Accessibility

Colorful rainbow stripes light up the Shimmer Wall

A Space For Everybody

Welcome to the Raleigh Convention Center. We strive to make the Center accessible to all and adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Use this page to find our facility’s accessibility features. Additional information to help prepare for your visit is available in our accessibility guide. If you require further assistance, please contact us, and we will be happy to assist you further.

Accessibility Guide

To help you prepare for your visit, please check out our virtual tour.

Transportation and Parking

  • Drop-off/pick-up lane in front on S. Salisbury Street.
  • The R-Line, Downtown Raleigh's free circulating bus, stops in front of our building in the drop-off/pick-up lane on S. Salisbury Street. (Service currently suspended.)
  • Designated accessible parking spaces are located on the first floor of all Downtown Raleigh parking decks.
    • Parking decks are monitored and managed by McLaurin Parking. Please contact them with parking-specific questions.

Entrances and Exits

  • The entrance on S. Salisbury Street is accessible daily.
  • Two additional entrances are available at the corners of Salisbury/Lenoir Street and Cabarrus/McDowell Street. Access to these doors is limited and depends upon the event location. To use these entrances, contact the event organizer.
  • Automatic Doors are located at all facility entrances.

Navigating the RCC

  • Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Main Lobby security kiosk. Wheelchairs may not be removed from the facility. A fee will be imposed for any wheelchairs not returned.
  • Braille placards are posted on all room signage and accessibility points in the building.

Elevators and Escalators

  • All levels of our facility can be reached via elevator.
  • All elevator doors are a minimum of 42" wide and are equipped with bumper safety systems.
  • Elevator buttons are reachable from wheelchair or scooter.
  • Escalators are located in the Main Lobby and Exhibit Halls and have a minimum width of 39.5".

See Accessibility Guide for all elevator and escalator options.

Restrooms

  • Restrooms are available in Main Lobby, Ballroom Lobby, South Lobby, and Mezzanine. Each restroom features motion-enabled faucets and soap dispensers, as well as an oversized stall with entry width of 32" and grab bars. Sink heights are at a maximum of 29”.
  • Large, family/gender-neutral/single-stall restrooms are available in the Main Lobby, Ballroom Lobby, and Mezzanine. All family/gender-neutral restrooms include a baby-changing station. Sink heights are at a maximum of 30”.

See Accessibility Guide for all restroom options.

Lactation Pods

  • Mamava nursing pods are available on the Main and Mezzanine Levels.
  • Nursing pods have hospital-grade surfaces with two built-in benches, shelving, and mirror.
  • Outlets and USB ports are available.
  • Two ventilation fans provide 32dB of white noise and are capable of air-change rates of at least 79 ACH.

Sensory Bags

  • We are pleased to be KultureCity-certified and offer sensory-inclusive kits to assist neurodiverse visitors with sensory processing needs. These KultureCity sensory bags contain ID cards, noise-muffling earmuffs, and various fidget devices. More information here.
  • Sensory Bags are available to check out upon request at Security Desks with a valid ID. Bags are sanitized between use.
  • Signage throughout the facility assists visitors in navigating sensory-rich environments.

Additional Accessibility Features

  • Our fire alarms and emergency warning systems are equipped with both audible and visual strobe alarms.
  • Our facility is equipped with multiple AED units on each level, with signage designating the location of these devices.
  • We offer limited numbers of Assisted Listening Devices for attendees to check out. If you require the use of one of these devices, please contact the Event Organizer directly. If you are on-site and would like more information about these devices, please visit the Security kiosk.

Service Animals

  • The Raleigh Convention Center welcomes guests with their service animals under the Americans With Disabilities Act.
  • A Service Dog Relief Area is available on the Sir Walter Plaza, to the right of the statue. See our Accessibility GUIDE for location.
  • Water bowls for Service Dogs are available by request from our on-site Security Team.

Website Accessibility Statement

Raleigh Convention Center is committed to providing a website that is accessible to everyone

To further this commitment, we are using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, Level AA, which provides standards for making web content more accessible for all visitors, including people with disabilities.

Continuous Monitoring of Content

In the interest of staying ahead of emerging technology, the Raleigh Convention Center website is tested regularly with the latest software and methodologies to maintain accessible content for all. We are committed to addressing any issues that may arise while accessing our digital content, and will readily provide assistance to those with disabilities as-needed if immediate solutions are not available. The Raleigh Convention Center website has been tested with assistive technology tools including screen reader software, keyboard-only functionality, color contrast and magnification software. Usability has also been tested to ensure the minimum accessibility standards are surpassed.

Do You Need Assistance?

If you are having issues accessing any information on our website, please contact us promptly here. Your experience and ideas are our highest priority. No issue is too small and we welcome your feedback.

Endorsement

Endorsed by Ablr, an accessibility company who employs and utilizes people who are blind and visually impaired in providing audits, training and consulting for all digital content.

For additional information about accessibility in our facility, please contact us.