TicketMaster are introducing a new form of ticket access in order to properly cater to those with disabilities.
For those of us who are able-bodied, it’s easy to remain ignorant about the general inaccessibility faced by those who are disabled – in everyday life, there are many challenges in place for disabled people that wouldn’t even cross our minds, as we have the privilege of not having to consider the difficulties many others may face when it comes to manoeuvring a society that very poorly caters to those who are disabled.
Architecture is not designed with everyone in mind – office buildings, grocery stores, schools, restaurants, venues or even pavements and recreational parks – when listening to those who are disabled and by really paying attention, we begin to understand the lack of accessibility available, which is shocking. This problem inevitably extends to the music world, where venues provide very little accessibility for those with disabilities, an issue desperately needing to be tackled.
In a welcomed new move to make sure they are catering to those with disabilities, TicketMaster has introduced a new system when it comes to buying tickets for concerts and events; a system that allows for a genuinely accessible experience for those who are disabled – who were previously required to work through premium rate lines in order to secure accessibility at a concert, while having to go through the complexities of detailing their disabilities with evidence every single time they would buy a ticket to an event.
The new system by TicketMaster allows for a much clearer and simplified process, without the inaccessible difficulties previously in place. Instead of disabled people being required to provide extensive details of their disabilities every single time they wish to purchase a ticket, as well as the struggle faced by venues that do not provide relevant seats; once their disabilities are registered with TicketMaster, their details will be saved and subsequently the whole process becomes much more simple when attending shows in the future. It has been announced that all venues associated with TicketMaster will also be required to have clear accessible seating available, clearly marked in the venue and maps of the environment, as well as an extra companion ticket; providing an experience much more accessible than before.
The move has been highly praised and received extremely positive responses, and we hope to see many others follow suit – every music fan deserves spaces that cater to everyone, and those with disabilities should be able to buy tickets, and attend these events without any issues just like able-bodied fans.
