The Quebec Writers’ Federation (QWF) is mindful of inclusivity, safety, and accessibility for participants at the events and programs it produces.
For QWF-produced events, the QWF will:
- Provide clear information about venue accessibility.
- Provide a channel for communicating accessibility requests.
- Respond to accessibility requests within a week and, when feasible, look for ways to meet the requests.
- Inform potential participants, within two weeks, about whether we can meet their requests.
The Atwater Library and Computer Centre, is a heritage building with wheelchair access to elevators from the Tupper Street (side entrance). A virtual accessibility tour can be viewed below.
Information for 1200 Atwater
The QWF rents an office on the second floor of The Atwater Library, a Heritage building and National Historic Site built between 1918 and 1920.
The QWF welcomes ideas from the community about how to better communicate accessibility information related to The Atwater Library.
Public transportation
Metro:
- 1 block from Atwater station (Green line)
- 5 blocks uphill from Lionel-Groulx station (Orange line)
Bus:
- Bus route 15: half a block from stop 52069 (Atwater terminus).
- Bus route 104: half a block from stop 56306 (Atwater terminus).
- Bus route 108: half a block from stop 56308 (Atwater terminus).
- Bus routes 63, 90: half a block from stop 60238 (Atwater terminus).
- Bus route 144: half a block from stop 56301 (southwest corner, Atwater and Ste. Catherine), disembarking only.
Exterior access:
- Concrete sidewalks lead to the venue from all directions.
- There is a steep slope on Atwater two blocks south of the venue, towards Lionel-Groulx metro station.
- One parking space may be made available upon request. Please contact QWF in advance to reserve this parking spot.
- The Atwater Library does an excellent job of clearing snow and ice from the sidewalks leading to both entrances.
The Quebec Writers’ Federation office is located on the second (top) floor of the building. There are two ways to access the office.
Side entrance (Tupper Street):
- There are 2 steps leading to the doors, one 14 cm high, and one 17 cm high. There are 2 heavy doors that pull open when entering, and push open when exiting. The doors are not automatic and have no operator buttons. There is no ramp. Inside the door is a small landing.
- Once inside, there are 12 steps (18 cm high) leading to a landing on the main floor of the building that measures 2.5 X 1.5 metres. Following that, there are 11 more steps to the second (top) floor, where the QWF office is located. From the top of the steps, the doors to the QWF office are approximately 20 metres away.
Main entrance (Atwater Avenue):
- There are 3 steps leading to the front doors, one 14 cm high, and one 17 cm high. There are 2 heavy doors that pull open when entering, and push open when exiting. The doors are not automatic, and have no operator buttons. There is no ramp. Inside the door is a landing.
- Once inside, there are 11 steps (18 cm high) leading to the main floor of the library.
From the lobby, there are two ways to get to the second floor:
- Option 1: To the right of the circulation desk, there are 14 steps (All steps from this point forward are 18 cm high.) Then there is a landing that measures 2.5 X 4 metres. Following that, there are 13 more steps to the top. From the top of the steps, the doors to the QWF office are 7 metres away.
- Option 2: To the left of the circulation desk, through a doorway, there are 16 steps. Then there is a landing that measures 2.5 X 1.5 metres. Following that, there are 11 more steps. From the top of the steps, the doors to the QWF office are approximately 20 metres away.
There are two doors opening into the QWF office, measuring a total width of 1.5 metres. One of the doors will be open prior to the workshop. The second door can be opened upon request.
The QWF office is carpeted. The QWF will ensure that there are no items or clutter in the hallway.
There is a microwave and mini-fridge that can be used by anyone requiring them.
Service/assistance animals are welcome.
Seating
The workshops are typically held in the QWF office in seats that surround a circular table. Each seat measures 45 cm from the ground and the seat is 47 cm wide. The bottom of the table is 71 cm from the door.
Lighting
There is fluorescent lighting in the QWF office, as well as five large windows letting in natural light during the day. The windows can be opened upon request.
Washrooms
There is a single-occupancy, all-gender washroom on the second floor.
- It is universally designed. Exact measurements can be provided upon request.
- There is a 1 cm marble lip at the entrance.
- The door has a knob and opens outward. There is no operator button for the door.
- There are grab rails behind and to the left of the toilet.
Scent
The QWF office is a scent-free environment.
Website accessibility
To help us make the QWF website a positive place for everyone, we’ve been using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities, and user friendly for everyone.
The guidelines have three levels of accessibility (A, AA and AAA). We’ve chosen Level A as the target for the QWF website.
We’ve worked hard on the QWF website and believe we’ve achieved our goal of Level A accessibility for all critical content of the site.
Whilst we strive to adhere to the accepted guidelines and standards for accessibility and usability, it is not always possible to do so in all areas of the website.
The QWF invites potential participants to contact QWF by phone or by email.
The QWF welcomes feedback on these guidelines and on their implementation as we continue to seek out ways to broaden access to our events.