One of our goals for QED was to make the event accessible to as many people as possible. That included working to keep the ticket price as low as possible; offering discounts for students; ensuring the event is fully wheelchair accessible; and providing induction loops in the main hall for the hard-of-hearing.
We have also been investigating how we might provide a creche facility at QED for 2012. We see this as helping make the event accessible to two specific groups.
Single Parents
There may be single parents who would like to come to QED, but are unable to arrange childcare for a whole weekend. For people like this QED is an impossible proposition, no matter what we do with the ticket price.Skeptic Couples
There may be couples who would both like to attend QED, but at least one of them must stay home to look after the children. Their significant other may or may not go to QED anyway, but if they do it will be alone.
Providing on-site, professional, child-care services would help people like this get involved in the skeptic community - which can only be a good thing for all of us. But how many of these people are there? And how many would be interested in using a QED Creche?
Professional child-care is not cheap. It means hiring another room at the venue, engaging the services of a mobile child-care provider, arranging activities for the children, CRB checks, certifications, and so on. If we are to arrange for a creche facility at QED, we need to know how many of you would want to use it.
So we decided to simply ask.
You're a smart bunch; we feel we can approach you with candour. Would you make use of a creche facility, if we were to provide one? Would you be willing to pay for it? If so, what would you be willing to pay?