Packers: ADA change forbids us from selling single game tickets to diasbled

[TheMightyFavog]

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20120221/GPG0101/120221171/

Lynn Vreeke says she was outraged to learn last week that her disabled son likely won’t be able to go to Green Bay Packers football games at Lambeau Field.

(snip)

The Americans with Disabilities Act made changes that went into effect in March. The changes require entertainment venues to treat people with disabilities like everyone else when it comes to ticket sales.

That means the Packers can’t sell single-game tickets to them. It also means the Packers must end the practice of allowing people with disabilities who hold season tickets to sell unwanted tickets back to the team. Under the new rule, they’ll have to sell them to family, friends or strangers, or absorb the cost of an unused ticket, the same as everyone else.

The Packers provide 772 seats or spaces for wheelchairs for people with disabilities and their designated companions in Row 61 of the stadium as well as in the club seats. About half of those tickets went to single-game users on a first-come, first-served basis, Wagner said. The remainder went to season-ticket holders or remained vacant.

In the comments section, there's a guy already blaming "do-gooder libs" for the ADA changes, but I am unconvinced.

[dballance]

1. The Packers must be loving this revenue enhancing act

I bet the Packers are ecstatic they now have an excuse to take back those 772 seats and sell them at full price.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. They still have to provide accommodation for those in wheelchairs

The Packers are not the only ones concerned with this. It may well be the result of poor wording with unintended consequences.

[zipplewrath]

2. Set up a nonprofit

The Packers could arrange for a nonprofit to "purchase" the tickets and then resell/distribute them on a single game basis. I'd even bet there is more than one existing nonprofit willing to take on the task.

For example:

http://optionsil.com/

[TheMightyFavog]

4. Yeah, they can get on the list...

They'll get those season tickets, say round about 2040 at the current rate of attrition...

[zipplewrath]

5. They're already available

The Packers provide 772 seats or spaces for wheelchairs for people with disabilities and their designated companions in Row 61 of the stadium as well as in the club seats. About half of those tickets went to single-game users on a first-come, first-served basis, Wagner said. The remainder went to season-ticket holders or remained vacant.

They already have them available, they would just have to turn them over to a nonprofit which could then distribute them on a single game basis.

[TheMightyFavog]

6. But would they not go to those next on the waiting list?

Or am I misinformed about how season tickets work?

[zipplewrath]

7. Only to disabled

They keep certain seats for the disabled. Some are sold as season tickets, but some are not (about half). I presume because not enough disabled are trying to buy them. So they have been selling them as single seat tickets, to the disabled. But someone is now claiming that the modified ADA isn't allowing them to be sold as single seat if they don't sell single regular seats.

All I suggest is that they sell them to a nonprofit and that entity sell them on a single seat basis.

[midnight]

8. Apparently those who are enforcing this need to be assisted in their application of this meaning

of treating those in wheel chairs like everyone else... Obviously we wouldn't expect a person in a wheel chair to walk around without his wheel chair like everyone else, and therefore we afford this person accessibility
like everyone else... Giving everyone equal accessibility
is what those who are dealing with limitation are most likely wanting and expecting....