By Beth Alaw Williams – BBC News | [This is SO WRONG] A disabled woman who was prevented from buying enough tickets for her daughters to join her at Taylor Swift’s Cardiff concert has received an apology from Ticketmaster. While other customers could buy up to four tickets for the gig, Cat Dafydd was told by the ticket seller that she could only buy one accessible ticket, with one complimentary ticket for a carer.
Ms Dafydd, who uses a wheelchair following a spinal chord injury, resorted to spending £1,800 to see Swift with her daughters in France.
Ticketmaster apologized and subsequently sent Ms Dafydd three complimentary tickets for the Cardiff concert, but its accessibility policy has not changed.
‘Feel as if I was worth less’
Ms Dafydd, from Llandysul, Ceredigion, said she first contacted Ticketmaster in June 2023 to ask about taking her daughters to the concert.
She was told she would be unable to do this because she required an accessible ticket.
Ms Dafydd said: “I can’t take my daughters, but if I didn’t have a disability I would be able to.
“It made me feel, as a disabled person, as if I was worth less than anyone else.”
Ms Dafydd decided to spend £1,800 on hospitality tickets for Swift’s show in Lyon, France, through another website.
While she and her daughters are excited for the Eras tour, they believe that Ticketmaster’s rules are unfair.
Elliw, 11, said traveling to France would put additional pressure on their mother.
“The day before the concert, my mum will probably be in a lot of pain and will have to lie down on the bed,” said Elliw.
Ms Dafydd said: “Being disabled has cost me so much more in order to just have a wonderful experience with my children that other people can have really easily.”
No change to accessibility policy
Ms Dafydd sent a letter to Ticketmaster in June 2023 to complain about its accessibility policy.
However, she said it was “completely ignored”.
After receiving a request for comment from the BBC, Ticketmaster apologised to Ms Dafydd and offered her three free tickets to the concert in Cardiff.
Ticketmaster said the situation was “not handled according to the standards we have set for ourselves”.
> > > > > > > > >
Read more here plus accessibility barriers to disabled persons:
https://www.aol.com/apology-disabled-woman-denied-swift-205339402.html
[Editor’s note: A friend was denied sitting in the handicapped section at the Fillmore in Denver because she wasn’t in a wheelchair. I explained to the attendant that “not all disabled people are unable to walk.” (She, more than likely, would have fainted after a few minutes of standing). After a few minutes of discussion, he relented and went and got us 2 chairs to sit in during the concert.]
Apology for Disabled Woman Denied Swift Tickets
