Download the PDF of the Resources & Accessibility: Guide for ABA Children's Institute 2026 here!

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ABA is committed to making all of our events as inclusive and accessible as possible for all attendees. This guide aims to help any booksellers, bookstore owners, publishers, authors, vendors, and event staff easily find the spaces, resources, or information they need in order to get the most out of their Children’s Institute experience. We welcome feedback and suggestions to improve these guides going forward.

Thank you to ABA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council members for their assistance.


Member Resources 

Affinity Groups

The ABA Affinity Groups for our Black, BIPOC, Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x, Hispanic, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Indigenous, LGBTQIA2S+, Disability, and Neurodiverse communities allow members an opportunity to gather for connection, support, community, resources, and networking.

While allies are greatly appreciated, these groups are available only for individuals who identify as members of these communities. However, if you are in the process of exploring your identity and relationship with a community, please do not self-reject!

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council (DEIC) serves as a critical sounding board and advisory council for ABA’s work, providing feedback, reviewing ABA programs and initiatives, identifying and responding to threats and opportunities, and bringing concerns of booksellers and bookstore owners to ABA.

Learn more and meet the current DEI Council on BookWeb:www.bookweb.org/aba-committee-diversity 

General industry concerns or inquiries about DEIA can be directed to the DEIC at diversity@bookweb.org. 


ABA’s Event Accessibility

ABA is committed to making all reasonable arrangements that will allow conference attendees to participate in conference events. ABA complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and we work to make the conference comfortable and accessible for all participants. We recognize not all disabilities require accommodations, and some are invisible.

For immediate assistance regarding any accessibility support at Children’s Institute, please email accessibility@bookweb.org.


Arrival and Settling In

Event Venue

All Children’s Institute 2026 programming will take place at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel (SCC). There are elevators and escalators available near all stairs.

Checking in with Chosen Names

We spend considerable time discussing our expectations with event and hotel staff and management in regards to gendered forms of address, pronoun usage, and guest names. In order to further support attendees and mitigate harm, we ask that store owners, managers, and other travel planners do their best to call ahead to address any potential registration concerns. If you are encountering issues when checking in, or otherwise while attending our event, please do not hesitate to contact accessibility@bookweb.org. 


Institute Resources & Accessibility

Social Media

Join the conversation! Share Institute photos and updates on social media using our hashtag #ABAChildrensInstitute.

Please be sure to use PascalCase (every word capitalized) as indicated so that screen readers are able to correctly interpret the hashtag. 

Session, Keynote, and Rep Picks Accessibility 

Closed captioning for Keynotes and Featured Talks will be available for attendees to access on their phones, and can be accessed via the provided QR Code in the printed program or the link in the event app. Speakers will be visible on large screens during the Keynotes.

Rep Picks, where attendees will hear “speed dating” style presentations from publishers about their books, are spread between several rooms instead of taking place in a single large space. Additionally, members with hearing, sensory, and/or processing needs may request access to the smallest Rep Picks spaces by contacting accessibility@bookweb.org. Space may be limited.

Fast Pass

The Fast Pass allows attendees with limited mobility to enter the front of buffet lines and author signing lines. ABA staff members will be available throughout the event to offer support for Fast Pass holders. 

Lend each other a helping hand! If you see a fellow attendee with a Fast Pass sticker on their badge, make room for them or help them get to the front of the line. 

Please contact accessibility@bookweb.org for Fast Pass requests. Attendees can also request a Fast Pass at the Welcome Desk. 

Additional Hours

Some Institute programming features additional hours for attendees who require more time to move around the conference space. Please contact accessibility@bookweb.org for all additional hours requests.

Local Mobility Aid Rental

There are several recommended mobility aid rental services in the area. ABA has a small fund to help members with the costs of wheelchairs and scooters on a first come, first served basis. Members who would like to discuss using this fund should contact accessibility@bookweb.org.

Elite Home Medical Supply
Website: https://elitemedicalus.com
Email: sales@elitemedicalus.com
Phone: (630) 768-0055

Scoot Around
Website: https://scootaround.com/en/chicago
Email: info@scootaround.com
Phone: (888) 644-6695

Accessible Seats

There are 2–3 seats at the front and 2–3 seats at the back of each education session, which are priority seats for booksellers with accessibility needs. These seats are labeled Accessibility Seating. In addition, there will be two hightop tables in the back of each education session room for those who prefer to stand. 

Education Materials 

Slide decks for all education sessions and keynotes are available on the Ci2026 app and website, to allow attendees to view the slides on their personal device (phone, tablet, or laptop) if they have trouble viewing the larger screen. For maximum viewing comfort, attendees are encouraged to bring laptops to education sessions. 

Quiet Room
Serenity, Floor 2 
Friday, June 26: 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Saturday, June 27: 7:00 am to 7:00 pm
Sunday, June 28: 7:00 am to 6:00 pm
Monday, June 29: 7:00 am to 4:30 pm

The Quiet Room is intended to provide a quiet, calm space where attendees can spend time away from noise, bright light, and other stimuli of conference spaces. Take a break and relax! This space is not available for conversations or meetings.

All-User & Family Restrooms

Floor 1 — Schaumburg Convention Center:
Discovery Hall: All User restroom to the right of the staircase 
Adventure Hall: All User restroom on the left of the foyer 

Floor 2 — Hotel Lobby:  
All User restroom located behind the Rendezvous Café 

Water Fountains

Water fountains are located in the following areas: 
1 in Schaumburg ABCD foyer, floor 1
2 in Adventure Hall, floor 1
2 in Utopia Foyer, floor 2
2 near Prism Staircase restrooms, floor 2


PATHWAYS Mixer

ABA is excited to host the PATHWAYS Mixer at Children’s Institute 2026! PATHWAYS will take place on June 26, 2026, from 5:15 pm to 6:45 pm in Nirvana A, Floor 2, SCC. 

There are many pathways to the book industry. Let’s celebrate the one that brought you here! Kick off Ci2026 with a mixer for Black, Indigenous, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x, Hispanic, and all BIPOC attendees. This mixer is an opportunity to make connections and network ahead of the Ci2026 education sessions.


Affinity Group In-Person Meetups

Affinity Group Evening Reception

ABA is excited to welcome members of the Black, BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Neurodiverse, and Disability bookselling communities to an Affinity Groups reception following the Opening Reception. Connect with other attendees who share your lived experience. Authors and publishing staff who identify with one or more of these communities are also welcome.

Pop-Up Affinity Meet-ups

Use the pop-up rooms as tools for connection and community throughout the conference! Affinity Group members are invited to use this space in addition to and alongside other social spaces during the conference.

Affinity Group Pop-up Meetups
Creation, Floor 1, SCC
Sunday, June 28: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Monday, June 29: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

The pop-up meeting rooms are spaces for members of ABA’s Affinity Group communities. This room is a mixed-use space for members of the Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x, Hispanic, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Indigenous, LGBTQIA2S+, Trans, Disability, and Neurodiverse communities.

Black and BIPOC Community Affinity Group Meet-up
Journey, Floor 1, SCC
Sunday, June 28: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Monday, June 29: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

This room is a dedicated, closed space for members of the Black and BIPOC communities. 


Land Acknowledgment

We are currently gathered on the lands of the Council of Three Fires — the Ojibwa, Ottawa and Potawatomi — as well as the Miami, Peoria, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sauk and Meskwaki peoples.

We acknowledge the First People of this land to honor their story: one of sovereignty, stewardship, history, and ongoing leadership. It is vital to keep these nations and their descendants at the center of our time together in this place.
We commit ourselves to developing deeper partnerships that advocate for the progress, dignity, and humanity of the many diverse Indigenous people who keep their heritage and traditions alive on this land today. To that end, we are making a donation to the American Indian Center of Chicago and encourage you to join us and do the same.


Getting around Schaumburg 

Metra

Metra is the rail system serving the six-county Chicago area. Metra provides service to and from downtown Chicago with 243 stations over 11 routes totaling nearly 500 route miles. The Metra Milwaukee District West line has stops available in Schaumburg:

Milwaukee District West (MD-W)
Arrives/Departs from Union Station, Chicago. Stops available in Schaumburg, Roselle, Itasca, and Wood Dale.

Free Schaumburg Woodfield Trolley Service

The Woodfield Trolley (Pace Route 905) is a FREE transportation shuttle providing access to various Woodfield area destinations and shopping centers.

To hear information about operating hours and stop locations, contact the pre-recorded Trolley Hotline at (847) 923-3880.

Daily service is available from Memorial Day through Labor Day and from the day after Thanksgiving through January 1.

Ventra Chicago App

Download the Ventra app for smooth riding on Metra, CTA and Pace.


Local Travel Guides

Schaumburg is one of eight communities that make up the Chicago Northwest. Here are a few local guides to the area to help you make the most of your trip!


Pride Month 

PRIDE Chicago’s event calendar features local LGBTQIA2S+ events and programming year-round! OutCoast TV’s guide to Illinois state is full of inclusive travel guides, from Pride events to outdoor activities.