Non-Disabled Poaching ADA Seating At Red Rocks

DENVER, Colorado (CelebrityAccess) — Colorado's famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre is facing criticism about their seating policies for disabled people.

According to local NBC affiliate KUSA, tickets for the venue's designated ADA seating, the lions's share of which is located in the first row, is being purchased by non-disabled and being resold on ticketing websites such as StubHub.

"My belief is there is a special place in hell for people who knowingly buy those," Red Rocks spokesman Brian Kitts told a KUSA reporter. "Until someone changes the law, we have to live with it the way it is."

Like other venues around the country, Red Rocks is mandated by the Americans With Disabilities Act to make seating available for people with limited mobility and other disabilities. However, due to Red Rocks unique seating, the only space available for such seats is in the 70th row, where there is a railing and the first row, making the seats a tempting target for ticket resales.

To obtain a ticket, purchasers simply have to claim a disability. While the venue's website warns purchasers that the tickets are intended for disabled and their companions, there is no sanction for abled body concert-goers who purchase the tickets.

At a recent Faith No More show in September, KUSA discovered Alex Shepard, who traveled from Kansas to see the concert. Shepherd told KUSA he bought the tickets on StubHub for $100, knowing that they were intended for the disabled.

"If you want to sit front row, you've got to pay the money," Shepard said. "I'm not handicapped either, so that's good."

Red Rocks told KUSA that they are aware of the problem but with the current state of the law, there is little that they can do.

"There's not a legal way for any venue – not just Red Rocks – to inquire about what your disability is," Kitts said. – Staff Writers