Wheelchair Platform Could Be Larger

Many of the music fans in wheelchairs had a few complaints at the Magnetic Hill Music Festival

By John Pollack, Moncton Times & Transcript – The concert experience was a bit different for patrons in wheelchairs. In spite of special steps to make the concert site a bit more wheelchair friendly like a separate disabilities entrance and a special wheelchair accessible viewing platform, many of the music fans in wheelchairs had a few complaints.

“I feel they oversold the place,” said Doreen Richardson about the wheelchair platform. “There’s a lot of people in wheelchairs that can’t find a place to sit and that’s unfortunate.”

“I feel they oversold the place,” said Doreen Richardson about the wheelchair platform. “There’s a lot of people in wheelchairs that can’t find a place to sit and that’s unfortunate.”

Doreen injured her foot less than a week before the concert and was in a wheelchair for the show.

She had to do some last-minute planning, which was a bigger hassle than she thought it would be.

“Trying to get a hold of someone was hard,” she said.

Once she got to the concert, things weren’t much better for her.

“During the concert it’s quite crowded,” she said adding there are so many people on the platform she could barely move.

A special handicapped section was created just north of the VIP stands on the left of the photo. Greg Agnew/Times & Transcript

The disability platform was raised, about the height of a person, to give people in wheelchairs a place to lock their wheels with a better view, but Doreen described her view as less than optimal.

“I can’t see because the board (railing) is right at eye level,” she said. “I’m sure there are regulations, but it’s at eye level.”

Outside of the platform, other concert goers in wheelchairs had a few other problems.

The ground is the biggest issue,” said Melissa Robertson. Rain the morning of the concert softened the ground, making it harder to get around for music fans with disabilities.

“Maybe if they had a section for people to get around,” said Melissa.

She mentioned previous concerts she has attended that were very accommodating when it came to wheelchairs.

“Last year I went to Arosmith in P.E.I. There was a horse track to get around,” she said.

Melissa also had a comment about the porta-potties.

“It’s a longer line up than previous concerts for the washrooms,” she said. “(At Arosmith) I got to use the inside facility.”

Getting food was also an extra hassle for concert goers in wheelchairs, to which Melissa had a suggestion: “maybe if they had a separate tent for us to get our food.”

“It’s as good as it gets up here,” said Robert Lanteigne from up on the viewing platform. “You’re higher up and you’ve got your screens.”

Ticket holders with a disability were allowed to bring one guest on the platform, however, the rule kept some who wanted to be with a group of friends from using the facility. But Robert was perfectly happy with the rule.

“No problem whatsoever. It should be that way to give people that need the accessibility the space,” he said.

Robert has been to concerts at the Coliseum, which he said have better accessibility, but that’s not to say he thought Magnetic Hill was bad.

“The magnitude of 8,000 to 50,000, it’s going to be different,” he said. Though some music fans in wheelchairs had a few complaints, they were still having fun.

“I’m enjoying the concert,” said Doreen. “That’s the main thing.”