COVID & Respiratory Safety
Our commitment to access for Blind and Low Vision members of our community.
Quick Start Guide:
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All films include audio description.
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Headphones are available at the Front Desk before screenings.
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Arrive a few minutes early to pick up your headset.
If You Need Support Right Now
San Francisco Women Against Rape
Free, confidential, 24/7 hotline.
Trans Lifeline
Free, confidential, 24/7 peer support, by and for the trans community.
BlackLine
Free, 24/7 peer support and counseling, LGBTQ+ Black femme lens, by and for BIPOC.
StrongHearts Native Helpline
Free, confidential, 24/7 domestic and sexual violence helpline, for Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
Desi LGBTQ+ Helpline
Free, confidential helpline, by and for LGBTQ+ South Asians. Thursdays and Sundays, 5–7 PT. Outside open hours, leave a message with how to reach you back.
Community United Against Violence (CUAV)
Free, short-term advocacy-based peer counseling, for LBTQ people dealing with violence or abuse. By appointment.
In an Emergency
Find a Safety & Care crew member
Red badges, bright pink safety vests. They’re at every screening and trained to respond.
Listen for instructions
From the Safety & Care crew or Presidio Theatre staff. They will tell you whether to evacuate, shelter in place, or wait.
If evacuating: leave your bag, do not run
Follow the evacuation order so we move as one. The full procedure is below.
Why Accessibility Matters
Filmmaking is a highly visual medium, as much and sometimes more so than sound.
Every film at QWOCFF is audio described for people who are Blind and Low Vision. Headphones are available at the Front Desk at the start of each screening. We cover the cost of audio description so filmmakers don’t have to—a practice that pushes the film industry toward our standards.
We include image descriptions and text captions so QWOCMAP’s internet presence can be understood by those using screen readers. It also lets colorblind community members understand the nuances in our images.
Our commitment to accessibility ensures that every audience member can fully experience the power and richness of LBTQIA+ BIPOC storytelling.
We cover the cost of audio description so filmmakers don’t have to.
The Practical Ask
Safety & Care First
For any uncomfortable, unsafe, or harmful situation that may arise at the festival, please approach the Safety & Care crew first.
Look for red badges and bright pink safety vests.
What Our Safety & Care Crew Does
Assess and respond
They work with community-based safety measures grounded in collective care.
De-escalate with compassion
They resolve issues without compromising the safety of the rest of the audience.
Connect medical care
They facilitate the arrival of paramedics or emergency personnel without calling law enforcement.
Law Enforcement
We ask that community members abide by our request to approach Safety & Care first.
To call in law enforcement is a direct threat to our entire community. We ask that individuals who are unable or refuse to honor this request and boundary to not attend our events.
Law enforcement, including police and immigration agents, escalate, facilitate, and perpetrate lethal violence. Their presence heightens fear, emotional triggers, and trauma, and compromises the safety of LBTQIA+ people of color and the multiple communities to which we belong.
We know we cannot depend on the criminal legal system for justice, because it is the state, the institutions, and their policies that are responsible for the violence we experience and witness. We understand that these punitive systems cause us all harm. We do not want to bring that into QWOCMAP spaces.
Our Safety & Care crew has strategies to provide safety, especially for survivors of violence, that do not involve any form of law enforcement.
In extremely dire situations when law enforcement is actually needed, or if they are called without QWOCMAP’s knowledge or consent, designated Safety & Care crew will negotiate with them outside of the venue while the community is protected inside.
How To Prepare For Your Visit
Before You Arrive
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Request a tactile map mailed to your home in advance — contact Liz Murray at the Presidio Theatre: lmurray@presidiotheatre.org or (415) 960-3910 ext. 1002.
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Review the Festival Schedule for screening times.
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Download the screen-reader-friendly program PDF.
Day of the Festival
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Pick up headphones for audio description at the Front Desk.
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Ask Ushers or the Front Desk for guide dog seating and venue orientation.
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Ushers are briefed on emergency procedures for your safety.
Need to Talk Through a Situation?
Medical Care
The Safety & Care crew is on hand to assist with illness, first aid, and medical emergencies.
The venue has an AED and First Aid kits with basic supplies.
If a medical emergency requires paramedics, the Safety & Care crew will facilitate their arrival without calling law enforcement. This is part of how we keep us safe at QWOCFF.
When possible, the Safety & Care lead will designate a crew member to accompany the audience member — including a mental health provider or crisis counselor when one is on-site.
Nearby Medical Facilities
| Facility | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Gate Urgent Care | 2395 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94123 | 415-796-2242 |
| Kaiser Permanente Emergency Room | 2425 Geary Blvd, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94115 | 415-833-3304 |
| CPMC Emergency Room | 1260 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94109 | 415-600-3333 |
Evacuation Procedure
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Wheelchair users move first
Out of the building first, using the ramp from House left to enter the courtyard.
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Blind & Low Vision, Deaf & Hard of Hearing, other disabled people, and elders who need assistance follow.
Same door, same route to the courtyard.
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Ambulatory people follow into the courtyard.
Two Things To Remember:
LEAVE your bagDO NOT runPresidio Theatre staff use evacuation chairs to carry out any wheelchair users in the lower lobby and transfer them to extra wheelchairs located nearby.
Need Extra Support?
If you have specific access needs, mobility considerations, or other circumstances that should shape an evacuation plan for you, email festival@qwocmap.org in advance. We’ll plan together.
If We Need to Shelter In Place
For large-scale emergencies that go beyond basic first aid, small fires, and situations EMTs and fire trucks can address, the best decision may be to shelter in place rather than evacuate.
If that happens, we will work to keep everyone comfortable until it is safe to evacuate.
Accessibility Features
All Films Audio Described
All films are audio-described in English. We provide headphones at the Front Desk at the start of each screening. Arrive a few minutes early to pick up a headset.
Tactile Maps
Tactile maps of the venue are available at the Front Desk. To request a tactile map mailed to your home, contact Liz Murray at the Presidio Theatre: lmurray@presidiotheatre.org or (415) 960-3910 ext. 1002.
Seating for Guide Dogs
Guide dog seating is available toward the back of the orchestra or in the mezzanine stage left. This is separate from the Service Animal section. If your guide dog is hypoallergenic and you are fragrance free, you may also sit in the Fragrance Free section. See the Seat Map or ask Ushers or the Front Desk.
Festival Program
The printed program is available to download as a screen-reader-friendly PDF. Screening information is also on the Festival Schedule page.
Emergency Lights
Emergency lights flash but do not make sound. Ushers are briefed on emergency procedures for Blind and Low Vision audience members. In the event of an emergency, all disabled people will exit the theater (house left) first.
Need Extra Support?
If you have specific access needs, mobility considerations, or other circumstances that should shape an evacuation plan for you, email festival@qwocmap.org in advance. We’ll plan together.
| Resource | Details |
|---|---|
| Audio Description Headphones | Available at the Front Desk before each screening. |
| Tactile Venue Maps | Available at the Front Desk or mailed in advance. |
| Guide Dog Seating | Separate from service animal seating. Ask Ushers for assistance. |
| Screen Reader Program | Downloadable PDF on the Festival Schedule page. |
| Emergency Procedures | Ushers trained for Blind and Low Vision needs. Disabled audience members exit first. |
| Advance Accommodations | Contact festival@qwocmap.org or the Presidio Theatre before your visit. |
Key Things to Remember
"Arrive Early"
Get oriented and pick up headphones before the screening begins.
"Request in Advance"
Contact Liz Murray at the Presidio Theatre ahead of time for a tactile map: lmurray@presidiotheatre.org or (415) 960-3910 ext. 1002.
How to Avoid Being an Audist Jerk
to say “Hello, my name is…” and your name in ASL.
people in your conversation through an ASL interpreter.
to and MAKE EYE CONTACT with the person you’re talking to. Do NOT address the ASL interpreter.
alternate ways to communicate. Use your phone to text a message, or just write a note.
that many disabilities are hidden, and that some people who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing don’t wear hearing aids.
to ending audism and the social isolation of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people.
More Guides & Links
Accessibility Guides
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QWOCFF Accessibility Overview
Full overview of accessibility at the festival.
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links to QWOCFF Transportation page
Directions, parking, paratransit, and accessible transit options.
External Resources
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descriptivevideoworks.com
Audio description services for film and media.
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lighthouse-sf.org
San Francisco-based services and community for the Blind and Low Vision community.
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WHO Vision Impairment Fact Sheet
Fact sheet on vision impairment and blindness.
If You Get Sick After the Festival
If you feel sick and test positive for COVID or another respiratory illness after QWOCFF, please call 415-752-0868 immediately. We’ll talk with you to determine who you were in close contact with and notify audience members as needed. All personal information is held strictly confidential.
