wheelchair access?

[jon simon]

Hello all,
Does a haunted trail have to be wheelchair accessible ?

[Brent Wilson]

Technically, yes. Per the Americans with Disabilities Act, all public accommodations must be handicapped accessible. However, this is clearly not enforced in many jurisdictions (especially for seasonal events) and many older buildings are grandfathered in until they are demolished or substantially remodeled. I haven’t been to very many haunts that are totally accesssible.

[monsterwax]

If you are near a big city with ads for personal injury lawyers, I wouldn't try it. The ADA provided language to avoid lawyers from incentivizing law suits for these type of claims, but unofficially, they pay certain handicapped clients "finder fees" under the table. Every season, we get several calls asking if we're wheelchair accessible. When I tell them that we are, they don't seem too interested any more. Out of the dozens of calls, we've only had one person show up in a wheelchair. I can't help but think most of them were fishing for those finder fees.

[drfrightner]

This is actually a GREAT question ... many types of amusement are NOT accessible. Haunts have serious problems with wheelchairs. We get asked about wheelchair access by email and we tell them its extremely difficult and t hey don't come.

We've actually considered having a WHEEL CHAIR ONLY night have to figure out HOW to do it but haven't. The Darkness is on two floors lots of stairs, Lemp is down a bunch of stairs and Creepyworld is on gravel wheelchairs can get stuck.

Its very hard.

[monsterwax]

Based on my experience, only a dozen or so people would come to a "wheelchair only" night (depending on how you advertised it). But let's not forget the original question was about haunted TRAILS, not haunts. I think as long as the trails are wide enough to push a wheel chair through, it's not our job to pave it or grade it to make it easy for wheel chairs. As long as it's not blocked or have steps or roots or mud preventing someone with a strong helper pushing them through it, I would think that's technically accessible. Otherwise, all the governments parks (and the rest of the great outdoors) discriminate.