Know Before You Go: LEAD® Conference
Raleigh, N.C., is excited to host The Kennedy Center’s Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD®) conference at the Raleigh Convention Center, Aug. 1-5, 2022.
On this page, you will find:
- Downtown parking and dining
- Accessible transportation
- Ground transportation
- Accessibility information for Raleigh Marriott City Center
- Accessibility information for the Raleigh Convention Center
- COVID safety plan
Raleigh, N.C., is committed to making our area fully accessible to as many visitors as possible. All hospitality partners—hotels, restaurants, attractions, venues, retailers and transportation companies—are encouraged to provide stellar customer service to visitors with disabilities. Visit our accessibility page for things to do for people with disabilities, a list of partners exceeding expectations and more.
Downtown parking and dining
Visit Raleigh’s Downtown Raleigh map helps you get around. The map includes points of interest, parking and transportation. Click here to explore different downtown restaurants. You can filter your search by cuisine type, dining style, price and other amenities.
Accessible transportation
For a fee, Wisdom Care Transportation is available for wheelchair-accessible transportation only. Call 919.825.0902 or visit www.wisdomcaretrans.com to book accessible transportation from and to RDU International Airport. The deadline to reserve accessible transportation is Fri., July 29. (Use promo code: LEAD Raleigh)
For transportation from and to RDU International Airport, please have the following information ready:
- Arrival and departure date and time
- Airline
- Flight number
- Specific transportation needs (to determine type of vehicle and equipment needed)
- Number of passengers
Note: Caller will need to provide contact number and email address, as well as credit card information.
For transportation to and from the Raleigh Convention Center or downtown Raleigh, please have the following information ready:
- Date and time you would like to be picked up
- Specific transportation needs (to determine type of vehicle and equipment needed)
- Number of passengers
Note: Caller will need to provide contact number and email address, as well as credit card information.
Additionally, Wisdom Care Transportation will offer on-demand accessible transportation from the downtown area hotel or convention center to areas within the five zones (outlined below) for a fee. Transportation will cost between $10-$15 per ride to those persons wanting accessible transportation to and from off-site events, attractions and food locations downtown during the conference. Please note that this does not include point-to-point transportation. To guarantee service, it's recommended to give a 24-hour notice.
Zone 1: $10
Fayetteville Street
Moore Square
North Carolina State Capitol
North Carolina Museum of History
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Zone 2: $10
Warehouse District
Morgan Street Food Hall
Weaver Street Market
Videri Chocolate Factory
CAM Raleigh
Zone 3: $10
John Chavis Memorial Park and Community Center
Transfer Co. Food Hall
Zone 4: $10
Pullen Arts Center
Gregg Museum of Art & Design
Theatre In The Park
Thompson Hall at North Carolina State University
Zone 5: $15
North Carolina Museum of Art
Crabtree Valley Mall
Ground transportation
Rideshare
Services from Uber and Lyft are available from and to the airport.
Taxi
Taxi Taxi is the exclusive taxicab company for pick-up/drop-off at RDU. Guests may call 919.333.3333 for any airport-related taxi needs. Walk-up taxi service is available at both terminals in the taxi zones.
Other transportation options
Visit the RDU website for additional information on transportation from RDU.
Accessibility information for Raleigh Marriott City Center
If you are staying at the Raleigh Marriott City Center and have specific needs or requests, please reach out to the contacts below when making a reservation. Please reach out before the time of your reservation to allow for time to address or accommodate the request.
Joyce Worrell
Director of Catering and Convention Services
808.681.9266
Edward Clayton
Director of Rooms
919.607.5859
Accessibility information for the Raleigh Convention Center
The Raleigh Convention Center strives to make the facility accessible to all and adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Click here and here to learn more about the Raleigh Convention Center’s accessibility features.
COVID safety plan
To help keep guests as safe as possible, all in-person LEAD® participants are required to show proof of full vaccination or proof of a negative antigen COVID test taken no more than six hours each day before they arrive. Face masks are also required if not actively eating or drinking.
For more information on the COVID safety plan, please review this page or contact The Kennedy Center at 202.416.8727 or access@kennedy-center.org.
For more information about Raleigh, N.C., for LEAD® attendees, head to visitRaleigh.com/lead or contact Tammy Jeffries at Visit Raleigh at 919.645.2674.