Disability Rights Activists Sue Red Rocks For Access

“The people with disabilities, if they actually want to be able to get that front row seat so they can get into Red Rocks, they’re paying three, four, five times the value. So that’s the first problem.” Alison Daniels, Disability Law Colorado.

A lawsuit filed in early December alleges that the Red Rocks music venue is not complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because it does not provide adequate access for people in wheelchairs. Alison Daniels, with Disability Law Colorado, one of three nonprofits that filed the suit, says there are six plaintiffs involved who are seeking better access to Red Rocks and not monetary compensation.

“The law specifically allows that if somebody uses a wheelchair, or other mobility device, they can buy a ticket to any one of the seats in the venue and when they get there they can exchange that ticket for a seat in the accessible section. The problem is….they can’t even get there because the shuttle won’t take them there.”

The venue which is owned by the City of Denver, has a capacity of nearly 10,000 with 70 rows of seats. The first row and the last row of seating are supposed to be reserved for people with mobility disabilities. The suit says that more enforcement is needed to hold front row seats for people with disabilities.