'Super Kyle' likes added space Lansdowne 2.0 would offer

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What’s the problem for wheelchair users at Lansdowne Park?

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Humphrey hasn’t been to a show at the TD Place arena since 2016, when he saw the Chicago rockers Disturbed. If he had sat where he was supposed to, he would have been nowhere near the stage.

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“I don’t follow rules very well,” Humphrey admitted. “My whole thing is to crowd-surf. I want to get in the air.”

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Ahead of the Disturbed show, Humphrey called the venue to make sure he could get to the general-admission area on the floor in front of the stage. He was advised to check in with the accessibility team when he arrived.

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“They were more than happy to take me down,” he recalled. “It was no problem, so that was nice.”

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“I was right at the back,” he remembered. “The stage was on one side and the wheelchair seating was on the opposite side. There was no way I could get within 50 yards of the stage.

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“I mean, I get it,” he added. “They built it so that it’s all wheelchair seating on the home side or whatever. But I don’t care. I want to be able to sit where I want to sit.”

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Under the Lansdowne 2.0 proposal, the redesigned north-side stands would have seating capacity reduced from 14,000 to 11,000, plus standing room for 900. Although the new stands wouldn’t have a roof, the seating would be upgraded, concourses would be widened, extra washrooms would be added and accessibility would be “significantly improved.”

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“Super Kyle” Humphrey, an Ottawa concert goer and disability advocate, is in favour of the Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment plan because the reconfigured seating would allow him to sit with friends instead of a platform at the back. Photo by JULIE OLIVER /Postmedia

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Did Super Kyle fix Para Transpo?

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The last time Humphrey threw himself into advocacy was to shed light on inequities faced by Para Transpo users compared to regular OC Transpo riders. With the introduction of online booking and shorter wait times, he counted it as a win.

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His next target is the accessibility of bars and nightclubs, too many of which have steps at their front doors, inaccessible washrooms and/or narrow pathways between tables.

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To illustrate his point, Humphrey is throwing himself a 36th-birthday party Nov. 15 at the Brass Monkey, a basement pool hall/music venue with no elevator. While he’s not shy about asking friends or staff to carry him down the stairs, he knows others in his situation might not even try to attend.

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Humphrey believes funding should be available to help club owners improve the accessibility of establishments that are often located in old buildings.

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“They say nobody in a wheelchair goes to these places,” he said. “But why do you think that is? They can’t get there. I’m just one person trying to point out if you build it, they will come.”

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