I say this because I experienced verbal abuse for my online activism, followed by the most accessible concert I have been to thus far.

I call my Facebook posts activism, because that’s what others have called what I have been doing so online, but honestly I’m just telling my truth. If others want to call it activism that’s for them to decide. But whether or not you agree with what I’m doing, it should be taken with the understanding that I’m posting on Facebook for a specific reason, I don’t think shouting at someone in the street is an appropriate response to this. But it is perhaps one I expected, that’s not to say I wasn’t massively shocked by it when it happens. I can tell you this much though, one person shouting at me or several for that matter, isn’t going to stop me.

Now for the concert, it was amazing, and the opening act is definitely a new music interest for me, which is always nice. Hearing some of my favourite songs acoustically and some wonderful new ones was an amazing experience. That said this blog is of course about inaccessibility or in this case surprisingly, accessibility.

The picture above shows how close the accessible area of the crowd was to the stage. This made me so happy as in previous concerts even when I have got there several hours early, I have ended up near the back due to this being where the accessible area is. In all honesty it annoys me that I was made to go in the accessible area at all.

I can see why some people would benefit from having a separate accessible area, but in all honesty I would like to part of the crowd as a whole. When I have enquired about why I have to be in a separate area in the passed I have been told it’s for my own safety, which I think is probably common sense to translate that it’s so the venue doesn’t get sued or something if I were to become injured. If this is the case, I think I should be able to sign a waver of some kind that says I am aware of the possibility of getting hurt, and that I take full responsibility if that were to happen. I would like to take that risk, thank you very much.

But anyway, back to my first positive experience. I was there several hours early and therefore deserved to be close to the stage, as that was the whole reason I got there as early as I did. I was so happy to be in the front.

I hope the rest of the events I have this year are equally accessible. I’m not holding my breath though. But if nothing else goes right, at least this did.

10 out of 10 for accessibility Academy 3 Manchester.

In other related updates, I did receive a reply from the complaint that I put in for the Scouting for Girls and Olly Murs concert. Lets just say I am not happy about the response that I got, but I’m not exactly ready to deal with it yet.

It would not surprise me if they make it specifically difficult as a deterrent for people so that they don’t complain. Either way I’m not giving up. It’s just not for today.