Accessibility

Accessibility Policy

This page will focus primarily on physical accessibility needs, though we are mindful that the LARP community includes a significant number of people with mental health needs too and that physical and mental health needs can overlap. The Accessibility Policy shows what the team at Menhirs Fate are committed to achieving and how we aim to do that, both at the event and outside of it.  

We strongly recommend that you read our other policies as some of them also touch on accessibility needs, including the Behavioural Guidelines policy and also the Inclusivity Policy.

Mobility at the Menhirs Fate site

The site itself is on chalk soil, so drainage is excellent and mud should hopefully be minimal, but this might vary both with the weather and also the number of people at the event (as lots of people walking in the same area can turn any grass into mud). The main camping and game fields are well maintained by the owners, and used regularly for festivals and camping, so the grass is likely to be short at each event, but might be longer in the skirmish field. 

The main battles will probably take place in the woods along with some non-combat encounters too. The woods are very well maintained with all tree branches cleared to above head height, but footing will be more uneven here (and although the site owners will fill in any rabbit holes, these can and do appear overnight) so please make sure you wear sensible footwear and bring/wear any mobility aids you rely on. 

The fields are relatively level and it is the aim of Menhir’s Fate to ensure wheelchair and mobility scooter access to all OC and playable areas. There are no buildings but there will be many in-game tents for you to enter, and those provided by Menhirs Fate will have level access (as much as possible in the field) and corridors wide enough for your vehicle to navigate safely. If you have any other questions about wheelchair and scooter access in particular please email accessibility@menhirsfate.com and the team will do our best to answer your questions, but especially before E1 we might not be able to give a full answer until we’ve seen how things actually work out on the field.

Charge points

There is no power access for IC campers, but charge points will be available OC for accessibility aids. Please speak to a ref or a member of crew if you have questions about this. Parts of the OC camping area will have power access but this will be reserved for those who need it, so please email accessibility@menhirsfate.com to arrange this once you have booked your ticket. This information should show up during the booking process so you only need to email once, but we have repeated it here to make sure people are aware, in case this affects whether you decide to book.

Mobility and Critical States

Even if you are non-com, you could still end up in a critical state due to a variety of effects such as magic or curses from the gods. If your mobility prevents you from lowering yourself to the ground, you are not obligated to do so. However you must still roleplay that your character is in a critical state in whatever way is safe and sensible for you. Please be understanding if your roleplay is very convincing and someone assumes you have suffered an OC injury!

Combat

Combat is entirely optional at Menhirs Fate. However, whether or not you intend or are able to participate in combat, you must still read the Non-Combatant Rules section of the Introduction to Rules page. If you are completely non-combat for the event, be aware that your Nation Support teams will attempt to alert you when any fighting is likely to take place in your nation camp. Nation Support may also be able to help you get involved in any non-combat encounters available to your nation and some Guild encounters may also be non-combat too. 

The central part of Haven, including the most central part of each nation’s camp is intended to be combat-free in regards to game plot, but it is possible combat may spill into these areas and other players may initiate pvp combat in them. 

For anyone who is interested in fighting but are unsure whether they will enjoy it or be able to do it, we recommend attending the New Player Combat Skirmish that will happen on Friday afternoon before time-in. 

Monstering

Monstering at Menhir’s Fate is more than just monsters and combat. Participation is part of the social contract and there are multiple ways to participate if you are non-com, however we understand sometimes it’s just not in the physical or mental budget for everyone, so it is not mandatory. Speak to your Nation Support team if you’re thinking of not monstering, or if you want to find a non-com role to play. Monstering slots are available on a schedule of 2 hour blocks, and are likely to require as much as 3 hours of your time including dressing, briefing, and disrobing.

If you’re interested in fighting, monstering is an excellent way to dip your toes into LARP combat, (especially for weapon styles you’re not familiar or confident with, such as dual-wielding or polearms), as you can die multiple times in quick succession without worrying about losing your character.

Allergies

Please remember to bring your medication (especially epi-pens if you are prescribed them) and remember that you might not always be able to check ingredients while in the field. Our food vendors are required to follow strict hygiene standards and should be able to provide a list of ingredients on request, please read the Inclusivity policy for more details. 

Any food and/or drink brought by other players might not be prepared to these same standards or have ingredient lists available. Please also be careful if sharing things such as cutlery or bowls. 

While it is common courtesy at LARP to ask other people about food allergies that are sensitive to airborne particles, including but not limited to nut allergies, this might not always be possible and/or practical. For example, if you approach an area (eg around a campfire or in a specific tent) this might have already been asked and the person has then opened the packet or container. For your own safety, please don’t assume anyone will be aware of any allergens that might affect you.

If you suffer from hayfever, we recommend checking dedicated pollen forecasts for both the levels as well as what types of pollen are expected (eg grass pollen, tree pollen, specific types of crops etc). The author who added this suggests using the UK Met Office pollen forecast, but others are probably available. If you’re travelling from other parts of the UK or even abroad, do remember that even the same broad types of pollen (especially grass pollen) can affect you differently in different parts of the country.

Medications

Make sure to order your prescription well in advance of the event, so that if your local pharmacy has difficulty filling any of the medications you then have time to find an alternative pharmacy with stock before you need to travel. If possible, bring spares and/or the end of a packet, so that if you lose something while packing down at the end of an event you won’t be struggling in the days after the event. If you do get to the site and find that you have forgotten a specific medication, you can always call 111 and ask for an emergency prescription to be sent to a pharmacy close to the site. There are multiple pharmacies within a 20 minute drive from site, in the local town Baldock.

For emergency relief medications such as inhalers or epi-pens in particular, we recommend keeping one on your person in each belt or bag that you will be wearing in character, and another in your tent. If you’ll have a change of outfits, consider keeping one with every set. Even if you keep your main one in a specific pouch, it can be very easy to forget to move that pouch from one belt to the other if you are changing outfits.

Try not to keep all of your medications with you at all times or you might lose them if you lose the pouch you’re keeping them in.

The rules around IC theft (see the In-Character theft section on the Introduction to Rules page)  should keep OC medication safe because only specific items can be stolen and taken to the Treasure Hunters Guild. However, not all players may remember this, so you might want to keep your medications with only other OC items and/or put a tag on the bag or pouch that says there are OC medications in there. 

Please also remember that deliberately putting IC resources in a container that is marked as containing OC medication in order to discourage the IC resources being looked at or found is a breach of the rules around distinguishing between IC and OC interactions, as set out in the Behavioural Guidelines Policy. 

Accessibility devices

If it improves your access to the game, it’s an accessibility device and therefore doesn’t have to look IC, but you are more than welcome to decorate them as you wish. Some obvious examples are: glasses, sticks, joint braces, wheelchairs & scooters, and smart watches & step counters. 

If you ever receive any negative comments about your accessibility devices from players or crew, please either inform a ref at the event or contact us via accessibility@menhirsfate.com afterwards so we can communicate to either the specific attendee(s) and/or the wider community as necessary.

Medics & Welfare

Medics are available in a separate tent. Welfare will be handled on an out-of-character basis, and there will be an OC welfare zone in either the central OC/crew area or near the OC camping. This may change between events, so please contact a ref or any crew member if you need help.

General tips 

Attending LARP can be very demanding in a number of different ways, even starting with just deciding what to bring and the effort of getting to the site in the first place. Here are some of our tips that we’ve learnt the hard way.

• Bring at least one spare joint support/brace for each body part that needs one, as having to put a wet one on after changing into dry clothes is miserable.
• If you know that you can become non-vocal or generally uncommunicative when overstimulated or tired, prepare something that you can show people, such as a lanyard or bracelet that you can easily hide under your IC layers or on a laminated bit of paper in a pouch. Make sure that it states what is probably happening and what you want people to do about it. One example could be “I may become non-vocal and quiet and defensive but insist that I am fine when I am not. Please talk more slowly, ask questions that I can easily answer no or yes with gestures, and give me extra time to process and answer”.
• Having a light-source that looks IC is preferable, but if you need to use a modern torch after dark to see where you are going that is completely acceptable. A head torch with a red light mode is really helpful, both to keep your hands free as well as to preserve night vision. 
• Putting lights around your tent so that other people can see where your guy ropes are is really helpful. Glow in the dark guylines don’t always glow late enough into the night (especially at the first and last events of the year when the sun sets earlier).
• Bringing snacks that are suitable for you is really important, as it can be very easy to lose track of time at LARP and forget to eat. Cold weather may well cause you to burn calories quicker, and being hungry (especially without realising) can cause you to feel tired, impairs your memory, and makes you feel cold faster.
• Having a parasol and/or a paper hand fan can be very immersive during hot weather, but your health is key and so electric hand and/or neck fans are completely acceptable (though please hide them from sight when not in use).
• Hot weather frequently leads to much higher pollen levels too, so if you need to take antihistamines we suggest starting them at least a couple of days before the event.
• Wearing modern waterproof layers under your IC kit should be avoided if possible, as it can become very hot and sweaty and is unpleasant when the water runs straight onto your hands and/or feet.
• Sleeping in fresh socks is very helpful, as getting to sleep when your feet are cold is really difficult. This might feel weird for anyone with sensory issues or who just isn’t used to it, but if you can manage this then it really helps.
• When getting ready for bed, the very first thing you should do is put something warm and dry at the bottom of your sleeping bag (such as a hot water bottle or a hand warmer or two), even before things like taking makeup off or brushing your teeth, to give time for your sleeping bag to warm up.
• If you are not camping on site (such as staying in a hotel or B&B, or even driving home each night if you live close enough), you will be able to leave and return to site at any time during the event. Please check in with our site team at the event if you plan to do this, as the exact plans might change between events.
• Try to avoid scheduling anything for the day after you get back, and try to book the day off if you are in employment. You will be a lot more tired than you think, even after a good night’s rest.

Weather at LARP

The weather will affect your weekend, no matter what type of British weather we get. 

A good cloak is invaluable for both keeping the rain out and heat in. Pure wool cloaks are preferable but these can cause problems for some people with sensory issues, so if this applies to you we recommend trying one in person (whether at a LARP or at one of the trading events such as What’s Your Game or LARPCon) before you buy. Cotton (especially when waxed) or some other natural fabric treated with waterproofing coating is a good alternative. We strongly recommend avoiding polyester cloaks both because they do not retain heat well and because polyester melts rather than catching fire, which can be a significant risk when you are close to open flames.

Cold weather can trigger asthma, affect joints and circulation, and reduce the amount of sleep you might get. Make sure to pack thermal base layers, and keep one set separate to wear while sleeping, as the ones you wear before going to bed will absorb any sweat your body produces (which can be more than you expect in the cold if you’re sitting by a fire or walking around to stay warm). 

Wet weather can lead to you getting cold easily, and any wet ground can become much slippier than normal, increasing the chance of falls and/or dislocations. Making sure to bring spare socks is great, and some specialist outdoors shops sell semi-waterproof socks (one of the authors uses the brand Sealskinz), but remember to bring a change of footwear in case your main pair gets soaked through and for travelling home. 

Very hot and/or sunny weather means you will need to drink much more fluid than normal, but remember that you will need to eat some salty food and/or drink electrolyte drinks too. Linen and/or cotton fabrics are much more breathable (and generally look more IC) than artificial fabrics such as polyester. Sunburn can also happen easily, as putting makeup on and taking it off (especially before/after monstering) can remove any sunscreen you’ve already put on, and wearing thin layers and spending lots of time in the sun can increase your risk too.