Outreach Meeting at Yankee Stadium
September 7, 2007
1 PM – 3 PM
Dominic Marinelli from United Spinal Association provided introductions and a brief overview of our agenda, which included the following items:
• Construction Update
• Signage
• Brochure and Online Access Guide
• Ticket Policy
1. Construction Update – Bradd Crowley, HOK Sport
Pictures were shown to attendees displaying the progress in construction of the new stadium.
Questions:
Q: How many seats will be provided in the new stadium?
A: Approximately 50,000 seats
Q: How many of the approximately 50,000 seats are luxury box seats?
A: 1,000 seats
Q: Is the number of seats at the new stadium reduced due to the luxury boxes?
A: No, the new stadium will have fewer seats because row dimensions have been increased in the new stadium. The new stadium will have wider row dimensions so that attendees are provided with more room at their seats.
Q: Will field dimensions be the same at the new stadium:
A: Yes, the field dimensions will be the same at the new stadium. The 1st row of seats behind home plate will be located closer in the new stadium.
2. Signage – Amy Siegel, C&G Partners
• Signage will be white text on a dark blue background (Yankees colors).
• Signage identifying permanent rooms and spaces will be located on the wall adjacent to the latch side of the door, 60 inches above the floor to the centerline of the sign.
• All rooms will only be identified by numbers which will include raised characters and Braille.
• Some rooms will only be identified by a number; some will also have a name.
• Elevator and stair signage will include both raised characters and Braille.
• Wheelchair viewing locations are fenced in and identified by signage that includes the section number and the International Symbol of Accessibility.
Questions:
Q: If individuals with disabilities not using wheelchairs will be seated in the wheelchair viewing locations, will it be confusing to only have the International Symbol of Accessibility (wheelchair symbol) at the viewing locations?
A: Wheelchair viewing locations are required by city and federal accessibility guidelines to be identified with the International Symbol of Accessibility.
Q: Although everyone who attends outreach meetings knows that all toilet rooms at the new stadium will be accessible, how will others know if signage is not provided?
A: Signage would only be required at toilet rooms that are not accessible and all of the toilet rooms at the new stadium will be accessible.
Comment: New stadium will be an example of a new era of construction where everything is accessible and does not need to be identified with signage.
Comment: Several attendees feel that without signage identifying toilet rooms as accessible, people will not know that they are accessible, especially out-of-towners.
Amy Segal suggested, as a possible solution, that the International Symbol of Accessibility be provided on directional signage to toilet rooms, rather than providing a sign at every toilet room with the symbol.
Suggestion: Provide signage on toilet rooms and on the accessible stall(s) within these toilet rooms reminding individuals without a disability that they should not use accessible toilet stalls or the unisex toilet rooms.
Q: How many unisex toilet rooms will be provided at new stadium?
A: 14
Discussion with Attendees: regarding the placement of signage to alert the public about the availability of an Assistive Listening System at the new stadium.
Suggestions:
• Provide signage stating the availability of Assistive Listening System at all stadium entrances, turnstiles, all portals into stadium, and at each ticket booth.
• Print information on Assistive Listening System on tickets.
• Make sure that information tells attendees where devices can be picked-up.
• Ticket box office operators could announce to callers the availability of the Assistive Listening System.
• Announce on Yes network, on Yankees website, Ticket Master website, newspaper ads, radio broadcasts, etc.
• Knowledge of the availability is important, especially if Yankees provide an alternate channel on the FM system for a play-by-play broadcast.
• Ensure that signage uses the correct symbols – use the following website as an example: www.hearingloop.org
3. Brochure and Online Access Guide – Dominic Marinelli, United Spinal Association
Yankees brochure and online access guide could be a good place to provide information to Yankee fans with disabilities, such as the availability of an Assistive Listening System or the fact that all toilet rooms and concession stands are accessible, etc.
Question to attendees: Would a Brochure and Online Access Guide be worthwhile?
Replies from attendees:
• Yes, an access guide would be worthwhile but not a panacea since not everyone may read the guide or know of its availability.
• Suggestion to integrate accessibility features into a new stadium guide, rather than have a separate section on access.
• If accessibility features are integrated into brochure, the info may be missed if individuals do not read entire brochure.
• Suggestion to integrate accessibility features into general stadium brochure and provide a separate access guide.
• Suggestion to look at Metropolitan Opera online brochure as a good example to follow.
Questions:
Q: How many captioning boards will be provided at new stadium?
A: 2 on the first and third base facade. The main scoreboard has the ability to provide captioning.
Comment: FedEx stadium has 2 captioning boards provided on each end of stadium and many plays are missed because you have to keep turning your head away from field to see captioning boards.
Reply: At new Yankee stadium, all seats face towards 2nd base so if captioning boards are located in sight of 2nd base, individuals will be able to see the field and the captioning boards.
Q: Will captioning be mixed case letters or all upper/lower case? Many attendees agree that captioning needs to be mixed case letters.
A: Follow-up on exact type of characters available on captioning board will be provided.
Q: Where will induction loops be provided?
A: An induction loop will be provided in conference center and at one window within the main ticket booth
Comment: All ticket booths should be provided with an induction loop.
Reply: Follow-up on the possibility of providing a loop at one ticket window at each main ticket distribution point in the new stadium will be provided.
4. Ticket Policy – Dominic Marinelli, United Spinal Association
Two main ticket policy issues include:
1. Enforcement /ticket fraud
2. Accommodating other disabilities, other than individuals who use wheelchairs, in accessible seating locations, such as blind and visually impaired individuals.
• Accommodate service/guide dog
• Proximity of seats to field
• Unobstructed line of sight from seats
Proposal: Although new federal accessibility guidelines only require .5% of seating to be accessible, more then 1% of viewing locations within the new stadium will be accessible to achieve compliance with current city and federal accessibility standards.
Suggestion: Half of the accessible seats will be distributed as they are at the current Yankee Stadium, thereby satisfying federal accessibility requirements. The other half will be reserved for “club†members. Yankee fans can voluntarily join this free club – in order to join, members will have to prove that they have a disability that would require them to be accommodated with accessible seating. This suggested ticket policy idea was provided to the U.S. Department of Justice independent of the new Yankee Stadium in August for their review/comments.
Comment: If any Yankee fans do not feel comfortable providing proof of disability, they can purchase accessible seating without joining club (like they currently do at the stadium). If people with hidden disabilities do not want to join the club as they would be viewing games in wheelchair spaces that will feature folding chairs, they can purchase the remaining 99% of seats available.
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