How to switch regular event tickets for wheelchair accessible seats

You’re scrolling through social media or listening to the radio and discover that your favorite band is coming to town. Even better, you don’t have any plans for that night! Except, you’re a wheelchair user and have to run the gauntlet of securing tickets for a wheelchair accessible seat and your companion(s). That usually means an empty space for you if you’re staying in your wheelchair and at least one companion seat right next to you. Buying accessible tickets should be easier than it is, considering that there are Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for this, but it can still be a challenge. Accessible seating is always limited, it’s so frustrating to discover that all accessible seating has been sold out within minutes of the tickets going on sale. However, there is a way to switch out regular tickets for wheelchair accessible seats, even though the ticket sale outlet may show them as sold out. I’ll “walk” you through the process.

First, let’s talk about the legal guidelines that cover ticket exchanges. These can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations under 28 CFR section 36.302F for Title III, and 28 CFR section 35.138 for Title II. The exact text concerning switching out regular tickets for accessible seats can be summarized by the ADA National Network Ticketing Guidelines as follows:

“If an individual with a disability acquires a ticket or ticket series for inaccessible seating through the secondary market, the individual must be allowed to exchange the ticket for an accessible seat in a comparable location if one is available at the time the individual presents the ticket.”

The core rules for exchanging regular tickets for wheelchair accessible seats

In the regulations, there are strict conditions for how venues must handle these requests:

• The “if available” rule: The venue is legally obligated to switch your ticket only if an accessible seat is currently unsold and available when you ask. If the event is entirely sold out and all accessible seats are taken, the venue is not legally forced to move another patron, though guest services will usually try to find an accommodation.
• Comparable location and pricing: The venue must allow you to exchange the ticket for an accessible seat in a comparable location. According to the Department of Justice ticket sales guide, they cannot charge you a higher price for the accessible seat then the standard rate of the section you are moving into.
• Secondary market equality: It does not matter if you bought the original regular ticket from a friend, Ticketmaster, StubHub, or a reseller. The law states that the venue’s policies for handling secondary market tickets must be identical for individuals with and without disabilities.
• 1+3 rule: You can exchange one ticket for an accessible seat and up to three companion tickets for seats directly next to it, matching standard ADA ticket purchase limits.
• Contiguous seating: The venue must place the companion seats in the same row and immediately adjacent to the accessible seat.
• If the section is full: If three adjacent companion seats are not available, the venue must provide the next closest available seats to the accessible space.

What happens to additional tickets?

• More than four tickets: If your group has five or more people, any tickets beyond the four allowed under the ADA rule remain in their original, regular seating location.
• Sold out events: If the accessible section only has one or two seats left when you ask, the venue can only switch out what is available. They cannot kick other patrons out of accessible seats to accommodate your companions.

How to get your tickets switched out before the event

1. First, contact the venue box office to determine if they still have accessible seats in reserve for direct purchase, or only for exchange. They may or may not have access to this information.
2. Next, purchase the regular inaccessible tickets in the section where you would like to sit. I highly recommend purchasing tickets in sections that have accessible seating so that you have the opportunity to switch out tickets closest to where you actually want to sit. You also have a smaller chance of any ticket price disparities. Do not purchase a ticket just because it’s the cheapest; they will exchange tickets closest to the ones you purchased.
3. If you buy your tickets through Ticketmaster, you can contact Ticketmaster accessible support online or call them at their dedicated line at 1-800-877-7575 and request the exchange.
4. If this doesn’t work, contact the venue’s box office either by phone, or if available, their accessibility information email, to request the exchange. The venue may also have an ADA coordinator that you can contact via email to request the exchange.
5. If you live near the venue, you can visit the physical box office during its normal business hours to request the exchange.
6. If you bought your tickets from a reseller, like StubHub, SeatGeek, or Vivid Seats, they cannot swap your tickets over the phone. If the seller has released the tickets to you, you’ll have to deal directly with the venue’s own box office either before the event or the day of. Please note that resellers often don’t release tickets until 24 hours prior to the event.
7. Take note that some modern arena box offices explicitly state that they don’t process ticket exchanges over the phone to protect credit card data. If your venue has this policy, they will usually direct you to use an online ADA request form on their site or instruct you to handle it in person at the box office window.

How to switch out your tickets the day of the event

1. While venues do hold back a limited number of accessible seats specifically for the purpose of these exchanges, please note that the key word here is limited. Ticket exchanges on the day of the event are available on a first come, first served basis, so it’s critical that you arrive at the event before the doors open. Depending on the venue, they may allow patrons with disabilities to enter the venue a few minutes before non-disabled ticket holders.
2. Before the event, look at the venue map, find out where the accessible entry points are, then determine where the closest guest services desk is to your designated entry. This will minimize the amount of time it takes you to enter the venue and get your tickets exchanged. Also, take screenshots of your tickets just in case you have problems with the app or data access on your phone.
3. Once you arrive at guest services, present either your paper tickets or your digital tickets on your phone and your ID. Then explain that you would like to switch them out for an accessible seat and companion seats. 
4. The guest services representative may guide you to transfer your existing tickets to them in exchange for accepting a transfer for the accessible seats through the Ticketmaster app. If you have paper tickets, they may exchange those for print tickets or a handwritten voucher with your new accessible seats.

Please note that there is always an inherent risk that you won’t be able to get your tickets exchanged if you wait until the day of the event. I did not know that I could exchange the tickets ahead of time, so on the multiple occasions where I’ve done this, I’ve always just been the first one through the door of the venue, and I’ve always been able to get them exchanged in person – yes, even for a $2200 Taylor Swift Eras Tour ticket that I purchased through StubHub for a show four hours away from my home. Yes, I’m crazy like that.

With that, I hope you enjoy your show, and let me know in the comments if you had success changing out your tickets for your event!