Rolling with Sarah

Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd! I recently went to see our Toronto Blue Jays face off against the St. Louis Cardinals at the Rogers Centre. We don’t drive directly to the park, but for those who do, I did notice there was an accessible drop-off/ pick-up zone. It was great to see that they had a safe place for those with limited mobility to exit their vehicles right beside the accessible entrance. There is a limited amount of accessible parking spots available, and it is on a first come first serve basis, so this is a great alternative. Gate 7 of the Rogers Centre is the dedicated accessible entrance. There are no barriers upon entry and there is space for a wheelchair to go around the metal detectors. There is security staff there to assist if need be. Once we were inside the stadium, we took a roll around the 100 level. Smooth rolling throughout and you can check out every angle of the field. The other levels of the park were accessible by ramp and elevator if you chose to go exploring even more. There are accessible seats located at the top of each100 level section, so you have a choice of whatever view you want to have of the park. The seats themselves are roomy and the chairs even have cupholders, so thumbs up to that! If you are like me and cannot transfer out of your char, the seat is easily removed when you arrive. This is done by the section’s attendant, who is available all game if there are any concerns or problems. Every accessible section has its own dedicated attendant. Ours was lovely. The railing is at a good height, so it doesn’t block you from seeing anything on the field. If you get the munchies, fan assistance is available at any concession location upon request. The are sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards and weighted lap pads available to all guests who may feel overwhelmed by the environment. For those with a hearing disability, a closed captioning ribbon board is available to the right side of the Videoboard. If you happen to drink a bit much, each washroom has a wheelchair accessible stall. Service animals are also welcome to join in the festivities. All Jays shop locations are wheelchair accessible if you are willing to fight the crowds for a souvenir, but isn’t that part of the fun? I never felt left out here because of my disability. To top it all off, our Jays walked away with a victory, so it was a great day for ball.