Quiet Room

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I thought I would share my plan for this year's Quiet Room, in case other people might want to look into implementing something similar, or if you have ideas about improvement. (It's on my mind because I just finished updating my documentation... )

Quiet Room


Why (and Who This Benefits)

We have had requests for a quiet room in the past, a place for people to take a break from the noise, chaos and the bright fluorescent lights. This request has come from people with anxiety disorders, people with ADHD, people on the autism spectrum, and people who are prone to migraines. It may also serve nursing mothers who want a little privacy. We will also be advertising this as a location of a gender-free bathroom.


Setup and Location

The quiet room will be in a guest room, on the fourth floor, hopefully in a wheelchair accessible room. While not in the actual programming area, being reachable by a quick elevator ride, or a walk up a single flight of stairs makes it close enough to the main parts of the convention to be useful.

The Resume Request for the room includes:

Removal of the bed

Extra Banquet chairs (4)

Extra vacuuming after bed removal

Extra facecloths and hand towels

Water setup

The hotel supplied table lamps help keep the light low, but not dim, to let some folks read to decompress, while others can take respite from the ubiquitous overhead florescents in a relatively low light space. This is a food-free room, to help reduce allergens, though I would like to have water service. There will be a posted list of ground rules, and a person monitoring the room, to help enforce these rules. This room will have posted hours (in pocket program, newsletter and at Info Desk). Last year we opened as the convention started to get busy, and closed just after the parties started. This is located on a party floor, but there was little overlap. This year we will be also be promoting the quiet lounge in the consuite, green room, and staff den.

Last year's hours:

Friday 3pm-10pm

Saturday 10am-10pm

Sunday 10am-10pm

Monday 10am-3pm


Guidelines (and text for poster)

This space is set aside for you to rest, and take a break from the noise and chaos of the convention. To make the experience as pleasant for everyone as possible, we ask that you observe a few ground rules. Preference is given to those with a medical need for the space, who may have autism, social anxieties or be light sensitive or prone to migraines.

Quiet room hours 10am to 10pm

This is a food-free space. Please do not bring food or drinks (other than water) into this room.

Please keep conversation to an absolute minimum. This is intended to be quiet space.

Please turn cellphone ringers off. If you need to take or make a call, please step into the hallway outside.

Please keep cellphone and laptop use an absolute minimum. Typing and texting can be very distracting sounds.

While we do know that you may need to rest your eyes and may doze for a few minutes, this is not a nap room or crash space. If you have been sleeping for a while we may wake you and ask you to leave. (I will have directions for whoever is checking the room, I feel like 1 hour is about the maximum I am ok with anyone "resting their eyes")

Please keep Public Displays of Affection to a minimum.

Nursing mothers are welcome, but this is NOT a play space for children. (there will also be a note in the bathrooms, asking that if you are changing a diaper, please take the dirty one away with you.)