1. Acceptance of These Terms

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) are a binding agreement between you and Hands Up Conference, operated by Hands Up Communications (collectively, “Hands Up,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). They govern your access to handsupconference.com and related pages (the “Site”), and your registration for, purchase of, attendance at, or participation in the Hands Up Conference, Lil’ Hands Up Conference, workshops, special events, virtual offerings, scholarship or volunteer programs, and related activities (collectively, the “Events”).

By using the Site, submitting a form, purchasing or accepting a ticket, or participating in an Event, you agree to these Terms, the Privacy Policy, posted Event rules, and any additional terms disclosed during registration. If you register another person, a child, or a group, you represent that you are authorized to accept and communicate the applicable terms on their behalf. If you do not agree, do not use the Site or register for an Event.

2. Eligibility and Authority

You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering a contract to make a purchase. A person under 18 may attend only as permitted by the applicable Event rules and with required parent or legal-guardian authorization. Organizations and group purchasers represent that the person completing registration has authority to bind the organization regarding payment and registration administration.

3. Conference Purpose and Language Expectations

Hands Up provides educational and social opportunities for signing communities, families, professionals, students, and individuals at various signing levels. The primary and official language of the Hands Up Conference is American Sign Language (ASL). Unless a workshop is specifically identified otherwise:

• Workshops, presentations, and general conference communication are conducted in ASL without voice interpretation.

• Attendees are asked to make their best effort to communicate in sign language in training rooms, vendor areas, the hotel lobby, and other common conference spaces, and to respect Deaf space.

• Parent-focused and FOUNDATIONS classes may have different communication expectations, and a limited number of sessions may be interpreted into English.

• The availability of interpretation, captions, tactile services, or any particular communication support is not guaranteed unless confirmed through the accommodation process.

Signing ability, hearing status, disability, professional role, or relationship to a Deaf individual does not remove the requirement to pay applicable registration fees.

4. Registration, Pricing, and Payment

• Registration is not complete until required information and payment are received and a confirmation is issued.

• Prices, deadlines, ticket categories, add-ons, group rates, discounts, and availability may change before purchase. Taxes, processing fees, purchase-protection fees, hotel costs, travel, meals, parking, and incidentals are not included unless expressly stated.

• You must provide accurate, current, and complete information. We may correct obvious pricing or description errors and may cancel or refund an affected transaction when legally permitted.

• Tickets, badges, coupon codes, and registration confirmations may not be copied, counterfeited, or used by more than one person.

• We may establish registration limits, waitlists, prerequisites, age limits, or program-specific eligibility requirements.

Payments are processed by third-party providers. Their terms, privacy policies, and chargeback procedures also apply. You authorize the applicable provider to charge the payment method you submit for the total disclosed at checkout.

5. Cancellation, Refunds, Purchase Protection, and Credits

5.1 Attendee Cancellation and Purchase Protection

All refund requests based on an attendee’s inability to attend must be submitted directly through the TicketSpice Purchase Protection Program or its designated third-party provider, if the purchaser obtained and is eligible for that protection. Hands Up does not file claims on an attendee’s behalf and is not responsible for deciding or paying third-party protection claims. The provider’s terms, conditions, documentation requirements, deadlines, and exclusions control. Current provider terms are available at https://www.purchaseprotection.com/terms/.

Purchase Protection is offered by Purchase Protection LLC as a separate service and is not an insurance policy. It may be unavailable or inapplicable to certain events, attendees, transactions, or travel outside the United States. It does not reimburse merchandise purchases or charitable donations. Its fee is charged separately, and changes to a purchase may not change the amount protected.

5.2 Add-Ons and Special Events

Unless the checkout page expressly states otherwise, add-on purchases and special-event tickets, including Meeting with the Masters and Improv Night, are final sale and non-refundable. These fees support compensation for presenters and performers. Optional purchase protection applies only if the provider’s terms expressly cover the item and claim.

5.3 Registration Transfers

Hands Up may permit an attendee to transfer or privately sell a registration to another eligible attendee before the Event, subject to approval, deadlines, identity verification, and any fee or price difference. The original and replacement attendee must make an email introduction to conference@handsupcommunications.com and provide requested registration information. Hands Up does not participate in or guarantee the private payment between the parties and is not responsible for fraud, nonpayment, or disputes arising from that transaction. A registration is not transferred until Hands Up or its ticketing provider confirms the change.

5.4 Event Credit

If Hands Up offers a future-event credit, the written offer controls. Unless otherwise stated, a credit is one-time-use, non-refundable, non-transferable, has no cash value, and expires on the date disclosed when issued. The recipient is responsible for retaining and using the code. Lost, expired, unused, or compromised codes may not be replaced. A credit does not guarantee availability, pricing, presenters, location, or an identical future Event.

5.5 Chargebacks

Before initiating a chargeback, contact us so we can review the issue. Filing a false or abusive chargeback may result in cancellation of registration, collection activity, and restriction from future Events, to the extent permitted by law. Nothing in this section limits rights that cannot legally be waived.

6. Event Changes, Cancellation, and Force Majeure

Schedules, presenters, workshops, interpreters, CEU availability, rooms, formats, capacity, venues, dates, and other Event details are subject to change. Hands Up may substitute presenters or sessions, change rooms or times, move an Event online or to another location, postpone, limit, or cancel all or part of an Event when reasonably necessary.

Hands Up is not responsible for delay, modification, interruption, or cancellation caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including severe weather, hurricane, flood, fire, epidemic or pandemic, public-health order, government action, labor dispute, transportation interruption, utility or technology failure, venue unavailability, civil disturbance, terrorism, war, presenter emergency, or other force-majeure event. In such circumstances, Hands Up may offer a rescheduled Event, substitution, credit, or refund as stated in a specific notice and as required by law. Travel, lodging, meals, lost wages, and other consequential expenses remain the attendee’s responsibility. Attendees should consider refundable travel arrangements or appropriate travel protection.

7. Accommodations and Accessibility

Hands Up is committed to an inclusive and accessible environment. To request a reasonable accommodation, submit the designated form or email conference@handsupcommunications.com with enough information for us to understand and evaluate the request. Requests may include language or communication access, DeafBlind or tactile interpreting, special seating, mobility, spatial, or other access needs.

For the 2027 conference, requests should be received before June 1, 2027. We will consider later requests, but cannot assure that requested services can be arranged. An accommodation is not confirmed until Hands Up communicates approval or an agreed alternative in writing. We may request clarification where necessary, engage in an interactive process, and offer an effective alternative when a specific request is unavailable or would impose an undue burden or fundamentally alter the program, consistent with applicable law.

8. Lil’ Hands Up and Minors

Lil’ Hands Up is open only to children who meet the posted eligibility rules, currently ages 4-12 and fully potty trained regardless of age. A child under four or a child who is not potty trained may not attend. Parents remain welcome to attend the main conference but must arrange separate childcare for an ineligible child.

• A parent or legal guardian must complete registration, provide accurate emergency and authorized-pickup information, sign required permissions or waivers, and remain reachable during the program.

• Hands Up is not a medical or specialized childcare provider. A parent must disclose information reasonably necessary for safe participation and provide any required medication or care plan in accordance with program rules.

• Children must follow staff instructions and behavioral and safety rules. Hands Up may require a parent to pick up a child whose behavior, illness, needs, or circumstances cannot be safely accommodated within the program.

• Space may be limited, and registration for a parent workshop does not automatically reserve a child’s place unless the child receives a separate confirmation.

9. Attendee Conduct and Respect for Deaf Space

All participants must contribute to a respectful, inclusive, safe, and professional environment. Prohibited conduct includes:

• Harassment, discrimination, intimidation, stalking, threats, violence, unwanted sexual attention, or degrading conduct based on disability, hearing status, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, or other protected characteristic.

• Disruption of workshops, disregard of ASL and Deaf-space expectations, interference with interpreters or access providers, or refusal to follow reasonable staff or venue instructions.

• Unauthorized solicitation, distribution, promotion, sale, data collection, recording, or commercial activity.

• Possession of weapons where prohibited, illegal drugs, dangerous items, or intoxication that creates risk or disruption.

• Misuse of another person’s badge, ticket, coupon code, identity, image, contact information, or confidential information.

Report urgent safety concerns to venue security or emergency services, and report Event conduct concerns to Hands Up staff. Hands Up may investigate and take action it reasonably considers appropriate, including a warning, removal from a session, revocation of credentials, removal from the Event without refund, reporting to the venue or authorities, or restriction from future Events. Retaliation against a person who makes a good-faith report is prohibited.

10. Recording, Photography, and Publicity

Unless Hands Up and the presenter expressly permit it, attendees may not livestream, audio record, video record, photograph slides or handouts, or reproduce a workshop or presentation. Personal note-taking is permitted unless otherwise stated. Attendees must respect private conversations, accommodation services, interpreters, and any no-photo or no-recording designation.

Events may be photographed, filmed, or recorded by Hands Up or its authorized contractors. To the extent permitted by law and subject to any registration release, posted notice, or separate consent requirement, an attendee grants Hands Up permission to use the attendee’s image, likeness, voice, signing, and appearance captured in general Event footage for documentation, education, publicity, and promotion, without additional compensation. Parents or legal guardians control permissions for minors. Anyone with a privacy, safety, religious, or accommodation concern should contact us before the Event so available options can be discussed. Hands Up cannot guarantee exclusion from incidental crowd or background images in public Event spaces.

11. Intellectual Property

The Site and Event materials—including text, graphics, logos, photographs, videos, schedules, recordings, course materials, handouts, designs, and compilations—are owned by Hands Up, presenters, licensors, or other rights holders and are protected by intellectual-property laws. We grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable right to access the Site and use lawfully provided Event materials for your own noncommercial educational use. You may not copy, modify, publish, distribute, sell, license, create derivative works from, scrape, or commercially exploit protected materials without written permission from the applicable owner.

Presenter views and materials belong to or are controlled by the presenter unless otherwise stated. ASL interpretation, captioning, or access does not transfer ownership or create permission to record or redistribute content.

12. Continuing Education and Educational Disclaimer

Descriptions of CEUs, professional-development hours, certificates, or educational credit are based on information available when posted. Eligibility may depend on attendance, sign-in and sign-out, evaluations, documentation, deadlines, professional status, and requirements of a credentialing body. Hands Up does not guarantee that any employer, licensing board, registry, school, or other organization will accept a session or credit. Attendees are responsible for confirming requirements and maintaining their own records.

Event content is for educational and informational purposes and is not legal, medical, financial, mental-health, or other individualized professional advice. Presenter opinions are their own and do not necessarily represent Hands Up.

13. Hotel, Travel, Property, and Third-Party Services

Hotel reservations, travel, parking, meals, airport transportation, room charges, and other third-party services are separate transactions between you and the provider. Hands Up may arrange a courtesy room block but does not own or control the hotel and does not guarantee room availability, rates, check-in, or service.

• The 2027 room block is expected to be held through July 8, 2027, subject to hotel availability and the booking agreement. Attendees are encouraged to reserve by July 7, 2027. Availability is not guaranteed.

• Hotel check-in is generally after 4:00 p.m. with a valid credit card or cash deposit. Early check-in, including before noon, is subject to availability and may incur a hotel fee, currently stated as $50. Hands Up is not responsible for that charge.

• Hotel check-out is before 11:00 a.m. Late check-out may result in charges, potentially including a full night’s room, taxes, and service fees. Because Sunday conference programming may continue after check-out, attendees must make luggage arrangements with the hotel, their vehicle, or the designated workshop area.

• Guests are responsible for room service, parking, cancellation fees, incidentals, damages, taxes, and all other personal charges.

• No airport shuttle or transportation service is provided by Hands Up. Attendees must arrange transportation.

• Hands Up and the venue are not responsible for loss, theft, or damage to displays, equipment, luggage, property, or personal effects, except to the extent liability cannot lawfully be excluded. Do not leave valuables unattended.

Third-party links or recommendations are provided for convenience and do not create an agency, partnership, warranty, or endorsement. Third-party terms and policies govern those services.

14. Health, Safety, and Assumption of Risk

Attendance at an in-person Event involves ordinary risks of travel, crowds, communicable illness, slips or falls, theft, weather, food exposure, and interaction with other participants. You are responsible for assessing your ability to participate, following posted safety requirements, using reasonable care, and seeking medical advice when appropriate. Do not attend if doing so would violate a public-health requirement or create an unreasonable risk to others.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you voluntarily assume the ordinary and reasonably foreseeable risks of participation that are not caused by Hands Up’s gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or intentional wrongdoing. Nothing in these Terms waives a right or remedy that cannot legally be waived.

15. Disclaimers

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SITE, EVENTS, CONTENT, MATERIALS, AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” HANDS UP DISCLAIMS IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTY ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITE OR AN EVENT WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR SUITABLE FOR EVERY PURPOSE; THAT EVERY POSTED PRESENTER, SESSION, ACCOMMODATION, CEU, HOTEL ROOM, OR FEATURE WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE; OR THAT CONTENT WILL PRODUCE A PARTICULAR PROFESSIONAL, EDUCATIONAL, OR PERSONAL RESULT. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain disclaimers, so portions of this section may not apply to you.

16. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, HANDS UP AND ITS OWNERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, VOLUNTEERS, CONTRACTORS, PRESENTERS, SPONSORS, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; LOST PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OPPORTUNITY, OR GOODWILL; OR TRAVEL, HOTEL, MEAL, WAGE, CHILDCARE, OR SUBSTITUTE-SERVICE COSTS ARISING FROM THE SITE, AN EVENT, A THIRD-PARTY SERVICE, OR THESE TERMS, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, HANDS UP’S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING FROM A PARTICULAR REGISTRATION OR EVENT WILL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID DIRECTLY TO HANDS UP FOR THAT REGISTRATION OR EVENT. These limitations do not apply to liability that cannot lawfully be limited, which may include liability for gross negligence, intentional misconduct, or certain personal injuries, depending on applicable law.

17. Indemnification

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Hands Up and its owners, officers, employees, contractors, volunteers, and agents from third-party claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, and reasonable costs arising from your unlawful conduct, violation of these Terms, infringement of another person’s rights, misuse of Event credentials or materials, or information you submit. This obligation does not require you to indemnify a party for that party’s own negligence or misconduct where prohibited by law.

18. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information and is incorporated into these Terms. By submitting information about another attendee or child, you represent that you have authority to do so and have provided any notice or obtained any consent required by law.

19. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Before filing a claim, you agree to send a written description of the dispute and requested resolution to conference@handsupcommunications.com and allow 30 days for an informal good-faith attempt to resolve it. Unless applicable law requires otherwise, any court proceeding must be brought in a state or federal court with jurisdiction over Marion County, Florida, and each party consents to personal jurisdiction and venue there.

Nothing in these Terms prevents either party from seeking temporary injunctive relief, bringing an eligible matter in small-claims court, reporting a matter to a government agency, or exercising a right that cannot legally be restricted. No mandatory arbitration or class-action waiver is imposed by this draft.

20. Electronic Communications

You consent to receive registrations, receipts, policy notices, schedule changes, and other transactional communications electronically at the contact information you provide. Electronic records satisfy any requirement that a communication be in writing, to the extent permitted by law. Promotional email or text communications are subject to any additional consent and opt-out rights required by law.

21. General Provisions

• Entire agreement. These Terms, the Privacy Policy, the checkout disclosures, and any Event-specific written rules are the entire agreement regarding the covered subject matter. If an Event-specific term conflicts with these general Terms, the more specific term controls for that Event.

• Severability. If a provision is found unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will continue in effect.

• No waiver. Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. A waiver must be in writing and applies only to the specific instance stated.

• Assignment. You may not assign these Terms or a registration except through an approved registration transfer. Hands Up may assign its rights and obligations in connection with a reorganization or transfer of the Event or business.

• No third-party beneficiaries. Except for parties expressly protected by the disclaimer, limitation, or indemnification provisions, these Terms do not create rights for third parties.

• Headings. Headings are for convenience and do not limit the meaning of a provision.

22. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms by posting a revised version and changing the “Last updated” date. The version in effect when you complete a purchase generally governs that transaction, except that reasonable updated safety, conduct, venue, legal-compliance, or operational rules may apply to an upcoming Event when notice is provided. Material retroactive changes will not be applied where prohibited by law.

23. Contact Information

Questions about these Terms or an Event may be directed to:

Hands Up Conference / Hands Up Communications
2497 South West 27th Avenue #1055
Ocala, Florida 34471
Email: conference@handsupcommunications.com
Phone: 828-390-1186
Videophone: 352-509-5412