#WMS2024
#WMS2024
For our 2024 Congress, we have once again paid particular attention to inclusion and accessibility. We want to break down the barriers to Congress attendance to people from all over the world.
We are pleased to provide a dedicated family-friendly room in the Congress Centre for attendees with young children who will be in attendance.
We offer reduced registration rates for Congress attendance for WMS members and for students. If finance is a barrier to you attending the Congress, you can consider applying for one of our travel fellowships. For the WMS 2024 Congress WMS will support up to 100 fellowships awarded to help in-person congress attendees who submit an abstract with their travel and accommodation costs. You can find out more on the Fellowships page of the Congress website.
For people with caring responsibilities or care needs, we provide grants of up to £500 GBP to assist WMS member in-person attendees with care costs. Find out more on the Caregiver Grant page of the Congress website.
We have worked closely with the Prague team to make sure all dietary requirements are catered for and will be clearly signposted. All food suppliers have full lists of allergens and, if you can't see the information you need, will be able to provide advice on ingredients and food preparation conditions.
We recognise that many people don’t consume alcohol for personal or cultural reasons, so we make sure there are good alcohol-free options available as well as an alcohol-free table at the networking dinner for those who would be more comfortable sitting with others who don’t drink alcohol.
If this is your first time attending the WMS Congress, or you are attending on your own and would like to be introduced to other delegates when you arrive, please let us know via email in advance or at the registration desk at the venue. We will be happy to make some introductions so that you feel more comfortable.
Congresses are full of opportunities to learn and experience new things, but they are also rich in stimulation, and with the constant outward facing and switched on nature they can also be overwhelming, exhausting and triggering, both mentally and physically.
We will have a dedicated quiet space which we are calling our Quiet Room (it will be signposted in the venue) where you can take some quiet time to reground before returning to the congress activities. No devices, talking, eating or food will be allowed so that the space is truly welcoming and calming for all please.
Not everyone likes close contact with others, especially in busy environments. This might be because of physical injury or disability, neurodiversity, or just personal preference. We offer a "social distancing" lanyard, which delegates can select at the registration desk. It's a gentle way of asking others to respect your personal boundaries and avoid standing too close during conversations or offering physical contact, such as hugs or handshakes, that might be unwelcome.
We offered a translation service through our virtual platform and Congress app for the first time at the 2023 Congress and are currently looking into 2024 options. We will update this page when we have further information to share.
The city of Prague is committed to being as accessible as possible and offers this guide for people to help people with physical or sensory disabilities to plan their trip.
We are arranging transport from the various hotels to the Congress venue and to and from the other venues we are using over the course of the week.
We're trying to make sure we have the right kind of transport to meet your needs, including transport options that facilitate wheelchair use. If you use a wheelchair or other mobility aid that doesn't enable you to access a public transport or a standard car or mini-bus, please make sure you let us know so we can make sure the correct vehicle is available for your transport between venues.
The Prague Congress Centre is fully wheelchair accessible and provides full accessibility for disabled people.
We have created a Wellbeing page, which includes information about our quiet room as well as details of walks and cycle rides in the surrounding area. You can find it here.
Our Information page contains a great deal more information about the Congress, local information and what to expect. We hope you find it helpful.
