KSU Day at the Braves game

By: Whitney Constien

       For my assignment I chose to use my dad as my date. Currently, my dad is disabled due to a 
broken foot. He has to use a scooter or walker to get around and it sometimes makes going out to places hard. My family already had an outing to KSU Day at the Braves game, and my dad was going in a wheelchair. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to see how accessible the stadium was to those that are disabled. 

Accessibility           

Once we arrived at Turner Field the workers were very helpful in getting my dad to the appropriate seating. The accessibility of the stadium was easy for my dad to maneuver around. There were elevators located next to the stairs and relatively close to the seats we were at. Our seats were right behind second base and although our tickets said general admission seats, which are usually much higher up, the ushers led us to the disabled seating section closer to the field. This section had a place for my dad to sit as well as for the rest of us.  

Activity

           In the section we were sitting in, we did not have to deal with people climbing over us to get out or back in like we would have if we sat in normal seating. The small area also allowed my family to spread out and move around during the game. We were close enough to other people to feel included in the game, but yet we felt like we had enough personal space to interact as a family at the same time.

had enough personal space to interact as a family at the same time.

Crowding

            One issue we had at the game was the amount of people there were, which is not unusual at a baseball game. However, with my dad in a wheelchair the excess of people made us get around slower when going to the bathroom or to get food.

Sociality

            As I previously said, the designated area we were in allowed us to have our personal space but still allowed us to interact with others attending the game. At one point in the game I sat next to dad and I was able to talk to him in a normal voice instead of having to scream. Normally we would have had to talk louder or in each other’s ears to have a conversation.

Legibility

            During the game we were able to see the scoreboard and other screens clearly from where we were sitting. The only time we had a problem with this was when the sun was setting because we were sitting in the direction it was setting. 

Meaning

             The meaning of going to the game with my dad was special for me. We both share a love for baseball, it is something we are able to bond over.

Adaptability

            I was very impressed with the stadium’s staff and their willingness to adapt to our needs. They made our experience much more enjoyable. The other fans at the game adapted to my dad’s wheelchair whether we were going to get food or the bathroom. They would make room for us to get by and sometimes even allow us to go in front of them. 

Conclusion

This was a great experience for my family and I. I know have more respect and empathy for those who deal with this daily. It takes a lot of work, and I think it is great that our society is learning to adapt.