Policies

The International Seating Symposium (“ISS,” “us,” “we”) is a program administered by the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh. The following policies apply to all ISS and ISS-affiliated events and content, unless otherwise specified. By continuing to browse and use this platform, participate in ISS events, and/or engage with ISS content, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the policies, terms, and conditions. Violation of any policy may result in suspension, removal, or permanent ban from participation in ISS events and activities. ISS reserves the right to enforce these policies as it sees fit. ISS refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is 6425 Penn Avenue, Suite 401, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, USA.

Code of Conduct

The following code of conduct applies to participants in all ISS activities.

Professionalism & Mutual Respect

ISS depends on all participants to treat one another respectfully and professionally. This includes, but is not limited to, conduct toward other attendees, speakers/presenters, staff, laborers, administrators, volunteers, students, exhibitors, guests, and community members.

We politely request that participants hold questions until the end of presentations unless prompted. In pursuit of the ISS’s mission of advancing education, academic discourse is encouraged; however, questions seen as attacking another individual’s qualifications, merit, status, integrity, or are personal in nature will not be tolerated.

Unprofessional and disrespectful actions, comments, questions, and gestures are prohibited and are grounds for permanent removal from ISS activities. Other prohibited activities include, but are not limited to, harassment, sexual harassment, abuse or assault, coercion, bullying, intoxication, illegal activity, discrimination, and plagiarism.

Dress Code

Dress at ISS events is business casual. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable attire for in-person events, especially for hands-on activities like workshops or browsing the exhibit hall. Participants are welcome to dress more formally if they choose to.

Values, Ethics, & Responsibility

All participants in ISS activities agree to uphold the ISS’s mission to advance mobility and universal accessibility through education and uniting stakeholders across the full spectrum of wheelchair and mobility device service provision.

All participants agree to demonstrate high standards of professional conduct and will not discriminate against others based on gender, age, socioeconomic or ethnic background, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.

Reporting of Inappropriate Behavior

Please report any instance of inappropriate behavior, misconduct, or behavior in violation of ISS policies, to the ISS team via email at iss_info@pitt.edu.

Speaker / Presenter Policies

The following statements refer to individuals who present content at ISS events. Prior to presenting at an ISS event, all speakers must sign and agree to these policies. The form can be completed online: COMPLETE THE ISS SPEAKER AGREEMENT

Download the Speaker Agreement Form in PDF Format

Code of Ethics

I agree to demonstrate high standards of professional conduct and will not discriminate against learners based on gender, age, socioeconomic or ethnic background, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.

I confirm that my educational offering is based upon the learning objectives that were submitted with the presentation proposal for the International Seating Symposium.

I confirm the learning material is original work and that external supporting subject content will be acknowledged and properly referenced.

Legal Right to Presented Materials

I confirm that I have legal right to present on all materials submitted here, including any copyrighted materials, intellectual property, etc.

I confirm that all materials in my presentation(s) comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and any and all other local data and privacy laws. Examples of measures taken to comply include, but are not limited to

  • De-identification, such as by blurring any identifiable information in photos or videos of case studies, or by removing dates, ages, etc., from data on cases, or
  • Obtaining written permissions from clients and/or their families, to use their photos, videos, data, etc. in your presentation, both live and recorded. 

Recording and Presentation Availability

ISS classifies presentation recordings into three levels of availability: Open-Access, Registration-Limited, and Closed. Each has different levels to which they can (or cannot) be shared publicly.

  • Open Access: Your recording can be shared and re-shared publicly, including on social media and via the ISS YouTube channel. 
    • Advantages: Highest visibility to your work, promoting knowledge dissemination. Individuals working on grant-funded research projects, for example, may elect for this option so that they can report greater attention to their funding agency.
    • Potential drawbacks: Less control over sharing. When content is shared on YouTube and social media, it can be ‘re-shared’ by other accounts.          
  • Registration-Limited: Visibility of your presentation is limited to only individuals who attended the event where you presented, or to individuals who registered for content packages that include on-demand content from said event.
    • Advantages: Content sharing among like-minded professionals. Your materials will be available only to individuals who attend the event where you presented, or to those who deliberately seek out materials on your specific topic of interest.
    • Potential drawbacks: Limited visibility. Your content will not be made available on public platforms, such as the ISS LinkedIn, where industry veterans and newcomers are likely to come across your work and research.
  • Closed: Your presentation recording will not be made available anywhere (though we can provide your team with a copy at your written request).
    • Advantages: Maximum privacy. No one outside your team will be able to access your content.
    • Potential drawbacks: Restricted knowledge translation. The impact of your research may be limited by the number of people who are unable to access your work.

Regardless of level of availability, ISS will always credit you and your co-authors with at least the following information: your full name(s), credentials, and affiliation(s).

I acknowledge that the International Seating Symposium has the right to record my presentation.

I have read and understand the levels of ISS presentation availability, I have selected the tier of availability (open-access, registration-limited, or closed) that suits my presentation, and I agree to the terms of my selected tier.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

The University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, Continuing Education (RSTCE), host of the International Seating Symposium, strives to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its approved educational activities. All individuals in a position to control presented content must disclose the name of all proprietary entities producing health care goods or services with which they have financial relationships as well as the nature of these relationships. It is not necessary to disclose relationships with non-profit or government organizations or proprietary entities that do not produce healthcare goods or services. Relationships of immediate family members with proprietary entities producing health care goods or services should be disclosed if they are of a nature that may influence the objectivity of the individual in a position to control the content of the continuing education activity.

Being affiliated with or employed by a company or entity that has commercial interest does not preclude you from presenting. Rather, this must be disclosed in order for the learner to be aware and develop their own opinion of the content.

If any of the following statements are TRUE, the speaker must disclose this and identify the nature of the relationship:

  • I am an employee of a commercial entity that produces healthcare goods or services.
  • I receive grant or research support for my work.
  • I am a consultant for an entity that produces healthcare goods or services.
  • I am a member of a promotional speakers’ bureau.
  • I am a stockholder of an entity that produces healthcare goods or services.
  • I have another financial interest(s) with an entity(ies) that produces healthcare goods or services.
  • I am receiving some sort of compensation for this presentation, such as honorarium or reimbursement for travel expenses.

All presenters must disclose any real or perceived conflict of interest at the start of their presentation in addition to providing these details to ISS when completing the speaker agreement form.

Speaker Concessions

The following registration discounts will be provided for speakers/presenters at the 39th International Seating Symposium, March 19-22, 2025. Discounts are provided to primary presenters/first authors only. Unless otherwise noted, ISS does not provide or assist with accommodations or travel. Registration discounts are provided in form of discount codes. Codes are provided only after an abstract has been accepted and the speaker confirms their intent to present.

  • 60-minute Instructional Course (IC) and 90-minute Interactive Course presenters:
    • 50% registration discount (primary presenter/first author only) 
  • 15-minute Paper Presentations, 30-minute Short Course presenters:
    • 25% registration discount (primary presenter/first author only) 

Unless otherwise noted, discounts are not provided for poster presentations. Discounts are subject to change.

Attendee Policies

The following statements refer to individuals who attend ISS events or view ISS content, such as on-demand recordings.

Release of Recorded Media (Photo, Video, Audio)

ISS has the right to record our attendees via photographs, videos, audio, or other media format. ISS has the right to use, remix, and commercialize any and all text and recordings of the content and materials in any medium as the ISS desires, including, but not limited to, as free or at-cost promotional, educational, or commercial content distributed to the public.

Individual ISS events may have respective attendee agreements and releases. ISS Attendees are bound to all agreements; no individual agreement nullifies any previously agreed to.

Attendee Refund Policy

The following refund policy applies to attendees of live ISS events. It does not apply to exhibitors or supporters/sponsors, nor does it apply to the purchase of on-demand content.

All requests for refund must be made in writing via email (iss_info@pitt.edu). Refunds are generally provided on the following schedule. If registration is cancelled and request for refund is received:

  • More than two months prior to event start date:
    • 50% refund
  • One to two months prior to event start:
    • 25% refund
  • Within one month of event start date:
    • No refund

Refunds are issued through the University of Pittsburgh via check and may require additional paperwork. Payments can be expected within 6 weeks of request.

Registration Type Policy

All ISS registrations provide access to the full ISS event: the exhibit hall and educational sessions (not including pre-conference workshops) on all main conference days.

ISS does not offer exhibit hall-only passes.

ISS does not offer single-day registrations.

Event Cancellation / Postponement Policy

In the unlikely event that the dates or format (e.g., in-person event changed to virtual) of an ISS event need to change after attendees have registered and paid, all registrations will automatically be rolled over to the new dates/format. If an attendee must cancel their registration as a result of the change, please request a refund via iss_info@pitt.edu.

In the unlikely event that an ISS event is cancelled after attendees have registered and paid, registrants will be refunded in full. Note that refunds due to event cancellation/postponement may be in the form of “store credit,” i.e., funds may be rolled over to a future event, rather than issuance of a direct refund via check. This is due to university policies regarding direct payment.

Exhibitor / Supporter Policies

  • “Supporter,” “exhibitor,” and “partner” includes, but is not limited to, any organization that enters into agreement (financial or otherwise) with the International Seating Symposium as a(n) exhibitors, sponsor, booth-holder, partner, etc.
  • Exhibition at or support/sponsorship of an ISS event does not imply that ISS endorses any product, company, procedure, etc.

ISS Exhibitor Fee Schedule

Please check back later for the fee schedule for upcoming ISS events.

39th ISS Exhibitor Refund Policy

Please check back later for refund information for upcoming ISS events.

All requests for refund must be made in writing via email (iss_info@pitt.edu).

Height Limit on Exhibit Hall Booth Structures

Booth structures, including signage and banners, are permitted to be no taller than 15 feet (4.57 meters) from the exhibit hall floor. Should you wish to erect structures that exceed 15 ft in height, please contact Paramount Convention Services with a structural drawing so that convention services, the venue (David L. Lawrence Convention Center), ISS, and all other relevant parties can confirm the safety of said structure. Decision to allow structures exceeding 15 ft in height are the final discretion of the ISS and parties listed above. 

Additional Exhibitor / Supporter Deadline

Unless otherwise stated, no new exhibitors / supporters will be added to any ISS event within one month of the event’s start date.

501(c)(3) Exhibitors

To support the development of non-profit activities, the ISS reserves a small selection of exhibitor booths to be staffed by qualified 501(c)(3) organizations at our discretion. For details, please contact us.

Exhibitor Discounts

First-Time Exhibitors

To encourage new exhibitors to attend our event, ISS is pleased to offer a “first time exhibitor” discount. Qualifying organizations may receive a 20% discount on their exhibitor registration, up to a maximum of $2,000. Qualifying organizations are those that:

  • Have never exhibited at ISS before,
  • Are not affiliated with another exhibiting organization, AND
  • Are not direct ‘spin-offs’ of existing exhibitors.

 “Startup” Exhibitors

To promote innovation and new ideas in wheelchair seating and mobility, ISS can offer a discount to “startup” companies that face financial barriers, budgetary limitations, or are not yet at the stage of seeing profits on their innovations. Qualifying organizations may receive a 10% discount on their exhibitor registration, up to a maximum of $1,000. Examples and other criteria include organization that:

  • Have “spun-off” from university projects, but are not longer supported by their university or grant funder,
  • Have developed prototypes, but are not yet marketing products,
  • Have not brought their devices to the US market, OR
  • Offer public services exclusively in less-resourced environments.

This discounts listed above are offered at the discretion of the ISS team and are not guaranteed. All requests for exhibitor discounts must be made in writing via email to iss_info@pitt.edu prior to registration. Discount may not be stacked with any other exhibitor discount.

Modifications to Exhibit Hall Layout

The ISS exhibit hall layout is carefully designed to optimize space for exhibitors, attendees, and event planners. The makeup of booths is deliberate to allow small, medium, and large exhibitors to find suitable and affordable space. As such, we are not able to merge, split, or move booths to create custom sizes or layouts outside of extenuating circumstances. Please visit our exhibitors page to learn more about exhibiting opportunities and the exhibit hall layout.

Grievances & Remuneration

Any complaints regarding ISS services rendered, including, but not limited to, exhibitor move in/out, exhibit booth damages, loss of materials, administrative errors, or negligence, must be brought to the attention of the ISS team within 48 hours of the incident in question in writing via email to iss_info@pitt.edu. In your correspondence, please include evidence documenting the incident (screenshots, photographs, etc.) and a thorough explanation. Please also indicate if, to your knowledge, the incident included the services of a third party (e.g., labor provided by the venue, convention services, etc.).

ISS is not liable for loss or damages to exhibitor booths, other materials, or personal items.

Events “In-Conjunction-With” ISS

As part of the International Seating Symposium, attendees and exhibitors have the opportunity to host their own meetings and small, private events “in conjunction with” ISS. These are referred to as “ICWs.”

ICWs are only permitted under the conditions that they do not pull standard ISS attendees away from regularly scheduled activities.

For example, an exhibitor would not be permitted to host an ICW product demonstration while the ISS exhibit hall is open, as this would unfairly pull attendees away from other exhibitors. It would be recommended to host an ICW like this during pre-conference days, or in the hours before or after the exhibit hall is open.

Permission to schedule an ICW is solely at the discretion of the ISS team.

Scheduling ICWs

Individuals and organizations interested in hosting ICWs can contact Karl A. Kemmerer: kak216@pitt.edu. Please provide the purpose of your event, preferred time (start and end) and date, size of room requested, specific room setup, and expected attendance, along with any other details.

If given permission to host the ICW, the ISS team will assign the host a room at the venue. We will then connect you with the necessary third parties to plan your event:

  • Catering
  • Audio/Visual
  • Room Setup/Strike
  • Internet

Payment Arrangement

ISS has a number of rooms pre-booked for ICWs. We will do our best to provide you with a complimentary room to help mitigate the cost of your event.

ICWs hosts are then responsible for the cost of third part services. To ensure all third-parties are paid in a timely manner (and because ISS already has contracts with the third parties), ISS will pay for the services up-front, then invoice the ICW host. Invoices for ICWs can be paid for by check or online.

Failure to pay one’s invoice for ICW costs within a reasonable timeframe following the event may result in disciplinary action taken against the ICW host and/or their organization, potentially including prohibition from attending future ISS events.

Communication Policies 

Official ISS email communication will come from one of the following sources ONLY:

  • The ISS email address: iss_info@pitt.edu
  • The Dept. of Rehabilitation Science & Technology Continuing Education (RSTCE) Team email: rst_ce@pitt.edu
  • “Constant Contact,” the email service used by the ISS team
  • Directly from an ISS team member’s University of Pittsburgh email (ending with “@pitt.edu”).

Outreach by any source not listed above is assumed to be fraudulent. Please beware of scammers who may attempt to sell you contact lists from ISS events (see Attendee List Sharing Policy below), or who may make other false offers.

The ISS does not work with external, third party travel agents to schedule accommodations. Any outreach from a third party claiming to schedule accommodations is assumed to be fraudulent. ISS recommends booking all hotel accommodations in the ISS Room Block through the Hotels and Venue Page.

ISS’s only travel affiliates are Anthony Travel, the official manager of the University of Pittsburgh, and VisitPITTSBURGH, ISS’s regional travel partner.

Attendee List Privacy Policy

The ISS does NOT sell or share our attendee list.

ISS attendees’ emails and contact information is used by our team only, and solely for ISS-related purposes, outreach, etc. We also do not directly share our attendee list with ISS exhibitors or sponsors.

As an ISS attendee to or participant in a virtual event, your “business card-level” personal information (E.g., first and last name, workplace affiliation) may be visible to other attendees, such as in the event app or virtual environment. Only information that you provide to the app or other platform will be visible to others, and in general, this can be disabled, such as by setting your profile in an app to “private.” Please refer to the specific app or platform’s instructions. Please note that as an attendee, if you interact with an exhibitor or presenter, that person or entity may request your contact information independently from ISS. As examples, an exhibitor may request your email address as part of their “lead retrieval,” or a presenter may ask for your phone number to follow up with you after their session. These correspondences are separate from ISS, and we are not responsible for the contents or privacy of such data.

Continuing Education Accreditation

International Seating Symposium activities are accredited by the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, Continuing Education (RSTCE). Please refer to the specific course or event and respective completion certificate(s) for details, including number and types of credits/hours awarded.

Professional Disciplines:

AOTA
RESNA
PT

Occupational Therapists: The University of Pittsburgh (rst_ce@pitt.edu) is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development, Approved Provider ID# 10503. The assignment of AOTA CEUS does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

Physical Therapists: Certificate-holders may submit these credits to their respective state’s PT board for approval.

RESNA: Credits are accepted by RESNA and may be used for ATP certification/renewal.

Certificates

Completion certificates from ISS activities are typically sent through the app or LMS (learning management system) for that respective activity, often after passing a post-test or completing a post-event feedback survey or course evaluation. If you have not received a certificate, first, please confirm you have completed all such activities through the app or LMS.

After confirming you have completed everything, if you still have not received a certificate, you can contact that ISS team at iss_info@pitt.edu.

Please note that we can not send certificates for activities that were completed more than two years ago.

Payment Processing, E-Commerce, & Security 

E-Commerce Payment Gateway: ISS uses Authorize.net as our payment gateway for all e-commerce. Please refer to Authorize.net’s Terms of use for details.

Software Services: ISS uses Cvent for services including event management, registration, and app. Please refer to Cvent’s legal documentation for details.

Network Security: In addition to the third parties listed above, ISS network security is supported by University of Pittsburgh IT. Any and all security concerns and/or evidence of tampering must be reported promptly to Pitt IT.

Other Payment Policies: The ISS’s preferred method of payment receipt is virtual.

Phone: In extenuating circumstances, payment may be accepted via phone, only at the written request of the payee with written approval of the ISS. ISS does not store any payment information “by hand” or in written, paper form.

Check: At the written request of the payee with written approval of the ISS, payment may be made by check, using the following details:

Write check PAYABLE TO: University of Pittsburgh

Address:

International Seating Symposium

6425 Penn Ave., Ste. 401B

Pittsburgh, PA 15206

University of Pittsburgh Policies

The International Seating Symposium is administered by the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh. As a university entity, ISS adheres to all University of Pittsburgh Academic, and Community Standards, and Privacy Policies.

By continuing to browse and use this platform, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the terms and conditions of use, which govern International Seating Symposium (ISS)’s relationship with you in relation to this website. The term International Seating Symposium (ISS) or “us” or “we” refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is 6425 Penn Avenue, Suite 401, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, USA.

Last updated April 30, 2025