, preferably before booking accommodation.

Children on Campus:

The QRA AGM, Wiley Keynote and Icebreaker drinks will be held on the University of Manchester Campus.  All other sessions will be held at the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. The university buildings that will be used for this conference have been designed with the adult population in mind. This means that precautions may be inadequate for children because of their size, inexperience, or inquisitiveness.  The university advice is that visits by children should be brief and confined to areas that are low risk.  Children can visit public spaces, such as the University.  For the QRA ADM, the poster display and lunch area is on the ground floor adjacent to the café and restaurant areas and is deemed low risk. 

Because of these limitations, we are unable to provide crèche facilities for the meeting.  However, a private room is available for nursing mothers.  Please contact the meeting organisers if you would like to use this.

We remind carers of children under 16 that the children’s health, safety and welfare is your responsibility while on campus.  If you would like to view the risk assessment for children on campus, please ask the organisers before your visit. 

It is important to us all to minimise the environmental footprint of the Manchester QRA Annual Discussion Meeting.  We encourage attendees to help reduce the environmental impact by considering the following:

• We ask participants to travel to the conference using train, bus, metro or bicycle whenever possible.

• As part of our commitment to sustainability, we will not be providing meeting-specific “goodie bags” to participants.  However, notebooks, pens and reusable bags with the QRA logo are available as needed – please only take what you need.

• Printed programmes and abstracts will not be provided as standard. Instead these will be made available online. Please ask the organisers in advance if you need materials printed.

• We are using lanyards made from recycled plastics with cotton paper name badges. We ask that you return the lanyard at the end of the conference so that it can be reused at the next QRA ADM.

• We ask participants to bring a reusable water bottle to the conference. There is a water fountain available in the building.

Both the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University are committed to embedding environmental sustainability and social responsibility into University life. Manchester Metropolitan University has been continuously in the top 3 of the People and Planet University Sustainability League table for the last eleven years.  This league ranks U.K. universities by environmental and ethical performance. The University of Manchester has ranked in the top 10 for social and environmental impact in every year of the Times Higher Education Impact rankings.

Manchester Metropolitan catering has a two-star “Excellent” rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association Food Made Good award scheme, which measures practices across sourcing, society and environment.

Risk assessment for buildings at the University of Manchester here.

Risk assessment for buildings at Manchester Metropolitan University here