Hello,
We have an outdoor venue that is General Admission. It is a grassy seating area that is typically first come, first served in terms of where people want to sit on the lawn. From a legal standpoint, is anyone aware of the legality of needing to have a special "wheelchair only" section on the grass? There are no seats, people bring their lawn chairs or blankets to sit on the grass.
Thanks!
I concur with Laura. Place the area with easy access to restrooms and the exits. Does the lawn have a gradual slope? If so, does the person utilizing the wheelchair have a level surface or will the slope possibly make it unsteady feeling? Do you have a height limit on the lawn chairs that patrons bring? If you tend to keep the lawn chairs on the low side so they don’t completely impede the views of those using blankets to sit on the ground, consider that a wheelchair could be considerably higher than your lawn chair limit. Having their own area would help to keep visibility working for everyone. I would suggest having multiple w/c sections if possible, as is often the case, with one disability there may two or more; they could have low vision and need a chair for mobility, so they would appreciate a closer area. I find that it is better, from a customer service and ADA standpoint, to think what would most benefit the patron and do everything you can to achieve that, rather than only doing what the law says you must do. The ADA can be famously “grey” in giving advice about places of gathering. You want to create the same experience for the patron with disabilities, that you would give to a non-disabled patron. And you should bring in a couple of your regular patrons who use wheelchairs to chat about what they look for in a situation like you describe. They know best how they experience the event!