Music Fans on Concert Inaccessibility and Ableism
For music lovers, music is a cathartic art form. Whether it’s putting on your go-to comfort album at the end of the day, or dressing up to go out and see your favorite artist, music is a form of self-care that should be enjoyed by everyone. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible.
Due to a variety of reasons, ranging from outrageous ticket prices to venues not being wheelchair accessible, concerts are inaccessible for many lovers of music. The only reason ableist practices and features are still present is that individuals higher up in the industry aren’t doing what is necessary to make a change.
“They don’t think it affects them,” Lexi Tsengouras, 20, says. “It’s not a matter of if you become disabled, it’s a matter of when you become disabled … This is going to impact all of us. So we all need to pay attention and start something now.”
Tsengouras, a cultural studies major and diehard music fan, says that there are a variety of ways in which concerts can be inaccessible. The more obvious examples include sound, lighting, stairs and standing-only venues. However, the content of a show itself can also be harmful. Sometimes artists like to surprise, which is amazing. Do surprises,” she says, “but we never really know what a visual is going to be, so that can actually cause triggers for emotional and mental disabilities as well.”
As well as affecting mental disabilities, one of the biggest ways in which concerts are inaccessible is due to physical aspects, particularly wheelchair accessibility. Ever since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was established, music venues and other spaces for public gatherings are required to maintain accessibility for all patrons. This covers everything from ticket sales, to available seating and accessible website navigation. The ADA requires that venues have at least 1% of their available seats reserved for people with disabilities.
However, many music venues still don’t have wheelchair accessibility. This is mostly common in historic buildings. If a music venue is considered a historic venue, then they aren’t required to remodel or do the necessary construction to add elevators for wheelchair users.
“I understand the argument of not wanting to change the history behind it,” TJ Hayes says, “but disabled people should be able to enjoy the history as well, and there are definitely minor ways that these things can be adapted without changing the whole building.”
Hayes, 25, got their love for music from growing up on Warped Tour and frequently attending shows. Currently, they work security at a renowned music venue in Chicago, and they also work for Half Access, a non-profit organization that advocates for concert accessibility.
Half Access brings attention to the many accessibility issues at live shows. One of their biggest features is their database of over 500 venues across the world, which includes accessibility information for each music venue. Many venues don’t feature this information on their own websites, so it’s difficult for fans to know what to expect in terms of accessibility before they arrive at a concert.
“It takes forever sometimes for us to dig for information. It should be so easy,” Hayes says. “That’s been my experience many times, that I don’t know what I’m going to get until I am at the venue doors, and then I just sort of figure it out.”
Jacqueline Morales, 28, works with Hayes both for Half Access and concert security in Chicago. Morales says that even when venues do provide this information, a lot of it is not descriptive enough. Furthermore, even when concerts do provide modes of accessibility, a lot of it doesn’t feel like a full attempt. As well as indoor music venues, major music festivals and outdoor shows are also difficult to navigate for disabled fans.
“I feel like the music community, participant-wise, is typically pretty welcoming, but when it comes to venues or when it comes to the different places and stuff, that's where the barriers are,” Morales says. “Oh, we have a ramp. You'll be able to get to the stage over here. But also, you have to go through this mile of grass to get to it.”
Hayes also says that there are accommodations that many smaller venues don’t think to provide, such as ESL interpreters, captioning and sound rooms. Access to food and water is a huge issue as well. At shows, a single bottle of water is usually crazy expensive, and Hayes says many people need this just to make it through the night.
But fans with disabilities face issues before they even get to a concert, and this is due to ticket sales. “In my experience, for big arena shows, accessible tickets are never available during pre-sales. So we're forced to fight The Hunger Games when public on-sale comes,” they say.
Many venues don’t think to accommodate people until they are approached directly. However, fans who voice their concerns are often not taken seriously. According to Chloe Meltzer, 21, for women or feminine-presenting fans, it’s even harder to receive help. In an industry predominantly composed of middle-aged, white, cishet men, there is potential sexism and misogyny that makes it harder for women or LGBTQ+ fans to be heard or accommodated.
“Obviously, music and concert fans are a wide range of ages and races and ethnicities and genders and sexualities, and music is for everyone. But I think something that I'm really passionate about when it comes to music is the quote, unquote fangirl and the…misogyny and sexism when it comes to fangirls,” Meltzer says. “I think that's also a really big aspect of accessibility too, because there are disabled fangirls and we're not taken seriously.”
As an avid concert goer and fan who stays up-to-date on the members and crew of their favorite bands, Meltzer notices an influx of younger, female fans in the alternative music scene.
“We’re not being taken seriously when it comes to speaking up about harassment in the scene,” Meltzer says. “A lot of fangirls experience harassment and sexual assault…I think that’s a conversation that needs to be brought up as well.”
Meltzer is also a strong advocate for proper concert etiquette and ensuring that nobody is discriminated against or left out when it comes to enjoying an energetic live show. They recall seeing a video from a hard rock music festival where the crowd was holding a wheelchair user so they could crowd surf.
“That should be normalized, you know?” they say.
When it comes to a lack of inclusivity in the concert scene, there is no single group at fault. Music venues can be more accommodating, crowd members can be respectful to those around them, and artists can use their voice to speak up for disabled fans and not encourage ableist practices at shows. But ultimately, the only ones who are to blame for a lack of change are the higher ups in the industry.
“It starts with those people,” Morales says. “If we could get those people on board, it would break down so many barriers.” The fact of the matter is that the reason people don’t change their ways is because of money. “I feel like that is the biggest thing,” Morales says. “I understand that people have to run businesses and stuff, but if you’re welcoming a whole secluded community, you could make even more money, and I don’t think people think about that.”
Often, fans aren’t helped at a show until it’s too late, she says.
“These people have to get sick to get some type of assistance…And then more medical attention or more assistance is needed. And then you become a liability, and then concerts are mad at you. Venues are mad at you. If they work beforehand to prevent this issue, then it would be better for everybody,” she says.
Thankfully, despite the inaction from industry higher-ups, it is fans who are the ones advocating for accessibility and ensuring that everyone is able to have a fun time and be safe. The bottom line is that the only solution to providing more accessibility at concerts and decreasing the number of ableist practices at shows is education.
“Too many people still don’t see disabled people as full human beings that would want to attend a concert,” Hayes says. “We're never going to make any progress, [and] no one's going to want to make a change until they realize that disabled people belong here.”
“I think there needs to be a detailed guideline on everything,” Tsengouras says. “What [venues are] doing to accommodate people…And I think that they should be held to the same standards that everyone is under the ADA laws, because that's not being done. And I think at an artist level, they should educate themselves and see what they can do to help accommodate their fans. And from a patron level, just look out for each other. You never know someone’s situation next to you. So help them out and don't judge them.”
“I think having staff also be educated on certain things when it comes to disabilities is also something that probably goes unnoticed and probably isn't talked a lot about in the concert space and the concert etiquette space,” Meltzer says. “Another part of accessibility too is [to] keep everyone safe and have a good time. That’s really what music is about…making sure everyone has a good time.
“I love to say that, you know, you could be seconds away from living in a wheelchair, to be honest,” Morales says. “As harsh as that is. People, I don't think realize that.” ♦