An Australian man has gathered 15,000 signatures in a petition to demand that ticket firms provide a better service for disabled event-goers.
Chris Hall, who uses a wheelchair, said that Ticketmaster and Ticketek transfer him to a “special needs number,” where he is consistently left on hold.
He claims that due to this inconvenience, he often misses out on tickets to music festivals and concerts.
In his petition, Hall has questioned why those with disabilities are being “disadvantaged”.
“This is 2017 – why can’t there be a section on those websites that has the capability of catering for people who require wheelchair seats,” he said. “People in wheelchairs should be able to get concert tickets online like everybody else.”
According to the Mercury news website, Hall’s Change.org petition went from a single signature to more than 15,860 in one week. Several people voiced their support for the cause.
“There should be another way other than subjecting the person to lengthy waits to explain their disabilities,” one user said. “Another form of access to ticketing is needed.”
Similarly, in July, a UK-based Ed Sheeran fan launched a campaign to improve ticketing accessibility to live music events. After finding it almost impossible to get hold of a ticket to Ed Sheeran’s Divide tour in Cardiff next year, Jessica Hatchett from Pembrokeshire, England, kicked off her campaign to secure better access for disabled music fans.
Hatchett, who has cerebral palsy, said she faced “discrimination” whilst trying to buy a ticket through the Ticketmaster phone line. Ticketmaster apologised and said it saw “unprecedented” demand for the concert.
An online service was not available for disabled fans, who instead had to spend “hours” on hold and were eventually unable to get a ticket.
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