Wheelchair experience?

[aggie57]

We are first-timers to this festival. How is the accessibility? Viewing? Transportation?

[Cleophus]

Had to do the wheelchair thing last year. It went a lot better than I thought it would (including lots of people buying me beers, free food, people offering pot, etc.).

If you need a loaner wheelchair, Paralyzed Veterans of America has loaners at the Gentilly entrance.

The Fest access people were awesome. I recommend that the first thing you do is to check in at the disability tent in front of the Grandstand. They'll give you maps with disabled-specific info (reserved bathrooms, wheelchair spaces in tents/at stages, etc.), a key to the disabled-reserved port-a-potties (this is HUGE -- never a line at these!), and other info.

See more info here:
http://www.nojazzfest.com/index.php?http%3A//www.nojazzfest.com/info/disability.php
(or by clicking on "Patrons With Disabilities" under the "Info" tab at nojazzfest.com)

[ozzie]

Agree, the disablity folk were fantastic, and the special loos were a treat!

I'm using a walker this year instead of a chair (YAY). I'm on a see how I go expedition so might get a loaner chair if needed.

We were very inexperienced with the chair but managed to get around pretty well, except when it r#^ned and the ground was boggy. Didn't attempt to get up front at any of the stages, but I didn't really do that when I could skip. I know the blues tent cops a lot of grief here, but the allocated seating for chairs was fantastic.

Everyone was beyond helpful.

The Jazz Fest Shuttle drops you off inside the gate and there are no access issues. If you arrive by taxi, they can drop you right across from I think it's the Gentilly entrance. You might have to tell the driver because it is outside the regular drop off zone. There are some stretches across the track that I would have found very difficult to get across on my own, but again - I was new to the whole thing. Had I needed assistance there were always happy folk around to help. Every day when we were leaving, the taxi folk called us to the front of the line which was extremely helpful.

Enjoy!

[sophisticated sissy]

Also, the tents that have reserved wheelchair space available have an adjacent seat for an attending person.

[Carolina Beadhead]

The stages have wheelchair areas up front. Best seats in the house!