Update 4/15/2024: The Texas Eclipse Accessibility Team has since contacted us and others that faced accessibility issues at Texas Eclipse. They are personally contacting individuals to understand and address impediments faced, and offer recompense where applicable. The Texas Eclipse Accessibility Team has consistently gone above and beyond what anyone could have been expected to do. Their passion and unwavering devotion to assisting those with disabilities is beautiful and they should be held in the highest regard.
I want to start by saying that it seems many, many people enjoyed their time at Texas Eclipse. Many experienced little to no issues, or the issues were sufficient enough to not ruin their time. They were able to enjoy a large selection of amazing artists, be captivated by beautiful installations, and create lasting memories. I am grateful and happy for them, I truly am. It seemed to generally be the case that if you were an able-bodied individual, while the hike to camping/parking may have been long and unpleasant, and the layout difficult to navigate at night, it was manageable. But for those of us with disabilities, which is estimated to be about 27% of all U.S. adults, good vibes and a positive attitude aren’t necessarily enough to make an inaccessible event safe and accessible. Especially if your disability causes mobility issues.
I do want to make clear that while this article is meant to represent some of the issues faced at Texas Eclipse by those with disabilities, it doesn’t negate any positive experiences had by others. Vastly different and seemingly contradictory experiences can occur at the same festival, while still being equally valid and true. I am not here to convince anyone who enjoyed themselves at Texas Eclipse that they shouldn’t have, but instead to speak on inequalities that I (and others) observed while attending.
The opportunity to enjoy the festival to its fullest was not adequately afforded to those of us with disabilities. Reading through the Texas Eclipse Accessibility Statement, I believed that Texas Eclipse would “provide a physical… environment that is accessible to all individuals, including individuals with disabilities” as was stated. To say I was let down would be a grand understatement. While some may say that it was my fault and I should have planned better, that attitude disregards the agreement that was made between Texas Eclipse and myself. Texas Eclipse outlined the accessibility features that I could expect and then failed to deliver. I upheld my end of the agreement by purchasing a ticket at the agreed-upon price, so it doesn’t strike me as unreasonable to expect Texas Eclipse to uphold theirs and provide what was advertised.
I’ve read many comments to the effect of “people should have assumed this was going to be like Burning Man and planned accordingly.” So let’s briefly digress and talk about Burning Man. Burning Man is well known for being both awe-inspiring and not for the faint of heart. They make no attempts to sugarcoat how adversarial and difficult the environment is, and that very limited services are available. The Burning Man website clearly states “you should plan to come completely self-sufficient” and goes into detail on what wheelchair users can expect. I realize not every environment can be made ADA accessible. I fully understand and accept that. But if Texas Eclipse was meant to be closer in style to Burning Man, then it should have had an accessibility policy that reflected that. That way those with disabilities could have made an informed decision on how best to prepare for the festival or decided it would be better not to attend at all.
While there were many valid concerns raised about how ADA accommodations were managed, especially by those who were able to last longer at the festival than I did, in an attempt to keep this article from transforming into a full(er) dissertation, I want to focus on three accommodations that were not completely met: ADA parking, accessible camping, and viewing platforms.
ADA Parking
What was advertised: “All disabled patrons will enter event parking and request ADA parking by showing state-issued ADA documentation, such as a hangtag or license plate sticker/registration.”
Why this is important: ADA parking provides closer entrance access to those with mobility issues. This limits long walking distances from their vehicle to the entrance, bypasses difficult terrain, and reduces reliance on having to be transported from their vehicle to the gate (and back).
What was received: There was no ADA parking available. None. Those with disabilities (and not camping) were required to use the day parking lot, which was moved further away from the festival entrance as the weekend progressed. Those with mobility issues needed to rely on Texas Eclipse transportation, which was primarily in the form of golf carts not designed to transfer wheelchairs. Limited golf cart vehicles were made available to ADA, with one breaking down on the Friday of the event. This created long wait times for transportation, with very few alternatives available (aside from painful walks or expensive pedicabs). There was a single ADA-accessible van available when we arrived on Friday, but that was primarily used to transport people between the box office and the ADA campgrounds and could not safely navigate the terrain to the festival entrance.
Accessible Camping
What was advertised: “We are dedicated to providing an accessible festival experience to all fans.” and “Once you’re parked, camping features a dedicated 24-7 ADA customer service area to assist with transportation or other needs.”
Why this is important: ADA camping is typically placed nearest to an entrance and on relatively flat terrain. Similar to parking, this allows for ease of access to/from the festival and camping. Disabled campers may struggle to travel long distances, need to rest more often, have specific dietary needs, or become overwhelmed and in need of refuge, so quick access to their campsite can be the differentiating factor of whether or not they can make it through the entire festival.
What was received: The campgrounds for ADA, as well as the ADA customer service area, were placed atop a steep incline. The allotted camp space was insufficient to house all those that required ADA accommodations, so the camp was forced to extend into more inhospitable terrain. The festival entrance nearest the campgrounds was not ADA accessible, which meant those with mobility issues could try and endure the walk (risking their wellbeing and personal safety), or could wait for transport to another entrance (which could take hours). When we spoke with ADA customer service, we were told they could only take us as far as the festival entrance, but that they were not authorized to bring golf carts into the festival grounds, which meant transport services stopped at the gate (even though stages could be long distances apart and necessitate crossing rough terrain). While ADA services did seem to be available 24-7, they were extremely difficult to contact when leaving the festival at night, as it required security personnel to know that there was ADA staff, that shuttle services did not end at 10 pm for ADA, and that security would be willing to contact ADA staff on your behalf.
Viewing Platforms
What was advertised: “The Texas Eclipse will incorporate elevated accessible viewing platforms at each stage, generally next to VIP sections. These accessible viewing platforms are intended for guests who use wheelchairs, have significant mobility disabilities, or have difficulty standing for long periods of time.”
Why this is important: The average eye level of a wheelchair user is roughly 4ft. Elevated platforms allow them the ability to see the stage and performers, instead of just the backside of everyone in front of them. Platforms also protect wheelchair users from being accidentally knocked over, since they are below most eye levels. For those with physical disabilities who are ambulatory, standing for extended periods can still be painfully difficult, so ADA platforms provide limited seating to assist. Again, this also protects them from being knocked down by someone tripping over a cane or crutch. Lastly, for those with mental/developmental disabilities, ADA platforms can provide a safe and contained space to enjoy the festival, away from the constant and chaotic motion of the crowd.
What was received: ADA platforms were not fully constructed until Saturday, and were only available for the Eclipse and Lonestar stages. This is out of the 6 total stages that were available at Texas Eclipse. This placed those with disabilities in a precarious position and reduced their safety and experience inside the festival, assuming they were able to make it inside at all.
Final Thoughts
The EDM community is one of the most accepting and kind groups that I have ever been a part of, so it’s heartbreaking when that inclusivity (via accessibility) is stripped away. While the following was but a fraction of comments I came across, and positively not by those that represent the ethos of our EDM culture, I felt they were worth addressing. There were some disparaging remarks along the lines of “well maybe you shouldn’t have come if you can’t handle the outdoors; it’s not Texas Eclipse’s responsibility to take care of your needs; you’re just entitled and think the world should cater to you”, and other such phrases that reeked of ableism. These statements could not be further from the truth. Those of us with disabilities do not desire to be pitied or infantilized, we are not heroes or a story of inspiration, we are everyday people who just want the opportunity to be able to enjoy the same things that able-bodied people can. And while I obviously cannot and do not speak for everyone with a disability, I believe this would be considered a true statement by most. We just want the chance to participate at an equitable level where possible.
While the ADA accommodations were atrocious, the ADA staff was the mirror opposite. From our experience and many reports, they were extremely caring, helpful, and empathetic, and did everything in their limited power to assist. It is impossible to speak highly enough about the dedication and commitment this team showed. Unfortunately, they were given insufficient resources and could not fulfill the accommodations that Texas Eclipse stated would be available. When we spoke with the ADA staff, they echoed our concerns and seemed genuinely ashamed that they couldn’t provide the level of support that they wanted. And as outraged as I was for the position we had been thrust into, I felt for them. They didn’t deserve to be placed in this kind of situation any more than we did. The ADA staff was the singular shining star in the otherwise bleak ADA experience at Texas Eclipse.
Ending Notes
While we received and located several complaints related to Texas Eclipse, we only included in this article those specifically related to ADA. This decision should not be taken to imply that non-ADA experiences were invalid or less important (which is unequivocally false), but rather we wanted to maintain focus on the subject of what we have written, which was the ADA experience. While these quotes maintain the spirit of what was shared and are in large part word-for-word, minor edits were made to correct grammar and/or improve readability. If you feel we have misquoted you or taken something out of context, please reach at submit@freshmusicfreaks.com so we can make the correction.
For a more personal and detailed narrative of the accessibility problems that occurred at Texas Eclipse, @Audiotism_Tanya has written a thoughtful piece on her experience.
Texas Eclipse did provide a phone number via their app that could be texted in case of any problems; we sent a message detailing the problems we faced but received no response. We also requested a quote from the public relations company managing Texas Eclipse, but no statement was received at the time of this publication. While Texas Eclipse did post a public statement regarding a variety of topics that were being discussed online, ADA accommodations was not mentioned (at least not at the time of this publication).
