Accessibility

We hope to make Pleasures of Beltane as accessible as possible, knowing there are limitations and learning edges we continue to work with in an ableist society. Below is a list of accessibilty information and attempts we are making towards creating more accessibility at camp. If you have any specific needs or questions that are not addressed below please reach out to us at pleasuresofbeltane@gmail.com 

Elemental Support Teams

There are a number of camper-led and organizer-supported teams that support accessibility at Pleasures of Beltane. The Earth, Air, Water, and Steam teams all have members available throughout camp to support immediate and emergent needs.


Earth Team: Experienced medics available for immediate first-aid support


Air Team: Experienced support in conflict mediation


Water Team: Experienced support with mental and emotional well-being


Fire Team: Firetenders


Spirit Team: Ritual facilitators


Steam Team: Accessibility support


The Steam Team organizes one-to-one accessibility support for anyone who may need assistance at camp. This may look like driving folks to and from sites, support getting around, carrying belongings, etc. (Note: Steam is one of the queer elements we've learned about from the radical faeries - the other queer elements include Dust, Mud, and Smoke)

Getting Around Camp

All organized camp activities will take place at locations accessible by relatively flat paved and packed earth (un-paved) paths. By relatively flat we mean not "pancake" flat but no major inclines or obstacles. All pathways are firmly packed without loose gravel. All buildings we will use have ramped entrances, some with a small lip at the doorway. They are all on one-level.

The main locations of camp are a mix of close together and spread out. The cabins, ritual hall, shower house, and tenting area are all fairly close. The dining hall is roughly a ten minute stroll/roll from this location on a flatish road. The pool shower-house (with roll-in shower option) is in between these two spots. We will have an accessibility car available for folks that need to be driven between any locations.

There are numerous areas outside of the locations we will be using that are not as accessible, including a network of rougher trails.

Covid-19

We are asking camp attendees to take the risks of Covid and the wellness of their fellow attendees seriously and to do your best to minimize risk for the 7 days before attending  camp. Knowing that jobs/travel etc. will be different for each, we are asking people to  limit their contact with others and especially public spaces and gatherings as much as  possible in the 7 days prior to camp. We are also asking people to use masks and other  preventative measures if they are required to be in higher risk situations during this  time. 

All camp attendees will be required to take rapid tests on Thursday afternoon (as part of registration/arrival), Friday morning,  Saturday morning, and Sunday morning. If anyone tests positive during camp we will support them to quarantine either by leaving camp or in a separate area at camp. We are not requiring attendees to mask or be vaccinated at this time.

Scented Product Awareness
We endeavour to be a scent-free/low-scent camp.  We send out information ahead of time in our camper packet asking attendees to ensure any products they are bringing to camp (soap, sunscreen, insect repellent etc.) are unscented/scent-free. We ask that people do not bring any scented items - essential oils, perfumes, candles, etc. to camp. We also ask people who do not regularly use unscented laundry detergent to wash any fabric items (clothing, bedding etc) in unscented detergent, ideally a few times before coming to camp. 

We also recognize there is often a cultural learning curve here and we will have a specific cabin set aside for folks requiring scent-free space and do our best to ventilate indoor spaces. Note there is a fireplace in the ritual hall and we have plans to have indoor fires during ritual.

Accomodations

Accomodation options at camp include shared cabins, space fore tenting, and space for vehicle camping. Tent and vehicle camping are the only options if you need a non-shared space. There are no RV hook-ups for vehicle camping.

Cabins will be shared in groups of roughly six people. We will set-up cabin sharing based on people's needs such as scent-free, low-noise etc. Please indicate any needs you have for shared space in the question around accessibility on the application form.

The accomodations do not meet ADA standards. We do believe they would be accessible to people using wheeled devices, especially with some minimal assistance. Cabins have a few steps or ramp access, with a small lip at the door. All cabins have electricity and electric heat. There are thin mattresses and bunk beds provided. There are enough beds in each cabin that each individual will have their own bunk bed. No one is required to use a top bunk unless desired. 

There are toilets and showers inside each cabin. The showers are small with a lip to enter them. There is also a separate shower house with toilets and showers for campers with a no-step entry to the building. There are showers with no-lip/roll-in entry at  another location by the pool (note pool will be closed at this time of year, but showerhouse can be used).

Most indoor buildings have overhead fluorescent lights - we plan to keep them off whenever possible and use alternative string lights, lamps etc when spaces need to be lit. 

Food

Our amazing cooks are able to accomodate a wide-selection of dietary needs. There is a clear place to indicate your dietary needs on the application form. If we have any questions or think we may not be able to meet your needs we will follow-up with you. There will be space (including refigerated space) to store any additional food items you may want to bring to meet your needs.

Pace

We endeavour for Pleasures of Beltane to have a slower pace than other witchcamps. We generally have spacious and activity-free mornings and chunks of time between activities to support a slower pace. We also encourage everyone to take their own space and pace and rest!