Accessibility
The Emerging Writers’ Festival is committed to making EWF24 an accessible and welcoming experience for all. Below is some information about how to access our events in-person and digitally. Below is some information on how to access our hybrid events. We would love to hear about your thoughts, ideas and experiences in relation to the accessibility of the festival at access@emergingwritersfestival.org.au.
COVID Safety
Face Masks: We request that those who can wear face masks, do so.
Vaccinations: We strongly encourage all attendees and participating artists to be up to date with COVID vaccinations.
Health Precautions: If you suspect you have COVID or the flu, have symptoms (regardless of a positive or negative test outcome), we urge you to stay home to protect the health of others.
Wheelchair Accessible
All venues cater to wheelchair users. Staff will be available to assist everyone with their mobility needs. All in-person events will have reserved seating available for wheelchair uses. This includes reservations for companions.
See below for more information on wheelchair accessibility at selected venues.
Nicholas Building: Elevator doorway is 76.5 cm wide. The glass doorway on level 7 is 108 cm wide. The doorways into the Blindside gallery are 78.5 cm wide. All venues within the Nicholas Building will have doorways that are 78.5 cm wide. There is an accessible toilet on Level 2 of the Nicholson Building. It is accessed using a key that staff will provide guests when needed.
Studio Take Care: The ground floor is accessed via 4 steps at the front of the building but can also be accessed via two back doors at the rear of the building where a portable ramp is available. The backdoor is accessed via a concrete laneway, through our rear courtyard. The laneway is entirely smooth except for a cobblestone driveway connecting the street to the lane. The back doorway is 84cm wide and the bi-folding backdoor way is 2 meters wide. The ground floor has a wheelchair accessible bathroom that is 1.9m x 3.3m in size with a doorway of 86cm wide and includes a Caroma Care 800 toilet with backrest, sink height of 80cm and two grab rails. The doorways to the Big Room are 80cm wide. The doorway to a smaller Quiet room is 79cm wide. The doorway to the Art Room is 76cm wide. The narrowest ground floor corridor is 1m wide.
Fairfield Amphitheatre: Fairfield Amphitheatre itself is not fully wheelchair accessible, but there are platforms at the top where wheelchairs can be stationed, and that allow for full views of the performance area. There is an accessible route down to the Amphitheatre from the upper entrance and car park off Heidelberg Road along Fairfield Park Drive and Main Yarra Trail; see map below. There is an accessible toilet near the car park at the top of Fairfield Park Drive.
Auslan Interpretation & Live Captioning
Auslan interpretation and live captioning will be booked for a few key events during the festival. If you require either of these services for an event that is not listed, please make a note on the checkout page when you buy your ticket.
Alternatively, contact us via email access@emergingwritersfestival.org.au or phone us at 9094 7827. We will do our best to organise interpreting and or live captioning for the event/s you’d like to attend. We advise making bookings at least a week before the event to allow us to provide notice for the service providers to meet in demand requests. We are excited to work with Auslan Stage Left and Expression Interpreting for this year’s festival!
Online Platforms
Zoom
Ticketed performances, workshops and the Masterclass will be hosted on Zoom. Zoom is compatible with screen readers and gives access to Live Captioning. Access links will not be provided until the day of the event for security purposes. Breaks will be scheduled throughout Zoom sessions for participants and artists. Closed caption is a standard function of Zoom and will automatically be enabled for all Zoom events.
For more information about Zoom’s accessibility features click here.
YouTube Live
A few events will be livestreamed to our YouTube channel with access to Live Caption transcripts. Access links will become available on event listing pages before the event along with live external transcripts. YouTube is compatible with screen readers, offers Dark theme and has keyboard shortcuts.
Twitch
Twitch is where the EWF X Gammin Guild will take place during the festival. Read more about Twitch’s Accessibility guideline here.
Photosensitive seizure warning
If you experience any of the following symptoms during our online events – dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of awareness, disorientation, any involuntary movement, or convulsions – discontinue use IMMEDIATELY and please consult your physician before resuming.
In-Person Venues
Accessible Parking
EWF venues with onsite parking will provide disability parking near the front entry. See Getting There (below), for more information on accessible parking at selected venues.
Hearing Loop
Hearing loops allow patrons who are wearing a hearing aid to tune in to the frequency of the venue. If you require hearing assistance, please let us know in the access request when booking your ticket. Audio Hearing Loop services are provided at the following venues: Coburg Library (Meeting Room), Dandenong Library, Melbourne Museum (First Peoples Creation Cinema and Theatre), Narrm Ngarrgu Library, and The Wheeler Center.
Quiet Spaces
Quiet Areas
Need a quiet space to go to during an event? You’ll find designated relaxation areas at the following venues: Narrm Ngarrgu Library, Studio Take Care (During ‘Do You Think I’m Sexy’ and ‘Body Curious’), The Wheeler Centre (Performance Space), The Wheeler Centre (Workshop Space), Melbourne Museum and Chapter House.
Access Lifts
Our staff will be available to assist patrons with the use of the lifts provided by selected venues.
Companion Cards
Companion Card holders receive a complimentary ticket to support people with a disability. Please contact us to assist with your booking via email access@emergingwritersfestival.org.au or phone us at 9094 7827. When making the booking please present the purchase ticket details to arrange the complimentary ticket.
Blind Low Vision Access
Many of our venues welcome service animals. If you have questions about a specific venue, please let us know in the access request when booking your ticket or contact us on our email and phone number above.
Wayfinding
You can’t locate us? Don’t worry! We will provide detailed instructions in the event descriptions, along with Wayfinding signages set-up on the day. Look out for our lovely staff with the EWF lanyards on!
Getting There
See below for information on parking and public transport at most festival venues.
75 Reid St
Parking: Neighbourhood parking is available.
Tram: St Georges Rd (route 11), Nicholson St (route 96).
Bus: route 504 along Reid St.
Blindside
Parking: There are on-street disabled parking bays along Flinders Lane.
Tram: Swanston Street (routes: 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72), Collins Street (routes: 11, 12, 48, 109).
Train: Flinders Street Station is 220m from the venue.
Chapter House
Train: Flinders Street station is 550 meters from the venue.
Tram: In the free tram zone. Swanston St/ Flinders St (routes 35, 70, 75). City Square/Swanston Street, (routes 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72).
Coburg Library
Parking: Street parking and nearby car parks are available.
Train: Coburg Station (Upfield Line) is 190 metres from the venue.
Tram: Take the 19 tram from the city to stop 33 Sydney Rd.
Dandenong Library
Parking:
- •There are 1-hour parking bays underneath the library including 2 accessible bays. Dandenong Library has accessible parking bays on Thomas Street:
- •Across from the library, approximately 55 metres from Harmony Square entrance.
- •Next to the library, approximately 100 metres from the Harmony Square entrance.
- •Street parking is free after 6pm.
- •There are multiple multi-story car parks located in Waker Street and Thomas Street. Please note, this is paid parking.
Train: Dandenong Station (Pakenham and Cranbourne Line) is 350 metres from the venue.
Drum Theatre
Train: Dandenong Station (Pakenham and Cranbourne Line) is 450 metres from the venue. From there you can walk (click here for the route on Google Maps).
Bus: There is a bus stop located directly behind The Drum in Langhorne Street. Check out the Public Transport Victoria website for details of buses that stop here.
Parking: For easiest access to The Drum, parking is available at the Council’s car parks at 28 Langhorne Street and 56-60 McCrae Street, Dandenong. There is a 5-minute parking zone in Walker Street alongside Drum Theatre for short visits to the Ticket Office. In addition, there is also paid commercial car parking available in The Hub Arcade behind The Drum, free parking at Dandenong Plaza (a 5-minute walk from the theatre) and street angle metered parking in Lonsdale and neighbouring streets. Please check the parking signs to ensure your street parking duration is not shorter than the performance duration. Printable Parking Map Dandenong – 403KB
Emerald Hill Library and Port Phillip Heritage Centre
Parking: There is lots of parking around and close to the library, including disabled parking bays. Parking is free and unrestricted after 6pm.
Fairfield Amphitheatre
Parking: There is free 4-hour (7am -7pm) parking and disabled parking at the top of Fairfield Park Drive, in the car park off Heidelberg Road. There are a handful of 1-hour parks adjacent to the entrance from Heidelberg Road.
Train: The nearest train station is Fairfield on the Greensborough/Hurstbridge/Eltham Line.
Bus: The 546-bus line runs along Heidelberg Rd, and the 250 and 251 run along Westgarth Rd (nearby).
Melbourne Museum
Parking is located under Melbourne Museum, and the car park is open 5:30am to midnight daily. Enter via Rathdowne Street or Nicholson Street. This is paid parking, and proceeds go towards the Museum’s exhibitions, programs and research. The car park contains a number of accessible parking spaces on level P1 and P2 including pram parking, however please be aware that our car park entrance has a height restriction of 2.15m. Accessible parking for vehicles over this limit is located on Rathdowne Street. Accessible parking spaces have a minimum clearance of 520cm x 320mm. Lower ground carparks have a lift to ground floor.
Tram: routes 86, 96 to Stop 11 Melbourne Museum, corner of Nicholson and Gertrude Streets). Free City Circle Tram to Victoria Parade, one stop before the Museum.
Train: Parliament Station is 550m from the venue.
Bus: routes 250, 251 and 402 to Rathdowne Street
Bike: Local bicycle facilities include bike lanes on Rathdowne St and Canning St. There is also a shared pedestrian/bike path on Nicholson St. Bicycle racks on the Plaza provide ample bike parking just outside the front door.
Narrm Ngarrgu Library
Guests are recommended to take public transport to the event as parking is commercial/paid.
Nicholas Building
Parking: There are on-street disabled parking bays along Flinders Lane.
Tram: Swanston Street (routes: 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72), Collins Street (routes: 11, 12, 48, 109).
Train: Flinders Street Station is 220m from the venue.
St Kilda Library
Parking: There’s an accessibility park outside the library and town hall, no parking on site and limited parking in the area.
Tram: Route 3 to stop 36 St Kilda Town Hall/Carlisle St.
Train: Sandringham line to Balaclava station. From there you can walk 550 (click here for the route on Google Maps).
Studio Take Care
Parking: Pitt Street has one accessible parking bay, one 30-minute parking bay, six 5-hour parking bays, three loading zones, seventeen unlimited parking pays and one 1-hour parking bay. Parks can be hard to come by on Pitt Street and we recommend Loyola Avenue as a secondary option for parking. No street crossing is required on the walk from Loyola Avenue to Take Care. Parking inspectors do patrol the area.
Tram: Pitt Street is located on the Lygon Street Tram line, serviced by the number 1 and 6 trams. Lygon Street tram stops are not ramp accessed stops. The closes ramp accessed tram stop to Take Care is Nicholson Street, stop 21 on the 96-tram line which is 950 meters away and requires crossing 4 streets, 3 of which has pedestrian lights.
Train: The closest train station is Jewell Station which is 1.7km away.
Bike: Take Care has two permanently fixed bicycle lock-up bars at the front of the building.
The Wheeler Centre / The Moat
Parking: Commerical car park at QV.
Train: Melbourne Central is 220m from venue.
Tram: Swanston Street, stop 8 outside Melbourne Central/State Library Victoria (routes 1-6, 16, 64, 67, 72) (110 metres from The Moat).
La Trobe Street, stop 7, (routes 30, 35) (220 metres from The Moat).
Theory Bar
Train: 2-minute walk from Parliament station.
Tram: Route 86 or 96 to stop 9, corner of Spring st and Bourke st.
Thornbury Picture House
Parking: There is ample of parking on High st but please beware of the clearways at peak times. Sometimes you can find a park in the Aldi car park off Dundas st after 7pm.
Train: Thornbury Station is 350 meters from the venue.
Tram: Get off at stop 41 on the 86 tram along High St.
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