When you have a spinal cord injury there’s a lot of firsts you’ll experience post-injury. First trip back to the beach, first day back to school/work, first ride on an airplane, etc. While each of these experiences are exciting, there’s a lot we as wheelchair users have to think about in order for us to have a good time.
This past month I experienced my first concert since becoming a wheelchair user. My friend and I got to see one of our favorites, Harry *FREAKING* Styles!!!! We’re both obsessed with him and so was everyone else at the show so the atmosphere was unreal. Seriously the best concert I’ve been to.
I asked you guys what questions you had for me about navigating a concert with a disability, so here’s the scoop!
Q: Were you able to purchase the tickets online?
A: Yes! I actually got my tickets LAST YEAR for my birthday! I can’t believe I had to wait an entire year for this concert!! My dad got them from Ticketmaster and I downloaded them into my Apple Wallet once it got closer to the date of the show.
Q: Were your choice of tickets limited due to the few ADA accessible seats?
A: There were definitely fewer options as far as where I sat. My advice is to buy your tickets as soon as possible to ensure you get a spot! Someone asked me about the price of ADA tickets. They’re the same price as regular tickets!
Pink dot shows where my seat was.
Q: Were there pit tickets available?
A: I was curious about this too! My spot was at the top section 116 and when my dad bought the tickets he thought these were the closest ADA seats you could get. HOWEVER, I emailed the venue (PNC Arena) and they have an elevator to get to the floor. So you could buy pit tickets, but I’d advice you to consider how practical it would be for you! Hopefully people would be nice and let you go the front, but that’s not guaranteed. You might end up in the back and not able to see. But, you know yourself best and if you want to try the pit go for it!!! I definitely will if Harry goes on tour again!
Q: How did you handle sight lines considering most abled bodied people stand at concerts?
A: This kind of goes back to the last question, but I could see perfectly fine from my spot! I’ve had fellow disabled friends say they couldn’t see over people from their spot, but most venues try to accommodate this issue.
Q: How were you able to navigate through the crowds? A: I really didn’t spend much time in crowded areas. My friend and I went straight to our section once we got in the building. I let her lead the way because she could see the signs better.
Q: Were there any negatives to your experience?
A: The only drawback from my experience was that it wasn’t clear whether or not wheelchair users could purchase pit tickets. The pit can be crowded but I think there should be a designated area for disabled people in the pit. People with disabilities should have the same opportunity to be as close to the stage as abled bodied people.
Overall, such a fun time!!! I hope this helps you if you're going to a concert soon!
so not to be compared to whet you have gone through in anyway, but my son broke his leg at the end of August and has been in a wheelchair healing, hes back at school now and they do not have a wheelchair ramp to get into school, i can do a wheely and get him in but what about people that are doing it themselves, such as yourself??? My question is were in this season for a reason, even to advocate for others, that being said where would one go to raise awareness for change for public places like schools, or places like stores that do not have wheelchairs or motorized chairsm my mother has used one to assist…