31 Days of SMA: Concert Accessibility

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by Kevin Schaefer |

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Day 21 of 31 Days of SMA⁣⁣⠀ Topic: Concert Accessibility ⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ This is @jessshetzel story:⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ Growing up I have always loved music. Ever since I could talk, I would request music to be played anytime and anywhere. Music has always been a form of self-expression and a coping mechanism. During all the many medical procedures I would have, I would always listen to music to help me get through the pain. At an early age my mom started taking me to concerts. My first concert was when I was 5, I saw Kidz Bop live. This was the first of many. I have now been to more concerts than I can count, because of just how much I love them. ⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ Attending a concert with a disability requires more effort than attending a concert without a disability. When I decide I want to go to a concert I have to call the venue and ask about accessibility. What I have quickly learned is the definition of “accessible” is different to each person. ⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ A huge issue I face when attending a concert with a disability is purchasing tickets. Most ticket websites do not sell handicap seats online. This requires you to call the venue and purchase them over the phone. This would be fine if you were not looking to get pre-sale, because pre- sale is only available online. There is only a limited amount of handicap seats in each venue. Most venues will sell these seats to people that don’t always need them. ⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ My passion is advocating for inclusion, especially in the live music industry. Live music should be accessible for everyone. In college, I will be studying event coordination so that one day I can work for a venue and create change. My goal for the future is to fix these issues, so no one will have to face these struggles again. No one should ever have to fight to attend a concert. Please join me in raising awareness for this issue so we together can create change. ⁣⁣

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