Tag: Concerts

Concert drama.

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I know I’m lucky to have problems with going to concerts as a disabled person. As that means I’m in the position to both financially and physically to be able to try and figure out how to get myself to a concert. But in the accessible world that we live in this doesn’t make it easy.

One of the caveats of going to a concert if you are disabled person is too alert the venue that you will be going to that you are disabled. But this is not a straightforward as it seems.

There is often unlimited number of spaces for those in wheelchairs or with other disabilities. Sometimes, depending on the venue, this can actually make sense. But more often than not numbers are limited to make things easier for a venue. To ensure that they take a box in the best way for them, rather for concertgoers.

What really bothers me personally is the fact that venues will not allow myself to go in the general admission area when it is accessible to me. They simply say no. I am a health and safety risk.

They don’t actually care about my health and safety or anyone else’s health and safety. They simply do not want to get into trouble if someone were to hurt themselves on my wheelchair. Honestly, that feels like a them problem. But they insist on it making it a me problem.

This is even harder when I don’t feel disabled despite how disabled I may look. I don’t want to go in the special area. I’d rather be in the general admission area and not be able to see then be in the special area with a perfect view. I want the proper concert experience and I think that I deserve that. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for. Don’t even get me started on the special treatment that some disabled concert viewers believe they deserve. I’m not talking about the separate area. I understand why some people might need that. That’s why I think it should be an option, not a necessity. But someone interrupted perfect view, as if that is realistic of a concert. I’m not just really annoys me.

The process of getting accessibility arrangements for a concert can feel like you’re asking of venues permission to attend. Something that disabled would have to do.

For this reason and for the idIocracy of the system, I tried to stay out of the finer details of organising my access to concerts. I really hate it. I know that I’m going to get too angry at the whole thing and not be able to deal with it properly and sensibly.

Concerts are a polarised experience for me. They even make me feel completely included and part of society in a way I don’t feel anywhere else. or extremely disabled, very in the way as I don’t belong there at all. There seems to be no middle ground. And yet I keep going because I want the good experiences. I deserve the good experiences, I think.

As I write this post there is a chance I may not be able to go to an upcoming concert that I already have tickets and VIP meet and greet for. This is due to aforementioned bizarre system of accessibility. I’m honestly trying not to think about it because I really want to go to this concert. And I’ll be heartbroken if I can’t.

Anyone reading this that may think disabled people get things for free because of schemes like companion tickets. If you’d rather deal with the things I have to deal with in order to get the free tickets you’d be welcome. I would swap in heartbeat. I would trade all cheaper tickets I’ve ever ever got just to attend concerts as a normal person. I just want to sing and dance.

Concerts and shows.

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I’m looking to go to another show. I recognise the privileged position I am in, that I can consider going to shows. That I have the money, time and the physical health and ability to do so. But every single time I do this I’m reminded of how disabled I am.

The extra steps I have to take, to get one of the limited number of wheelchair spaces at at a venue, this venue has four. And not knowing which of these steps this specific venue wants me to take. 

I can’t just buy the ticket on generally sale. I have to first know if the venue is accessible, and then if I need to buy another ticket or if the person who’s support I need at concerts is able to get a companion ticket. I then need to know whether the ticket needs to be bought from the venue website or from the standard ticket sale site.

I don’t want less steps, I want the same amount of steps. This is accessibility.

Now there are many reasons that concerts are inaccessibility to me. So once I’ve bought a ticket, doesn’t mean I’ll have a great time when I go. It feels like my disability is every, like it touches everything, and it does. Even even concerts. Even music.

My freedom is yet again tainted by my disability. More, by the inaccessibility of the world around me.

But I keep trying, I’m going to do my best to keep trying, to go to the show. To be an active part of the world around me. And not just feel stuck and forced to live in it. Concerts and shows help me with this, if they go well. If the experience goes well that is, if it goes badly the opposite happens. But I can but try.

On By Katy DalyIn My Disability Truth, Writing Prompts1 Comment

What’s your favorite cartoon?

Actually doing what you want to is hard. Any person in the arts will tell you that.

As much as I have to write, as much as I love to express myself. a lot of the time what I want to say, never leaves my mind. The only person I can really be annoyed with about this is me.

As I write this, it is almost 5 am. And I’m actually using voice to text, it took me longer than it should’ve done not think of doing this, as cheating in someway.

Hello again, internalised ableism. I wish it was longer between our meetings.

There’s I really important post I want to share. But I’m annoyed with myself at not having the emotional energy to share it at 5am on a Saturday morning. How bad is that?

Does anyone remember watching cartoons on a Saturday morning? I think we need to bring that back.

Anyway, I can’t sleep because I fell asleep to early, so really, it’s my own fault. I knew it was a bad idea to go to sleep when I did, but sometimes fatigue just wins.

I had a world wind of a day yesterday, and I want to share some parts of it, well one particular part. But I can’t bring myself to write that post, for, well reasons. But obviously I can write because I’m writing this post, about wishing I could write that post.

Maybe it’s because the post I want to write feels so important, that I’m worried I’ll never be able to do myself justice with it. I just don’t know really.

But anyway, my favourite cartoon is Bob‘s Burgers. I wish I could explain why but I don’t really know. I love the way it’s written, the stories it tells, the inclusion, the escapism, the nonsense, all of it.

If you haven’t watched it, you definitely should. I know it’s shown randomly on some channels, but if you have Disney+, it’s mostly on there, apart from the season, which unfortunately I’m still still waiting to see.

I posted today in a fan group for the show, asking for similar shows to watch, as I’m almost always watching Bob burgers on repeat and I just wanted to see what else was out there. I got some lovely responses and some new shows to try. But if you have any recommendations, do let me know.

I should try to get some sleep, there is a possibility that I have a long day today, last-minute plans and all that. I don’t make them often as being disabled requires a lot of planning and last-minute plans are kind of the opposite of that. But I have options, so I’ll see how the day goes.

Either way, I have to be up in less than two hours.

Finding a different path.

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So tonight I went to an acoustic concert, very nice and a different experience. But this post isn’t about the concert, it’s about getting to the concert.

As this was at a venue that they had not been to before, I had to follow maps in order to get there, as you do. But once I found out where it was, I realised that there was an easier way to get there. I understand that this is the case a lot of the time when you simply follow google maps. But when you’re disabled this can be a lot more complicated.

The route that google sent me had me going on the road, and on an even pavements that I nearly tipped on. The route that I figured out on the way home had pavements that were a lot smoother and a lot wider.

I’m not exactly sure how this would be done, but I feel like Google Maps needs a feature that highlights the accessibility of areas better. it has gotten better by giving accessible routes at least in my area over public transport. But this does not seem to apply to roots that you would walk.

The takeaway from this post is, is of course to leave for the venue if you have not been before, well before the time you need to be there in order to make sure you’re not late. in keeping with a past trend on social media, you may want to call this disability math. Or at the very least disability time management.

It’s not compensation if I can’t use it.

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, My Disability TruthLeave a comment

So you know the post I shared with the petition in, this petition: Make Viewing Platforms Optional for Disabled Concert Attendees

I’ve been offered free tickets to a show at the venue and been told that I can use an area next to where I was, that’s inaccessible to me due to steps.

This reminds me of the time that I called a hairdressers to find out if they were accessible, they told me they were, and when I got there, they had a step to get in. Their answer was that once I got in, they were completely accessible and willing to do my hair and my wheelchair. What did they give me as compensation? Vouchers for that hairdressers. So this is actually not the first time this has happened to me.

It’s not adequate compensation if I can’t use the tickets myself. I have said I will only accept the tickets if I can go on the main floor of the venue. Which I’m assured has no steps so there should be no reason I can’t use it. We’ll see what happens I guess, but I’m not convinced I’ll be going there again.

Please sign the petition linked in the beginning of the post. To make it the disabled persons choice whether or not they use so called accessible areas in a venue.

Can you sign this petition for me?

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, My Disability TruthLeave a comment

Make Viewing Platforms Optional for Disabled Concert Attendees

So you’ve all by now read my concert related posts. And without putting to much of an emphasis on it, I’m sick of it.

I’m sick of being forced in accessiblity areas that I don’t think I even need to be in, and then I can’t even see once I’m in them.

If you have any questions about my concert experiences please ask. So much has happened and its been so rough that I find it hard just to write about it. But it’s easier to answer to answer questions.

This goes against the UN Rights of Disabled People. As I’m not getting the same experience as non-disabled people.

I understand why these areas exist for some disabled people, it’s being forced to go in them when you’re disabled and don’t need them that I don’t like.

So can you please sign this petition if you agree with me.

And even share it maybe, if you’re not sure if you agree or not. That way someone that agrees might see it.

It might not do a lot, but it makes me feel like I’m doing something.

Make Viewing Platforms Optional for Disabled Concert Attendees

The worst best night of my life.

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I’m lay in bed after attending another concert. One I’ve really been looking forward to, and I feel like being disabled ruined it. But logically I know that’s just my internalised ableism talking.

If you read my last post you’ll know that concerts are a complex task for me to begin with. And then to have that seemingly be all for nothing, is just hard.

I can’t say I regret going. But I can say the experience was ruined by supposedly necessary accommodations.

This was my view due to those accommodations.

Image Description: a crowd at a concert seen through bars, this stage is visible at the back of the crowd. There are lights by the stage and throughout the photo.

Not for the first time, when attending a concert, did the accessibility here make me wish that I wasn’t disabled. It’s definitely another venue I will not be going to again

And well there is more I can say and more I should say on all of this. I honestly can’t think too much about this right now without getting upset. So I plan to return to this in the future, when I can emotionally process, just how this really felt.

But for now here’s a picture of my cat, who normally sleeps on my bed, but does not cuddle with me like this. All I can think is they must know I’m upset, we don’t deserve animals.

Image Description: a grey and white cat curled up on me my black jumper is also visible underneath the cat. Part of my head is visible to the left of the frame. Part of a pride flag and an asexual flag can also be seen on the wall behind me.

If you find yourself willing and able , could you check out this petition and sign if you agree.

Again, I’m happy to explain the whole situation, when I feel more emotionally stable and able to do so. I’m sorry for being so brief it’s just been a hard night.

How much does a concert cost?

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The obvious starts in point for answering this question, is the price of the tickets plus any transaction fees. Then you’ve got to factor in your travel plus overnight stay if relevant. As well as things like food and drink, not forgetting the most important part of the concert or the concert itself, the merchandise.

But of course, it would be too simple for me to be talking about money when I say cost. What I’m actually talking about here is what someone may have to give up in order to go to a concert.

If the idea of having to give something up other than your money and time to go to a concert, doesn’t on its face, seem to make a lot of sense. then honestly, you’re lucky, and probably not disabled.

Now I’m not saying that everybody that goes to a concert has to give up things in order to go, simply that some people do. That I do.

I’ve recently been fortunate enough to be able to go to more concerts than I ever thought possible for me to attend. as you may know if you’ve been reading my blog, not on my experiences with these concerts have been perfect, but still in most cases I’m glad I went. That doesn’t however mean that I have never had to give up anything in order to go to these concerts. When I really think about it, actually, I have to give up a lot.

Here is a list of a few that come to mind as I write this:

1. The most obvious one is my Care. I have to cancel it and spend the night without getting changed. In a previous post I wrote about doing this for someone else but the obviously for concerts I make the decision for myself and my enjoyment. Without being to graphic, this does not only mean that I am in the same clothes, but also that I’m not able to clean personal areas for a period of 24 hours at least. This is I think the hardest thing that I have to give up in order to go to concerts. But honestly with my life, as it currently is there is no other way for me to go.

2. I have to spend an extended period in my wheelchair. While I do this when necessary it’s not good for me and I shouldn’t really do it at all.

3. The view I wanted. I don’t have the option that others have in a freestanding concert to get their hours early and into a good view. The majority of venues are going to have me in a separate area due to my disability, they claim it’s for my own safety but I disagree. I have said a lot more about this in the past.

There’s more that I can’t think of right now I’m sure. But the point of this post is to say that something that might seem as simply as going to a concert, is often more difficult when you’re disabled.

I’m still glad I’m doing it, in fact I’m going to one I’ve been really wanting to go to tonight. But it isn’t always easy.

I’m going to be sore by the moment. And probably still upset about where I will end up sitting. But I get to see them, and hear there music live. So I’m going to try and focus on that and have a great time.

Why did I sleep in my chair the other night?

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As a full-time wheelchair user, I’ve become what I call very wheelchair shaped. by this, I mean that unsurprisingly, my most comfortable position is in my wheelchair as this is the position I spent most of my time in. Over 10 years ago, I decided to stop doing physio which likely increased the speed at which I have become wheelchair shaped. But honestly given how much time I would spend in a wheelchair, normally I think this was an inevitability. I think physio would have only put off this happening by maybe a few years if that. And the physio that I had to do would have been aggressive and would’ve had to be consistent to be effective. For those have never done physio it is incredibly painful and honestly simply not something I wanted to waste my time doing. This is informed consent for you. The right to do things that may seem backwards so long as you understand the consequences. And I do and I have. Honestly, I’m happy with the decision I made.

All this to say it’s not a very good idea to sleep in my chair, but I usually have a comfortable night when I do it. so that’s the least I’m good thing I slept well.

But the question is why did I do it?

I try not to sleep in my chair, because I know that, ultimately it’s not good for me to do physically very often. But last night it was something that I had to do. This is because my sister was out at a concert and I can’t deal with the dogs and the carers alone.

My sister was however meant to put me in my chair when she got home. But I told her that she didn’t need to, because I was very dirty due to having warn the same pad for 24 hours.

However in reality the reason I told her that I would sleep in my chair was because she looked annoyed at the idea of having to put me in bed. She didn’t say she wouldn’t do it, and honestly I don’t think she would ever do that because she knows I need the help.

But you know when you just get that vibe off people that they don’t want to do something? It’s really annoying when that something is something you rely on them to do. So I thought it was best to avoid her having to do anything last night, I didn’t even eat.

I have now been sorted out and changed and am back in my chair. But I guess this one is just a reminder that sometimes the people you care for suffer to make things easier for the person caring for them.

This may be something to keep in mind when you’re struggling as a carer. Remember that you had some level of choice in being a carer, the person you’re caring for had no choice in being disabled. And sometimes they feel bad about needing help so try to what they can to help make things easier.

I have one question, would you sit in your own bodily fluids in order to make things easier for someone else?

Forgive me if part of this doesn’t make any sense I wrote the post the day and planned to post is. As always let me know if there’s any mistakes that mean the post doesn’t make sense.

Concerts and emotions.

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, My Disability TruthLeave a comment

This was the post I planned to write today, but as it is supposed to do, I suppose today’s daily prompt had me writing about screen time before I started this post. But never mind that let’s get into this one.

If it wasn’t obvious by my opening. Paragraph I am actually avoiding writing about this, due to it, still being emotionally raw and complex for me to deal with. However, I think this is something that I don’t write about now I have the time and space to do so. I probably won’t end up writing about it. And this is something that I think it is important to share and needs to be spoken about, or in my case written about more. All this to say just bear with me on this one.

As I write this, I’m sat alone with my babies because my sister is at a concert. Yesterday I was at the concert well at this concert, I posted the TikTok below.

Video Description: The video shows the view from a balcony at the back of a concert. The text “ Quick question, how would you feel if this was your seat when you arrived 3+ hours to a venue and were literally the first people here?”

This video is shows where I had to sit for the concert I was at yesterday. Despite arriving to it several hours early and before any other noticeable members of the crowd arrived.

I believed for this concert that I would be able to be near the front, as I am able to be in very similar venues. However, this clearly wasn’t the case and to be completely honest I was very upset about this.

It is often the case in venues that I have to go out the back door, accessibility reasons, but I honestly believe this is just because they don’t want to be sued. I really don’t want to be at the back of venue for a concert. This generally makes me very upset and reminds me that I’m disabled. It’s one of the few things that I really hate as a disabled. I would much rather be in the crowd, even if that meant I couldn’t see. I just want to be part of it. But apparently that’s too much to ask in most venues.

I think it should be the disabled person’s choice as to whether they go in a segregated area if there is one available at the venue. I do not think they should be forced to do this. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why this segregated area exists for some people as they probably feel more comfortable than they would if they were in the main crowd. my problem isn’t with its existence, but with its enforcement.

I love music. I love live music. I love concerts. I hate being segregated.

The segregated platform seems to be something that non-disabled people think disabled people need, and I very much doubt they have asked disabled people this. They certainly didn’t ask me.

It is segregation, not necessary treatment, to force people to go into a different area just because of who they are. If I phrase accessibility platforms like this, it doesn’t sound very fair does it? How would you like it if you thought you were going to have a good view and then had to go out the back, simply because of who you are, at every concert.

As I’ve said, I really don’t believe this is for my own safety, I believe it’s to stop venues getting sued by disabled people, and perhaps non-disabled people where they somehow to be injured by the disabled person.

I believe there should be some sort of waiver that the disabled person is able to sign to say they want to go in the general area, and then they should be allowed to go in the general area like everybody else. Perhaps an additional clause in the terms and condition of general sale tickets to prevent suing a venue if a person becomes injured while in a crowd should be added to the general sale tickets. In my opinion, something needs to be done so I and others that want to experience the way they want to.

Making me go out the back leaves me emotionally conflicted throughout the concert and honestly taints, the memories I have of it. That said I am not about to let this stop me going to concerts, I just wish my experience was different. To be honest honest, I just wish I wasn’t disabled when I’m at some concerts. Which when you, think about it is really sad

I apologise if this post isn’t clear or well thought out as I said, I’m still very emotionally triggered by this.

Disclaimer this post was written using voice to text. Please alert me of any mistakes that make the content unclear and I will fix them as soon as possible.