Downtown Houston has many businesses and offices that can assist travelers in need of food, money, medical care, or police protection. Remember to call 911 in emergency situations.

PHARMACIES

* Park Drugs, 1200 McKinney St. #301, 713-650-1610

* Kelsey Pharmacy, 1200 McKinney St. #417, 713-442-6337

* CVS Pharmacy, 917 Main St., 713-982-5565

* Walgreens, 1315 St. Joseph Pkwy. #100, 713-658-0022

GROCERIES

* Phoenicia Specialty Foods, 1001 Austin St., 832-360-2222 (nearest gourmet market to conference site)

* Long Sing Supermarket (Asian market just east of Downtown, across I-69), 2017 Walker St., 713-236-8171

* Main Food Store, 1101 Main St., 713-650-8788

BANKS

* Bank of America:

• 909 Fannin, Suite 2, 713-759-3300
• 700 Louisiana St., 713-247-6033
• 800 Franklin St., 800-432-1000

* Chase Bank of Texas, 707 Travis St., 713-216-5097

* Wells Fargo Bank, 1303 McKinney St., 713-650-1449

* Deutsche Bank AG, 1301 Fannin St., 713-653-5100

* IBC Bank, 1001 McKinney St. #150, 713-285-2140

* BBVA Compass, 1000 Main St., 713-561-0500

* Amegy Bank of Texas:

• Houston Pennzoil Place, 711 Louisiana St. #100, 713-235-8800
• 1221 McKinney St. #100, 713-235-8800

* Comerica, 777 Walker St., Suite M220, 713-237-0801

* Prosperity Bank, 777 Walker St., 713-693-9250

HOSPITALS

* St. Joseph Medical Center, 1401 St. Joseph Pkwy., 713-757-1000

* (The southbound Red Line of the METRORail will take you to the Texas Medical Center, the largest collection of medical facilities in the world. Red Line stations downtown can be found along Main Street.)

HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

* 1200 Travis St., 713-884-3131

* 1221 McKinney St. #2100, 713-884-3131

* 61 Riesner St., 713-247-4400 (immediately northwest of Downtown, near Franklin St. and Washington Ave.)

CONVENIENT CHEAP EATS

Houston Center, located at 1200 McKinney Street, is two blocks northwest of Discovery Green. A favorite spot for business people needing a quick lunch, the center has a large food court and an indoor shopping area. Despite its postal address, the center’s main entrance is along San Jacinto Street. For more information about other restaurants downtown, please visit our restaurants page.

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CHILDCARE

Note: This section is provided as a reference to childcare providers. Inclusion in this listing does not imply endorsement by CCCC or National Council of Teachers of English. CCCC and NCTE assume neither responsibility nor liability for providers included here or elsewhere.

The following are childcare/babysitting services providing caregivers who, for a fee, can come to your home or hotel room in Houston:

• Mom’s Best Friend
• Angel Sitters
• Motherhood Center

Also, at the Hilton Americas-Houston, the 4 Cs will provide a lactation room and a room set aside for children and their guardians.

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TABLETOP GAMING

The CCCC 2016 Play and Game Studies Special Interest Group invites conference attendees and their families and friends to join us in tabletop gaming throughout the conference. In an effort to create new, family-friendly social opportunities (as well as share our enthusiasm for games and play), the SIG has organized facilitated tabletop game play in the family room of the Action Hub at specified times. We will provide the games and a facilitator to teach and play the game, so take a look at our schedule, and join us to learn a new game or play a favorite! Hope to see you there! Here is the schedule. Just drop in and play on first come, first served basis: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q4-FmvpDfjjrcBKAHhkMNvs8VI8Q-X6DFLq9dlBENhA/edit?usp=sharing.

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ACCESSIBILITY

This is an overview of access for the George R. Brown Conference Center and Hilton Americas, where the bulk of conference activities will occur. More detailed information about accessible transportation, accommodations, and hospitality can be found on the website for the Hospitality Committee, in the “CCCC 2016 Accessibility Guide.” If you have even more specific questions about access, you can also email the Committee on Disability Issues Chair: Stephanie Kershbaum (kersch@udel.edu).

Both the Conference Center and Hilton Americas are compliant with the Americans with Disability Act and include both braille and visual signage.

The main entrance for the Hilton Americas is located on Lamar street with one large, slowly revolving door and two hinged doors on either side. The secondary entrance is located on the side of the building by the Avenida de Las Americas. The Convention Center has direct access from the Hilton Americas by skywalk on both the second and third floors, as well as by street on the ground level. The current ground-level construction between the Convention Center and the Hilton Americas is expected to be completed by the spring.

Most panels will be held in the second and third floor of the Hilton Americas, which can be accessed via escalators on each floor, or by elevators that open into the main hallway. Hallways leading to the rooms have lowered lighting mounted on the walls. Small to medium sized meeting rooms have beige walls, recessed lighting, and carpeting with a large leaf pattern with a yellow-gold border.

Several other panels will be held on the third floor of the Convention Center. These rooms are large and have bright overhead lighting and carpet with a repeated geometric shape. Noise may be an issue in the lobby areas outside the skywalk, particularly on the second floor where the FedEx and Visitor’s Center are located.

There will be a quiet room provided for conference attendees, in room 230 in Hilton Americas.

There are several restaurants available on the first floor of the Hilton Americas, such as 1600 Bar and Grille and Pappasito’s Cantina, both of which have vegetarian and gluten-free options. There are Starbucks locations on the first floor of the Hilton Americas and just outside the second floor skywalk in the Convention Center.

The CCCC Access table will be located on the fourth floor of the Hilton Americas between the Registration Desk and the escalators closest to the conference center. Volunteers will be available during regular conference hours to offer assistance with mobility and other access issues, including but not limited to helping to solve problems with space, sound, scent, or lighting; helping conference attendees navigate from session to session; and connecting attendees to resources.

We also encourage presenters to consider accessibility in their presentations as much as possible. To help you as you plan your CCCC presentations, posters, and workshops, the Disability Studies SIG has provided resources available at http://disabilityrhetoric.com/access/.

We look forward to an accessible Cs, and we welcome you to Houston!

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CCCC 2016 ACCESSIBILITY GUIDE

Here is the CCCC 2016 Accessibility Guide.