Calling ahead is the cheapest access tool there is. Five minutes on the phone has saved us more nights out than any app, because the person who answers can tell you things no website mentions.
These are the five questions we ask, in the order we ask them.
1. Is the step-free entrance the main entrance?
Plenty of buildings pass code with a side door, a buzzer, or a freight elevator. If the answer is a side route, ask where it is and whether it is staffed at night, so you are not circling the block at showtime.
2. How far is ADA parking from that entrance?
An ADA spot two blocks from the door changes the whole night. Ask where the closest ADA spots sit, and what happens when they fill up. At Angel Stadium, staff pointed us straight to them, and that one answer set the tone for the visit.
3. Is there an accessible restroom on the level where I will be?
An accessible stall three floors away, behind an elevator that needs a staff key, is a no on a busy night. Ask which level the accessible restrooms are on and whether the stalls have grab bars.
4. Where are the ADA seats, and can my group sit with me?
Some venues scatter ADA seating, and some park it off to one side. Ask where the seats are, what the sightline is, and how many companion seats come with them, so nobody in your party watches the show alone.
5. Is every level I need reachable by elevator or ramp?
Stages, mezzanines, and rooftop bars love a surprise staircase. Walk the person on the phone through your whole night, from the door to the seat to the bar, and ask what connects each stop. If the answer includes a long ramp, ask how steep, because a steep ramp drains a power chair battery fast.
Write down the name of whoever answers. If the night goes sideways, a name gets problems fixed faster than a ticket stub does.
We run these five, plus a scored version, at every venue we review. The system is on the reviews page, and the free LA guide shows what every venue publishes about its own access, next to the score cards we have run in person so far.
