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The HDA after action report is almost ready! Read about what we did this year, and plans for next year! Stay tuned! -
Well I don't have the ability to change those decisions, but I can talk to the people who do, so I offered to help. I get that it feels like shit and that your reaction of calling it discrimination feels justified for that , but in the end the powers that be in the city of Vegas, the hotels/casinos and the final say management of Defcon have made the policy clear.
TBH It feels like shit to say all I can do is try to help you get your schwag but you don't want that either. I wish there was more I could do. -
Meaning to the fact that I've already paid for two in person tickets for a hybrid conference, it was a given that I'd at least still have digital access.
It's the other stuff that I would have received if I was allowed to show up in person that I want.
I'm not against the vaccine.. I just can't get it. It would be an express lane to the hospital or worse if I did.
I'm not against masking up
So.. since I can't get the vaccine.. and y'all got rules. I want what I paid for barring physically being at the attendance to the conference (The badge, the stickers, etc) ... I've always said... I get it... and yes.. this still feels like shit. -
1) Shouldn't even be a question .. a move of my ticket would make sense.... especially since I still want all the stuff that comes with spending $300 x 2 for tickets... but that's also the only way I'd get my stuff.
2) you probably wouldn't see me log in.. and not for nothing.... even your last response.. as much as I know you meant well.. still made me feel like utter shit.. because I will be in Las Vegas... at Caesars... not attending defcon in person.
3) I get it.. NOTE that once the answer was "NO" the only thing I did was point out and called the situation for what it is. -
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While I hear you loud and clear , try to consider what we are dealing with here. When it comes to discrimination , "the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things" , do you really feel that it is unjust to expose people to a potential fatal sickness? The policy for this year, and this year alone is that anyone who is not fully vaccinated can not attend is present regardless for the reason why they are not vaccinated. To turn it around a bit, is your doctor discriminating against you by not giving you the vaccination, or are they looking out for your best interest in health?
It doesn't matter why a person is not completely vaccinated, that would be discrimination, and unjust. What is being done has been debated, raked over coals, and taken into the consideration of many people in and out of DEFCON to come to a reasonable accommodation. To give you an example , we have one person who medically can not wear a traditional mask. We worked with them until they found ( and we verified ) a mask that would work for them. We have worked long and hard to provide a con after having to cancel a previous one. No one here is singling you personally out, not your circumstances with your medical professionals. We just can not allow anyone who is unvaccinated, for any reason.
- We have had to disallow people because they only have had 1 of 2 shots
- We have had to disallow people because they refuse to wear masks
- We have had to disallow people who offered to get vaccinated on site
- We have had to disallow people who have refused to get vaccinated for a myriad of reasons ranging from reasons such as yours to reasons of personal preference.
All that said , I would be glad to try to get you the schwag and related items for this year. I also asked if you were interested in attending virtually so that I could look into swapping your admission from in person to virtual. I've already made inquiries as to what can be done to the upper management of DEFCON to see if there is anything I can offer you in way of taking the sting out of this.
If nothing else you should take away this from the situation : This is not a matter of not being in the right cool kids club, or being looked down on for a disability, or even being discriminated against. This is a biological , global disease pandemic and it calls for unusual and uncomfortable decisions to be made when gathering thousands of people in a hot spot of infection during a national crisis. It's about more than you, it's about the community as a whole. As much as it may feel otherwise , and I get that , take a hard look at the country, at the world, at the people around you and understand that there is no one universal pat answer that makes everyone happy in a situation like this.
So what say, want to work with me to try to make this better ? -
The least that could be done.. is at least send me the cool swag/gear that I would have receive for the money that I paid for... After the con of course.. (I'm reasonable enough to know that you can't give me that stuff before or during.. that's just dumb).
But it really does feel super shitty to be completely discriminated against... and I cannot stress that enough.. this is purely..... no matter what your reasoning is.. Discrimination. -
If I wanted to do virtual.. I wouldn't have booked my flight, hotel, car rental and purchased my Defcon ticket for myself and my wife (who is fully vaccinated.. I'm not one of those people).
Look.. it is what it is.. but you and Defcon need to acknowledge that you're willfully discriminating against someone because their doctor told them not to get a vaccine. No matter what I'll still be in Las Vegas.
But it sucks.. you have my money -
The first ting I want to say is that I hear you. I understand feeling the way you do, and to be blunt I get that it sucks. As a disabled person in a wheelchair who can not walk I am unable to do a lot of things in Vegas simply because of stairs, narrow doors, and narrow people. I get it.
In the case of DEFCON we have done what we can to make accommodations like holding a virtual conference, and working with people where we can when it comes to masks and protection, and we always want people to feel welcome. The problem is this is not a case of simple disability - this is a biological global pandemic. As an organization we do not want anyone to come to Vegas, get sick with a deadly disease and suffer the consequences. We are a community, and we want to keep that community alive. Last year that meant cancelling the event completely. This year it means restrictions in the face of Vegas being a hot spot of activity leading the country in infections and breakthrough infections ( people vaccinated getting sick anyway ).
The true root cause of DEFCON mandating masks and vaccinations is that we care about our community and do not want to endanger people. Also it's not just us ... along with us the hotels, airlines, and everyone in-between have made rules, regulations and requirements due to COVID. We are not looking at you as an individual with a disability - we are looking at a biological pandemic and what we can best do to protect our community.
When it comes to people with disabilities, I head up the DEFCON effort to ensure that people with disabilities get what they need to attend in person. This ranges from ADA compliant hotel rooms, scooters, seating on the talks, discounts for personal assistants, places to recharge mobility devices and ensuring that disabled members of our community enjoy and take away from DEFCON as much as anyone else.
If it were not for the pandemic, the doors would be open to you and you would be welcome without these restrictions. We simply do not want to see you get sick and suffer the consequences at our event. It has everything to do with the pandemic, and nothing to do with your condition directly. It is our hope that next year this will all be over and that we can resume having the DEFCON people have come to know for years.
Would you be interested in attending the virtual editions of Blackhat or DEFCON? -
Look... I understand.. your con.. your rules... but I kinda feel a little discriminated tbh... It's weird.. I can't get the vaccine due to my medical condition.. but I'm being told no.. you can't come.. you're not welcome.. because of you can't get a vaccine due to your medical condition.. that is the root cause of your disability... which.. it's like.. nah.. you have this condition.. so you're welcome from afar...
I really don't like this feeling.
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