Good Opportunity for Wheelchair Users to Snap Up U-M Football Tickets

The Oakland Press

Voices of Disability

By Jerry Wolffe, Staff Writer
July 20, 2008

Wheelchair users are going to have to put their money where their mouths were, and buy accessible seats at the University of Michigan Stadium.

After a two-year federal court battle, officials at the University of Michigan added hundreds of wheelchair seats to the 107,501-seat stadium as part of a $226 million renovation.

At least 96 wheelchair seats and companion seats, 192 total, have been added to the east side of the stadium. So far, only 30 tickets for wheelchair seating have been purchased.

In addition, new wheelchair seating and companion seating have been added to the north and south ends of the largest stadium in the country.

Overall, the university now has several hundred seats for wheelchair users, compared to the 88 available before the discrimination lawsuit was filed. Under the Americans with Disabilities Architectural Guidelines, U-M should have had 1 percent of its seats accessible to wheelchair users - 1,057 seats.

Even though the number of wheelchair seats doesn’t meet the legal standard, both sides are happy with the outcome.

“The U-M stadium is now the most accessible stadium in the country, and everyone in the state should take pride in the actions taken by the university to accommodate the disabled,” said attorney Richard Bernstein who filed the original suit.

Marty Bodnar, the associate athletic director of ticketing and marketing at the U-M, said wheelchair users seeking seats should call the university’s ticket office at (866) 296-6849 to buy tickets, or they can e-mail the university to request tickets. They can be purchased using credit cards, he said.

Season tickets for eight games cost $500 for a wheelchair user and another $500 for a companion at midfield, Bodnar said.

“These are great seats,” Bernstein said. “This is a great opportunity for wheelchair users to enjoy U-M football just like anyone else.”

Other accessible season tickets per fan cost $375, $250 and $125, Bodnar said.

U-M has a waiting list of 10,000 fans who want tickets for Wolverine football games, but the waiting list is being waived for two years so that wheelchair users can buy season tickets now, he said.

There also are a few season tickets available for games against Utah on Aug. 30, Miami of Ohio on Sept. 6, Toledo on Oct. 11 and Northwestern on Nov. 15, he added.

Road games at Penn State on Oct. 18 and Minnesota on Nov. 8 will be available to the general public beginning Wednesday, he said. Single-game tickets are priced at $50 for Utah, Miami of Ohio and Toledo, $55 for Northwestern, $61 at Penn State and $45 at Minnesota.

Besides adding wheelchair seating, the U-M remodeled concession stands, bathrooms, concourses and entrances so they are accessible to wheelchair users, Bernstein and U-M officials said.

“What is so important for the disabled community is that they have to get out there and enjoy this,” Bernstein said in a call for wheelchair users to take advantage of the fruits of the lawsuit.

“What makes this fantastic is their entire game experience is enhanced,” he added. “It’s not just the seats that are accessible, but so is the parking, restroom facilities and concessions.

“All the games in the stadium and concourses and access points are being redone to be accessible,” Bernstein said. “And one of the best parts is that the press box also is accessible.

“Even the coach’s office is a model of accessibility.”

There’s nothing quite as fine as watching a Michigan football game - my apologies to Spartans fans - with thousands of other fans on an autumn afternoon.

So, to other wheelchair users, I say join me at a game this fall in the Big House.