Teacher Gets A Win For Disabled -- Tacoma Dome Vows Improved Access, Sensitivity

When Kennedy High School teacher Joanne Lawrence took on Ticketmaster, Garth Brooks and the Tacoma Dome in a federal lawsuit two years ago, it looked like a fight between David and Goliath.

But yesterday, on what would have been the start of the trial in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, they reached a settlement. Lawrence hopes it will be a victory for the disabled community.

According to her attorney, John Sheridan, the suit - and the agreement - could motivate other public facilities to take the needs of disabled patrons seriously. He said it also encourages other disabled people to fight for rights under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires equal access for the able-bodied and the disabled.

The lawsuit goes back to a 1993 Garth Brooks concert at the Tacoma Dome. Lawrence and her husband, Bill, attended the concert. Because she once had polio Lawrence was using a wheelchair that night, and she was required to sit far in back, separated from her husband.

When Brooks came on stage and the crowd rose to its feet - and remained that way for the entire concert - the only view for Lawrence and the others in the wheelchair section was the backsides of the people in front of them.

Most heartbreaking, Lawrence said, was one young woman with cerebral palsy who had saved her allowance for a ticket to the show. Her friends tried unsuccessfully to lift her high enough to see. When they failed, the young woman sobbed so hard, Lawrence recalls, the girl's sweat shirt was wet with tears.

The following day, Lawrence called the Tacoma Dome management, Ticketmaster and Brooks' promoters to complain and suggest they make modifications for future shows. But, she said, the response was hostile and unapologetic.

She decided to form an advocacy group, Disabled Americans Have Rights Too (DAHRT), and to sue.

"The thing that kept me going is the kids I've talked to over the years, of the horrible things that's happened to them. If it had just been me, I wouldn't have done it."

While she did receive a monetary settlement for an undisclosed amount, she said the real victory is in the changes the Dome has agreed to that could make it a premier entertainment facility for disabled persons.

The Dome has agreed to provide sensitivity training to personnel who have contact with the public, provide an interpreter for deaf patrons, offer people with low mobility seating near exits, provide an usher to assist disabled patrons, give wheelchair access to many classes of seats, lower one ticket window to wheelchair level, install a wheelchair lift, improve handicap-designated parking and provide a unisex bathroom for disabled persons.

In addition, Lawrence is to monitor the Dome for compliance with the improvements and will be given tickets to events.

"We think the solution we came up with is a win-win solution," said Shelley Kerslake, Tacoma assistant city attorney. "She helped us evaluate our services."

And as a result, the Tacoma Dome will be able to provide better service to the disabled community, Kerslake said. "We're excited about that."

Nancy Bartley's phone message number is 206-515-5039. Her e-mail address is: nbar-new@seatimes.com