Hello, I know most of you, like me, are sad to see LeBron James go to Miami, and while I could probably rant and sulk about it all day long, I think we all need to just move on and continue to support our Cavs this season.

So, anyway…

I just recently went to the Vans Warped Tour, an all day concert in Cleveland at the Time Warner Cable Amphitheater. This national tour features over 100 bands in one day, and this experience was the best concert I have ever been to, and I was surprised by how helpful the attendees were. 

During my childhood I was always taught that I was not limited by my disability and could do anything any able-bodied person could do. Therefore I have always lived my life according to that principle, and through doing so have learned that people are genuinely decent, and are willing to go the extra mile in order to help accommodate a person with a disability. 

While many new parents of a child with a disability may hear this phrase and not think much of it, focusing more on what they think their child may one day be incapable of, I would encourage them to think of creative ways to adapt their child’s experiences. This way they can learn to manage their own lives, and be confident that if they want to go to big events like the Warped Tour they can, and that their disability will not hold them back. 

Although it might not seem like it, going to an event like the Warped Tour presented an opportunity to exercise all the advocacy skills I was taught as a child by my parents and the Achievement Centers. They showed me important skills like how to communicate my needs to strangers in a polite manner, and how to prepare for situations where I may need assistance.

The day before the concert I went down to the venue and met with an employee to discuss accommodations that would be available during the event, as well as the schedule of bands so that my aide and I were better prepared when we got there the next day. If I hadn’t done this I never would have known that there were actually special sections set up at the main stage for people with disabilities to use to see better, much like other venues I have been to.

 It was a good thing I did this because the attendance for this concert was sold out, with approximately 12,000 people there all day. In order to get around the venue I had to politely ask people to make way for my chair, including one time that I had to navigate backwards through a crowd, and if you’re in a wheelchair you know how hard that can be. 

Overall I was pretty impressed with the accessible accommodations and even the bands were excited to have me there. One band, Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds allowed me to hang out with them for about 30 to 40 minutes after their set, where I got a lot of cool swag and discussed their music. The session drummer for The All-American Rejects even went out of his way to get me an autographed drumstick!

Now, while opportunities like this don’t happen at every concert or show that I go to, in fact I would say it happens very rarely at best, I still always have a great time, meet a lot of people who share the same interests as I do, and get yet another opportunity to exercise the advocacy skills instilled in me from a young age. For lack of a less corny phrase, half of the battle is just showing up. 

As long as were on the topic, I am interested to know if anyone reading this blog was at the Warped Tour as well! If you were be sure to leave a comment about your experience there, or even at other concerts or venues and that way we can get a conversation going about accessibility in the Cleveland Area!

That being said, I urge both young people with disabilities and their parents to take this message to heart and to take advantage of every opportunity you can to expand your experiences and to never let someone else tell you “you can’t.”