With no direct line of sight to the floor for those in wheelchairs, the Walter Pyramid management acknowledges that the arena fails to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessible Stadiums requirement.
The Pyramid may also be failing to meet the ADA’s dispersed seating requirement.
“You’ll miss part of the game because people are standing in front of you,” said senior film major David Walters about the view from his wheelchair in floor level seating Section 114.
This is a problem for wheelchair seating locations on the concourse level and on the floor.
According to Public Affairs representative of the U.S. Department of Justice Alejandro Miyar, the Pyramid is subject to the requirements set by the ADA.
“Stadiums built post-ADA must comply with the architectural accessibility requirements for new construction,” Miyar said in an e-mail.
Pyramid Event Operations Coordinator Oscar Hernandez said that his department has no control over people standing and blocking the view from wheelchair seating locations, which is common.
This is not in compliance, however, with the ADA Accessible Stadiums requirement, which states, “All spectators can see between the heads of the person in the row directly in front of them and over the heads of the people two rows in front.”
After agreeing that the Pyramid failed to meet ADA requirements where comparable line of sight is concerned, Walter Pyramid Events Scheduling Coordinator Cameron Ungar said that achieving accessibility for those with mobility issues is a work in progress.
Ungar said that Pyramid management had recently done a walkthrough with Disabled Student Services Director David Sanfilippo for assistance in achieving better accessibility for those with mobility issues. He said he knew a direct line of sight to the floor has been a problem for those in the wheelchair seating locations, but that he doesn’t know how to fix it.
“We’re going through a process where we are evaluating that now,” Ungar said.
Disabled Student Services Coordinator of Support Services and Advising Peter Perbix also acknowledged the problem.
“Line of sight is not something that’s going to be easily fixed,” Perbix said.
According to Perbix, accessibility improvements planned for the Pyramid include upgrading signs to make wheelchair seating locations easier to find.
“Pyramid management should have tried a little harder and a little sooner to address any perceived accessibility complaints,” Perbix said.
Another significant problem at the Pyramid is communication between employees when it comes to wheelchair seating protocol.
For example, Hernandez had previously stated that the only wheelchair seating location is in the back aisle of section 101 and that seating for disabled people is offered on the floor when there is space available, although it often becomes full during big-draw events because the bleachers are folded down.
Ungar said that sections 104, 105, 106 and 114 all have been built to offer wheelchair seating. Ungar said that he was unsure as to why section 101 was even mentioned, as it is not a wheelchair seating location.
Ungar said that the communication gap regarding wheelchair seating in the Pyramid comes from the current staff not being there when the stadium was built, because they were hired afterward.
Journalism assistant professor Danny Paskin wrote an opinion-editorial in the Daily 49er about a bad experience attending his first women’s 49er basketball game in February, where he mentioned that Pyramid employees were unprepared to seat him in his mobility scooter.
The Pyramid is “probably the worst arena I’ve ever been to when it comes to accessibility and organization of wheelchair access,” Paskin wrote.
Hernandez said that Pyramid management would have handled the problem immediately if they had known about it.
Paskin said that the employees working that night didn’t know what to do with him, even though he arrived plenty of time before the start of the game.
“[Paskin] probably just asked the wrong people,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said that many of the Pyramid employees are students — some on call — and that the employees present during the game probably just weren’t aware of where to seat Paskin that day.
According to Hernandez, the rotation of having different crews working with each 49er team makes it difficult to make sure all of the employees are familiar with wheelchair seating protocol.
Ungar addressed this, saying that all those working at the Pyramid are now briefed about wheelchair seating, to avoid a similar problem.
While Hernandez oversees men’s basketball, another Pyramid Event Operations Coordinator Chris Chambers was overseeing the women’s basketball game that Paskin attended.
Perbix said that he thinks Pyramid management should have been better prepared for potential accessibility problems, especially those involving Pyramid workers not knowing how to handle seating someone in a wheelchair accessible location.
“They should have made this a forethought instead of an afterthought. This is especially true about staff training,” Perbix said
With all wheelchair seating locations in the upper level except for one row on the floor in section 114, questions remain about whether or not the Pyramid meets the dispersed seating requirement in addition to the line of sight requirement set by the ADA Accessible Stadiums document.
“It means you either sit at the top of the concourse or courtside,” said Walters, who has cerebral palsy, speaking about the limited number of views available from wheelchair seating locations.
The requirement states that “Whenever more than 300 seats are provided, wheelchair seating locations must be provided in more than one location. Wheelchair seating locations must be dispersed throughout all seating areas and provide a choice of admission prices and views comparable to those for the general public.”
With wheelchair seating locations “there hasn’t been a formal plan,” Ungar said.
Pyramid general manager Mark Edrington said that the facility is not the only stadium with problems offering comparable views to those for the general public.
“I’d challenge you to find an arena that does,” Edrington said.
Some students said they would like to see removable seating in the student section because the wheelchair seating location is in the back, but all of the action is happening toward the front.
“It would be beneficial if they had removable seating in the student section,” said Walters, who frequently attends games at the Pyramid.
Senior social work major Eddie Mack said he doesn’t go to games in his wheelchair at the Pyramid because he is not confident they will be prepared.
According to the ADA website, “The Americans with Disabilities Act requires new stadiums to be accessible to people with disabilities so they, their families, and friends can enjoy equal access to entertainment, recreation and leisure.”
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