We want everyone to be able to participate in the events they enjoy, get around the venue with ease, and feel free to interact with other members and our wonderful guests. Here is some information that might be helpful:
A Virtual Noticeboard - and Accessibility Forum
We encourage all members with accessibility concerns to join our Facebook group, the Nullus Anxietas Blue Dot Accessibility Group.
This is a group with a dual function.
Firstly, it has been created as a forum where people can talk freely about any concerns they may have in advance of the convention, or let others know if they need assistance during the convention.
Secondly, we plan for it to act as a kind of virtual noticeboard for those who may have difficulty accessing the physical noticeboard located at Ops during the convention. We will be doing our best to transcribe all notices placed on the physical noticeboard as quickly as possible. Note: if you can assist with these transcriptions during the convention, please let us know in the Facebook group.
The Venue
Convention area
Convention activities are scheduled to take place on a single level, on the first floor of the Stamford Hotel near Sydney airport. The first floor is accessible by a broad stairway and three lifts.
Note: there are no tactile tiles leading to the stairs. It does have a contrasting carpet pattern and handrails on both sides, but the stairway is too wide to hold onto both sides at the same time.
Toilets
There is one accessible toilet on the first floor (the convention area). It is a spacious area with a Left-Hand Transfer toilet (rail on left side). The doorway measures 800mm.
A second accessible toilet is located on the ground floor. The sign on the door says LH, but in fact it is a Right-Hand Transfer toilet (rail on right side). The doorway measures 800mm.
There are also multi-cubicle bathrooms on the first floor which are generally designated by the hotel for males and females. Please note that the convention is an inclusive space. Trans men and trans women, for example, are welcome to use whichever facilities feel most comfortable for them.
Dining areas
The La Boca Bar and Grill on the ground floor serves lunch and dinner, and also functions as the hotel breakfast room in the mornings. It has a ground level seating area with a mix of high and low tables, and a raised seating area up three steps (without tactile tiles). The buffet area is raised. It is accessible by three steps (with warning tactile tiles) and by wheelchair lift.
The AV8 bar is on the same floor as the convention activities. There are tables and bar seating in a level area, with an additional raised seating area. There are two sets of three steps up to this seating area, one on each side. There is also a narrow flight of stairs leading down to the ground floor. Note: there are no tactile tiles or colour contrast flooring warning that you are approaching any of these stairs. If you might have difficulty navigating this area safely, please feel free to ask our Accessibility Officer, Sally, to show you around the space.
Toileting for assistance animals
If you exit the front door of the hotel, turn right and head towards the street corner, you will find a possible toileting area under a row of five palm trees. Please note that this is not a grassed area. It is a garden bed with a combination of bushes and woodchip mulch. There are also a few other smaller garden beds close to the hotel.
If your dog requires a grassed area for toileting, there is a sloped grass area across the road. This is busy street with a pedestrian crossing at the corner, and requires a few minutes' walk to reach the area.
Please let Sally, our Accessibility Officer, know if you need any assistance in finding the garden beds or lawn, either as a once-off orientation or throughout the convention.
Public Transport
Mascot is the closest train station. It has platform edge tactile tiles, staff on duty from 5am until 11.30pm, and wheelchair ramp boarding assistance can be arranged. More information and a station map are available here.
It takes approximately 15 minutes to walk from the station to the convention venue, the Stamford Plaza Hotel. There are lifts and escalators from the platform to the ticketing concourse, and then lifts and escalators from the concourse to the street. We recommend using the lift labelled for bus stands A, B and D, to avoid having to cross the street above. This lift is on your left as you exit the ticketing turnstiles.
Recommended route for those using mobility aids: Exit the concourse using the lift on your left as you move through the ticketing turnstiles, or use the adjacent escalator directly in front of the ticketing turnstiles. Continue along the left pavement of Bourke Street, proceeding in the same direction as traffic. Immediately after the Coward Street intersection, cross Bourke Street. (This will avoid a short section of rough ground that might be uncomfortable in a wheelchair.) Continue along the right pavement of Bourke Street until the road ends, then veer right along O'Riordan Street. When you cross the intersection of O'Riordan and Robey Streets, the convention venue is on the right. There are ramps and smooth paving along the entire route.
Note 1: There are buses that leave from Stand B, a couple of minutes away from Mascot Station, and take you to a bus stop about five minutes' walk from the venue. You can find time schedules for these, and all public transport in New South Wales, on the Transport for NSW Trip Planner.
Note 2: For those without mobility issues and with minimal luggage, it may also be possible to walk directly from the Sydney Airport Terminal 2 Domestic Terminal to the convention venue in approximately 15 minutes. We have not yet had an opportunity to test this route ourselves, so please check Google Maps or other sources to help you decide whether this option is suitable for you.
Note 3: The convention venue website provides detailed information about parking and airport shuttles. The service they recommend for guests staying at their hotel is Sydney Super Shuttle, who state on their website that "Prams and wheelchairs can be brought on board the bus free of charge, regardless of how much baggage you have." Please contact the shuttle service directly if you have any accessibility concerns, to be sure that their service is suitable for you.
The Blue Dot System
At the 2019 Australian Discworld Convention, we trialled an opt-in accessibility scheme that had been used successfully at the UK Discworld Convention. It is called the Blue Dot system.
The Blue Dot scheme is not meant to be about labelling people because of their accessibility requirements. We think of it, rather, as a magic ticket to make things a little easier for those who might need a bit of extra time or consideration. You get to choose whether to opt in to the Blue Dot scheme and, if you do, what information you're comfortable sharing. You can also choose where to display your dot: up front and centre on your membership badge or somewhere discreetly on a back corner.
If you'd like to chat about the Blue Dot scheme, we invite you to join the discussion at our Facebook Accessibility group. You don't need to have a Blue Dot to join the Facebook group, or to ask for assistance if you need it.
What's different if I get a Blue Dot?
For some of the larger events and activities, members with blue dots will be allowed to enter first, to give them time to find a space suitable for their needs. If you choose to wear your Blue Dot prominently, this can also signal to other attendees throughout the convention that you might need priority access or a little extra space, time or assistance.
Who is eligible for a Blue Dot?
If you believe you will need a little more time getting around, or you need to be close to the front because you have difficulties with hearing or seeing, or if you just think you might need to be close to an exit during an event, please do consider requesting a Blue Dot when registering at the convention. The Blue Dot itself is just that, a blue sticker you can wear on your badge. The dots can be picked up at Registration (or when Registration is closed, at Ops).
The above list of reasons why someone might ask for a dot is by no means exhaustive, and if you feel you may need one for other reasons please don't hesitate to request a blue dot. It doesn't require any form of documentation and you're not required to share any details with us unless you find it helpful to do so.
What about companions?
Anyone with a blue dot can be accompanied by one other person whenever they get priority access. This person does not need a blue dot of their own. This way, you don't have to depend on a specific person and are free to mingle as you wish.
Should members treat Blue Dot wearers any differently?
We expect all our members to be kind and courteous to each other, but please be aware that someone wearing a blue dot may need a little extra space, or time to move around, or priority access to the lifts. You may not be able to see the reason for this - some issues can be invisible at a mere glance. If someone looks like they are struggling, feel free to offer them assistance but please do not help without asking, or be offended if they do not take you up on your offer. Please don't ever distract working assistance animals or touch someone's mobility aid (e.g. a wheelchair or cane) without permission.
Volunteering at the Convention
Helping out at the convention, or with tasks beforehand, is a great way to meet people and have fun. If you would like to participate, please know that your contribution is valuable. If you have accessibility concerns, simply mention them in the volunteer form, and we can chat with you about ways you can be involved that are comfortable for you.
A Note on Assistance Animals
Assistance animals (guide dogs, for example) have an important job to do. Please don't pat them, talk to them or distract them in any way when they are working.
Some of you may know that, when our favourite author attended Discworld Conventions, he sometimes brought along the persona of Silas T. Firefly. When he took off his hat, Terry became Silas: it was his signal that he wanted to be incognito for a while.
Similarly, when a dog is in harness, it is working and should be allowed to get on with its job. When the dog is out of harness, it is simply a dog; however, just as one would treat Terry Pratchett in his hat with courtesy and respect, one should still check with any dog's owner before patting or playing with it.
Or, more simply, just treat it like a duck!*
*With thanks to Mick Nevin, MC at the Nullus Anxietas 7 Gala Dinner in 2019, for this analogy.
Last updated: 14th August 2025
