Wheelchair-accessible seating: how to manage it in your ticketing

To manage wheelchair-accessible seating well in your ticketing, mark wheelchair spaces and the companion seats next to them on your seating plan, sell them online like any other seat, make them easy for buyers to find, and give all the access information on the event page. Many venues still only take these bookings by phone or at the box office: one more step for the attendee, and more calls for you.

This guide covers what to plan for, from preparing the seating plan to the day of the event.

What accessible seating covers

In a venue, accessible seating usually includes:

• wheelchair spaces, with no fixed seat or a removable one, reachable without steps;
• companion seats, right next to them, for the person accompanying the wheelchair user;
• easy-access seats, at the end of a row or near an entrance, for people with limited mobility who can use a standard seat;
• restricted-view seats, which are not specific to disabled attendees but also need to be flagged.

Why sell them online

Keeping wheelchair spaces out of online sales often comes from good intentions: arranging each visit individually. But for the attendee, it means waiting for the box office to open, phoning, explaining their situation, all without seeing the venue. Meanwhile, their friends are booking online.

Selling accessible seats online, like any other seat, has several advantages:

• attendees book whenever they like, seeing exactly where they will be;
• they can book their own seat, their companion’s and their friends’ in a single order;
• you take fewer calls, and your team can focus on welcoming people on the day;
• accessible seats follow the same sales timeline as the others, so those who need them are not at a disadvantage.

You can still keep a direct line open: give a phone number or email address for specific requests.

Placing wheelchair spaces on the plan

Marking seats on the plan does not replace thinking about where they are. A few principles:

• Step-free access from the entrance to the seat, and to the toilets and bar.
• A clear view, including when the people in front stand up, at a concert for example.
• A companion seat right next to the space, not a row away.
• Spaces in several sections, where the layout allows, so wheelchair users also have a choice of price.
• Proximity to an exit, to make arrival, departure and evacuation easier.

If in doubt, ask the venue manager: they know where the accessible spaces are and the safety constraints.

Companion seats: set a clear policy

Companion seats often raise questions. Are they free, discounted or full price? Is proof required? There is no single rule: each organiser decides. What matters is deciding before sales open and stating it clearly on the event page.

If proof is required, say what kind and when it will be checked, at the door for instance. Also say whether friends or family can sit next to the attendee, beyond the companion seat.

Information to give before purchase

Disabled attendees need to know, before they book, whether they can attend in good conditions. On the event page, include:

• the accessible entrance, if it is not the main one;
• accessible parking spaces and the distance to the entrance;
• whether there is a lift or ramp, and accessible toilets;
• door opening times, and whether early entry is possible;
• a contact for specific requests.

On the day

Tell your front-of-house team how many wheelchair users to expect and where they are seated. Make sure wheelchair spaces are kept clear of equipment and that the route to them is unobstructed. Tickets are checked as for everyone else: a QR code scan at the door from a smartphone. For more on this step, see our access control page.

Accessible seating with the PassPass seating plan

On the PassPass seating plan, wheelchair spaces, companion seats and restricted-view seats are marked on the plan. Buyers can choose to show accessible seats only, then book them online like any other seat, on desktop or mobile.

During set-up, our team recreates your venue from your existing plan and marks these seats with you. You can also take seats off sale for a specific need, then release them at any time. Everything runs inside your regular PassPass ticketing. For the full set-up, follow our guide on how to set up a seating plan, or see our page on cultural venue ticketing.