Policies

Masking makes in-person gatherings accessible for many, and, also, we know that masking is inaccessible for many in our community. To be a warm gathering space for our diverse disability communities we need a masking policy that meets different needs at different times. We will always have HEPA air purifiers and air quality monitors. There is a collapsible wall that will usually be open, pending weather and other access needs.

No matter what level of masking or testing an event requires, if you have symptoms of contagious illness such as cough, sore throat, fever, nausea, etc, please join us another time. The majority of our programs are also offered hybrid, so we encourage you to join us online, or rest and care for that cold.

Masking requirements vary for different days and programs. There are 4 categories of events:

  1. Masks required, testing only for those with mask exceptions (staff, talent, access team, and those who can’t wear masks as an access need)
  2. Masks optional, testing required
  3. Masks optional, no testing required
  4. Masks required, testing required

The DCC will post masking requirements for each event in the following places: website, event materials, registration emails, newsletter, signage in the DCC.

When masks are required:

  • KN95 or N95s or equivalent, worn properly to cover your nose and mouth. Masks will be provided for those who need one. Feel free to ask a DCC team member if you need help putting on your mask.
  • Masks are on inside the building except when eating or drinking. We encourage folks to eat outside.
  • Masks are on outside when you cannot social distance outside a consenting group.
  • Folks who cannot mask test before they arrive or on the patio before hanging out inside. Unmasked folks will get a sticker to show they’ve tested negative.

When testing is required:

  • If you can, please test before you arrive.
  • We will ask if you were able to test at the door, and rapid tests will be available for attendees who have not tested.
  • Tests must be completely negative to come to the DCC. Even if it’s just a faint line and symptoms are resolved – please keep our community safe by participating virtually until it’s completely negative.
  • We will typically offer rapid tests. Occasionally, we will offer PCR-equivalent tests.

When masks are optional everyone who wishes to be mask-off may do so inside or outside.

Exceptions to masking:

  • Presenters, DCC staff, and interpreters will test when they arrive (30 minutes before the program starts), if they will not be masking.
  • Folks who cannot mask due to access needs will either confirm a negative test when they arrive or test immediately.
  • Anyone who is testing at the DCC must either stay outside on the patio or wear a mask until they get a negative result.

We do not provide illness notifications following events or open hours.

We understand that not every program is accessible to every member of our community. We hope this policy allows everyone to find a safe way to enjoy our in-person space.

When folks enter the DCC, they can opt out of having their photo posted. They will receive a sticker to indicate this opt-out choice. If someone is wearing a sticker is captured in a photo, whether by the DCC team or visitors, the face and identifying features need to be covered or blurred. If you see a photo of you that you no longer want on the DCC’s platform, please contact access [at] DisabilityCulturalCenter [dot] org.

The DCC is committed to being a safe and healthy space for people with scent and chemical sensitivities. While there are access barriers that we cannot control, we are taking the following steps:

  1. All soaps, lotions, cleaning supplies, and regularly used products are scent-free.
  2. For the health and safety of our communities, please do not wear any scents or use scented products before coming to the DCC. If guests come with scents, they may be asked to spend most of their time outside and to remove the scent, if possible.
  3. When we are doing work that requires a chemical product and when we bring in items that may need to off-gas, we will email members with chemical and scent sensitivities to let them know.
  4. Whenever possible, we will have our folding door open for ventilation and keep air purifiers running.

Well-trained service and emotional support animals are welcome in the space. There is an animal relief area in the patio.

Animals can be on the floor or the lap; they may not be on the furniture.

Prohibited animal behaviors include barking, making loud noises, aggression, incontinence, damaging property, jumping or lunging, taking food, unwanted affection, or posing any threat to the safety of our guests or DCC property. Handlers must resolve the behavior quickly or remove the animal. We’ll contact the handler before the animal is permitted to return to the DCC.

If you are afraid of an animal in the space, speak to a member of the DCC staff, and we can help you find a place in the venue that is farther from the animal.

We have tons of kiddos in our community and we love having family programming. The DCC isn’t necessarily setup as a kid space – our primary mission is to serve folks 18+. So, be sure to check before you come to ensure the program is appropriate for your children.

Since most of our events are intended for adults, there will probably be strong language and adult themes (and will also probably be boring for most kiddos). We do not have a separate space for children, so please be mindful that adults often come to the DCC for adult time and are not expected to censor their behavior because children are present.

Events that are designed for families are labeled “Family Friendly” on our calendar and publicity materials. Expect these events to be energetic and loud. Adult-Only events are only for people 18+. No children will be allowed in the space.

You’re welcome to bring your family to open hours, just remember that we are in a shared space and what is perfect for the park across the street may be too much for some of our community members.

We recognize the need for a clear process when harm occurs while also holding the messiness of collective liberation and de-centering control. This grievance policy was crafted with community participation and is a living process that can adapt over time.

What is a grievance, and when do I use this tool?

A grievance is formal critical feedback that the DCC needs to address on an organizational level. It is based on a personal experience—people may file grievances if they are hurt or harmed in the DCC space, or if they do not feel comfortable or empowered to address their experience directly with the DCC team and feel unable to resolve the issue on their own.

The person filing the grievance must be seeking a resolution for their own experience and must participate in the process directly. We welcome support systems during the entire process.

What can I expect from this process?

We know filing a grievance is hard work, and we appreciate the feedback and your investment in our community. Every situation is different, but here is a list of things that we expect to be standard during any grievance process:

  1. Clear Communication: We will make sure you know the steps of the process and the timeline for communication. We will use your preferred way of communicating, and the DCC will pay for any interpreters. There will be no surprises.
  2. Questions: To address the grievance, we must ask questions and understand the situation. This means you will need to share your experience and answer clarifying questions. You are welcome to have a support person with you for any part of the process, and if you would like, the DCC can provide one. This is not an interrogation and should never feel like one. We will ask for your consent before sharing our experience of the event or situation in question. You have the right to say no. However, the work of building a community and working through harm often means that both parties be willing to share and learn from one another’s experience.”
  3. Documentation: All grievances are formally documented and kept in our records. These documents will have your name and information, but they are confidential. Nobody outside organizational leadership and our advisory council will have access to them unless we are legally compelled to provide them.

Process

Send an email to either the co-directors or advisory council. If email is not accessible, please contact us in a way that works for you and we can find a solution together.

  1. Email DCC Leadership:
  2. File Grievance: Once your initial email is received, and we have met the access needs for the process, you will be provided with information on your next action.
    • The San Francisco Disability Cultural Center takes regular breaks throughout the year. If your grievance comes in while we are on break or shortly before, it will be addressed within ten business days of our return.
  3. DCC Response: Once we’ve received your grievance, we’ll respond within ten business days. This initial communication will be to ask clarifying questions and set up a time to meet. We know that if you’ve experienced harm, waiting ten days may feel like a long time, but we ask for your patience to give this a non-rushed and thoughtful response.
  4. Meeting: Our first meeting is an opportunity for you to share more about your experience and for the DCC to listen. After you’ve shared, we’ll discuss together what repair could look like and make a plan for the next steps. We may have enough information to address the grievance during the meeting, or it may take additional work.
  5. Documentation: The DCC staff or advisory council member will send you a written message summarizing the meeting. Once you agree it’s accurate, we’ll proceed with the next steps. This communication may close out the process if repair was reached in step 4.
  6. Repair Work (if applicable): If we were unable to repair in step 4, we will engage with whatever repair work was agreed upon.
  7. Accountability (if applicable): Once our agreed-upon repair work is complete, we will connect again with an update on the process and any additional learnings. The DCC will provide a final written summary of the process. This will be filed in our system and the grievance will be closed.
  8. Feedback: We would be very appreciative if you would share your feedback on the process by filling out a survey.

The DCC looks for solutions that do not involve security or law enforcement whenever possible. We ask the same of our guests in the DCC space. Please remember, we are subtenants of The Kelsey Civic Center and are in a shared space with residents, so we don’t have full control of what happens in the building.

We do not tolerate hate and bigotry, which will lead to an immediate removal from the space before any further dialogue or restorative process will be explored. The DCC has the right to remove anyone if we believe the safety or security of our community is threatened.

If someone is not following our Community Agreements, our team will do the following:

  • Have a private conversation to discuss with the member impact of their behavior and the consequences (e.g., removal from an activity at the DCC, complete removal from the DCC space, etc.) if this cannot be remedied.
  • If we see an unwillingness to follow our Community Agreements, we may ask the person to leave and have a follow-up conversation.
  • Removal may be permanent or temporary, depending on a willingness to engage in a reparative process.