LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — Live Nation’s Ticketmaster UK announced the launch of a new system to allow online ticket that will cater to the needs of disabled concertgoers.
The new system will allow concert-goers to provide information about the nature of their disability. Once validated, their user profiles will have access to seating that will accommodate their disability.
Accessible tickets will be labeled on a seating map and specify whether it is wheelchair accessible, or if it has access to special features such as a hearing loop system.
The new technology will debut for upcoming events at Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus (SEC) and Motorpoint Arena Cardiff and is scheduled to roll out to different venues and countries in the future.
“At Ticketmaster, we believe equal access to live entertainment is paramount. We knew we had to do more for disabled fans and our team has worked hard on this ground-breaking technology that endeavors to make ticket buying simple for all. Every fan should have the same access to the events they love, it’s an ongoing process and one we continue to prioritize,” said Ticketmaster UK MD Andrew Parsons.
The new system follows a survey by UK based disability-led charity Attitude is Everything which found that 83% of disabled gig-goers had been put off buying tickets because of inaccessible booking systems. Many respondents reported having to pay extra to purchase concert tickets, or found there was no option for the disabled at all.
Suzanne Bull MBE, CEO Attitude is Everything, lauded the changes, noting: “I’m delighted that Ticketmaster’s accessible ticket sales will go online. This is real progress for millions of disabled fans who are entitled to a variety of ways in which they can book their tickets. In designing their new service, Ticketmaster has worked closely with us and our Ticketing Without Barriers Coalition to achieve the 5 steps to inclusive ticketing that we set out in our February 2018 ‘State of Access Report. We wish them every success.”
