This ends a long sequence of legal actions regarding accessible seating at the ballpark.
I’ve written about the topic of accessible seating at Wrigley Field a number of times, most recently in June 2023. As I wrote in my 2022 article on this topic, I have quite a bit of personal knowledge of accessibility needs at ballparks:
Many of you have met my partner, Miriam, who sits with me in the bleachers. She is mobility-impaired and uses a wheelchair when we’re out. She can walk, but not very far, and is able to handle getting to our seats in the bleachers. But when we go to other ballparks, we sit in accessible seating because of the wheelchair — she can navigate the bleachers, but regular seating in other ballparks is impossible. Over the last several years, we have attended games seated in ADA sections on the South Side of Chicago and in Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, St. Louis and Los Angeles. In all these ballparks, accessible seating in the lower deck is located in the same place it is in Wrigley Field — behind the last row of seats. In some parks this is 40 or more rows from the field.
Thus I’m pleased to tell you today that, per Robert Channick in the Tribune, the Cubs and the US Justice Department now have a settlement, via consent decree, regarding accessible seating at Wrigley Field. Here’s what will happen, according to Channick:
The consent decree addresses those concerns with a variety of improvements the Cubs have agreed to make throughout the ballpark, including adding wheelchair spaces and companion seats into premium club areas at the front of the grandstand, providing front-row access for disabled fans.
The Cubs will also beef up wheelchair access in the bleachers, including two designated spaces and companion seats in the Batter’s Eye area in the centerfield section. In addition, the team has agreed to improve access everywhere from the parking areas to the bathrooms.
As part of the agreement, employees and contractors who deal with patrons will undergo ADA training before each of the next three baseball seasons. The team is also required to promote the availability of wheelchair-accessible seats over the next three years.
This is all good, and will help make parts of Wrigley Field that were previously difficult for folks with accessibility needs more accessible.
The article notes that a lawsuit filed by David Cerda several years ago regarding accessible seating is still pending, after a ruling in favor of the Cubs in June 2023 was appealed. Regarding that suit, the short version is that Cerda, who uses a motorized wheelchair, was moved out of a seat he previously occupied, following the Wrigley Field renovations. Cerda’s claim appears to say that he is entitled to a specific seating location, which no longer exists. From Channick’s article:
The lawsuit alleged the extensive Wrigley rebuild did not provide enough accessible seating to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It’s my personal feeling this appeal will be denied, as there’s plenty of accessible seating at Wrigley as detailed in my previous articles and that the ballpark now is in compliance via the consent decree.