A good experience with accessiblity in Minnesota.

Target Field, Minneapolis, MN

Over Memorial Day weekend, Dan and I went home to Minnesota to attend a conference (me) and hang out with my parents and watch baseball (Dan, of course). We went to baseball games at Target Field and at Midway Stadium where the St. Paul Saints played. We do want to write a baseball stadium review later in the summer, but we wanted to quickly commend these two stadiums for their efforts towards accessibility and the ease we had using them.

Target Field was easy to get into, and no huge trips around the entire stadium to find a ramp for our seats was necessary. The overhang keeps you dry without blocking the game (which means no rusty wheels) and the railings don't impede your vision. The best thing we saw across the field was a screen that provided closed-captioning for all that the announcer said. We've never seen this anywhere else (though we haven't looked too hard), but what a great way to include everyone attending the game.

Midway Stadium, besides having the most entertaining baseball game I've ever seen (the grounds crew wears dresses as they smooth the dirt), was also surprisingly accessible given the age of the stadium. The best part for us was that within the program, there is a two page section about accessibility that has braille covering it. So not only can you read it visually, but the braille is right there with the other accessibility information. It was really an innovative idea.

Please keep in mind, that this in no way makes up for the workers at Delta at O'Hare airport trying to lift Dan out of his wheelchair after he told them he could move by himself. But hey, we're not going to raise our expectations that high.