How to book a wheelchair-accessible hotel room for RSNA 2020
Australia sends a sizable contingent to the RSNA Annual Meeting each year, and Chicago in late November is a long way from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. For wheelchair users among those delegates, the right accommodation is not a detail to leave to the last minute. Conference weeks compress schedules, hotel inventory shrinks, and barrier-free rooms are the first category to disappear.
The 2020 meeting ran from 29 November to 4 December 2020 at McCormick Place, with delegations typically arriving two or three days early to recover from the flight and settle in before the scientific programme begins. Booking a wheelchair-accessible hotel room for RSNA 2020 means thinking about standards, location and the specifics of the room itself well in advance.
This guide covers what to check, what to ask, and how Australian group coordinators tend to handle the process. It also flags a couple of long-haul considerations relevant to anyone crossing the Pacific from Australia.
What accessibility means at a meeting the size of RSNA
McCormick Place sits on the shore of Lake Michigan, and the meeting draws tens of thousands of radiologists, technologists and exhibitors. For wheelchair users, the conference experience is shaped as much by the hotel as by the venue itself. Long days on the trade-show floor mean that even small obstacles, such as a high bathroom threshold, can undermine an otherwise successful trip.
Australian delegates often combine RSNA with a short stay in Chicago or a side meeting with North American collaborators. That extra time at the hotel makes a properly equipped accessible guest room more important than a standard room with portable aids.
Australian accessibility standards versus what Chicago hotels offer
Australian accessible design is governed by AS 1428.1, which sets requirements for doorways, gradients and circulation areas. US hotels operate under the Americans with Disabilities Act, with the relevant guest room guidelines set out in the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Both systems share the same goal, but the technical details differ.
A wheelchair user arriving from Brisbane or Perth may find Chicago bathrooms configured differently from home. Roll-in showers are common in ADA-compliant rooms but not universal, and the placement of grab bars, clearance under the vanity, and height of light switches vary by brand. NDIS participants funding their own travel will want written confirmation rather than a generic accessibility statement.
Choosing between three, four and five star options near the venue
Hotels close to McCormick Place fall into familiar tiers, each offering a different balance of accessibility, price and service. Three-star properties offer affordable rates and smaller rooms, which sometimes means tighter turning spaces in the bathroom. Four-star hotels in the South Loop generally provide the widest range of accessible room types, including rooms with roll-in showers and lowered wardrobe rails.
Five-star options offer more generous floor area, higher staffing ratios, and on-site concierge support that helps when something in the room needs urgent attention. For a delegation that includes a colleague with significant mobility needs, paying a premium for a five-star accessible suite can be the most cost-effective choice once the price is split across the visiting party.
Securing accessible rooms through a group block
Most Australian delegations, whether from a hospital radiology department in Adelaide or a private imaging chain from Melbourne, travel as a group and book through a block. Group blocks guarantee a set number of rooms at a contracted rate, and the same mechanism can hold accessible rooms. Coordinators usually request an accessibility worksheet showing the exact layout of each accessible room type.
For delegates ready to look at options, the group hotel booking portal offers a structured way to select accessible rooms, request connecting rooms for personal care attendants, and coordinate arrival dates. Doing this four to six months ahead gives the hotel time to confirm specific room numbers and flag any renovation work that might affect accessible inventory.
Practical features to confirm before you commit
A few specific items are worth verifying in writing before paying a deposit:
- Doorway clearances of 850 mm or wider, including the bathroom entry
- A true roll-in shower with a fold-down seat, not a shower-tub combination
- Lowered light switches, thermostats, peepholes and wardrobe rails
- Sufficient floor space beside the bed for a wheelchair transfer
It is reasonable to ask for photographs of the actual room rather than a representative image. Brand standards vary, and a property that has recently renovated its accessible rooms will usually share updated photos on request.
Comparing Chicago hotel options near McCormick Place
The table below sketches the kind of trade-offs delegates typically weigh when balancing rate, accessibility and proximity to McCormick Place. Specific room types and rates change from year to year, so the figures are illustrative.
| Hotel tier | Typical distance to McCormick Place | Accessible room availability | Approx. nightly rate (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-star | 10–20 minutes by car | Limited; usually one room type | 160–220 |
| 4-star | 5–15 minutes by car or shuttle | Multiple room types, roll-in showers | 230–320 |
| 5-star | Walking distance or short shuttle | Suites with full accessibility | 380–550 |
Properties within walking distance of McCormick Place command a premium during meeting week but reduce the need for accessible shuttle transfers. Further-out properties can be cheaper but require planning for transport at the start and end of each day. For wheelchair users, the daily commute often becomes the deciding factor.
Travel logistics for delegates flying in from Australia
The journey from Sydney to Chicago takes around 16 to 18 hours via Los Angeles or San Francisco, and the time difference is 16 or 17 hours. Long-haul travel puts extra pressure on the body, particularly for wheelchair users. Arriving a day or two earlier is common, allowing time to recover, request any room adjustments, and test the route from lobby to room.
Some Australian delegates route through Sydney or Melbourne and add a domestic connection, particularly from Perth or Darwin. Coordinating arrival times so accessible shuttle transfers are pre-arranged helps avoid long waits at O'Hare, where terminal changes can be tiring.
A short packing checklist helps smooth the trip:
- Spare cushions for the flight to relieve pressure over long sitting periods
- A small toolkit for any minor wheelchair adjustments on arrival
- Documentation covering NDIS-funded supports and any medical equipment
Delegates who plan ahead, ask specific questions about accessible guest room layouts, and book through a group block are far more likely to arrive in Chicago with everything working as it should. Group coordinators needing accessible rooms held alongside the rest of the block should start the conversation now and confirm room types in writing before issuing invitations to travel.