To want to pay twice as much?

[emmanana]

I had an email this morning from the 2012 Olympic ticket company regarding tickets for the Paralympics.
Some of the tickets are half the price of comparative events for able bodied competitors.
Why?
Now I think that disabled visitors to all Olympic events should pay an extremely nominal, if any fee.
Whilst competitors for both Olympics will have trained very hard for years, I bet that in the majority of disabled athletes, extreme extra effort has been needed to put them at world class level; not to mention extra cost involved for 1:1 coaching and travel to facilities to help people with disabilities to train.
I think the spectator prices should be the same for both olympics.
AIBU?

YOu won't get so many people watching the Paralympics. Hence not as popular so cheaper.

YANBU to think that they should be the same given the effort both sets of competitors put in but given it follows the able bodied games and the tickets are not as sought after they have to do something to make it more attractive.

If I was participating I would rather there was more of a crowd even if they didn't pay as much for their tickets.

Well I will be going. I wish people could see beyond going to watch a 'famous face' compete. I'm looking forward to seeing the Paralympics to see people who have overcome real difficulties. I find it sad that it is considered less viewing 'value'

Good points. I hope everyone who doesn't 'win' in the Able bodied ballot applies for tickets. The disabled athletes deserve just as much adulation and cheering.

YABU because pricing for everything really is just based on what the market will bear, ie what people will be prepared to pay. If you feel that way, go to the paralympics and get better seats.

"Whilst competitors for both Olympics will have trained very hard for years, I bet that in the majority of disabled athletes, extreme extra effort has been needed to put them at world class level"

I wouldn't agree with that. Any athlete who reaches Olympic level has put in extreme effort. Some sports are more competitive than others though. I will be accused of being discriminatory or something against disabled people, but I know a couple of disabled athletes. Not at Olympic level but perhaps one day. They are at the level of disability where they are able to lead normal lives, with the exception that they do not work and are medically retired. They actually recieve a lot of funding and assistance that non-disabled athletes of a similar level would recieve.

Why should disabled visitors pay less than others exactly?

agrees with Trillian\

In america you pay less for Major league soccer tickets than for NFL tickets. NFL is more popular so you pay more.

In Essex last year (or was it the year before ) my dh paid a couple of quid to see the England Ladies team play in a friendly again Sweden.. in a half empty championship league stadium. People don't want to see women play so they can barely give away tickets.

Sports tickets are the same as anything else the prices are dictated by what people can and will pay. Personally I think the regular Olympic tickets were overpriced anyway, hopefully more children (and especially disabled children and their familes) will be able to afford to go see these athletes doing what they do best.

London theatres, on the whole offer a discount to people who are registered with a disability. More often than not, they are charged the cost of the lowest priced seat in the theatre, regardless of where they sit. This is so they are afforded opportunity to buy a 'bargain' ticket like any able bodied person, and are not excluded from a cheap theatre ticket because they can't climb 80-90 steps.
I should imagine the same kind of reasoning has been applied to the Olympic Games. i.e Ringside seats for able bodied people are amongst the top price for seats, and the AB have the choice to buy tickets ringside, or climb to the very back for the £20 seats. People with mobility needs or children with SN may find it impossible to reach those seats. I don't think they should be excluded from seeing the games because they can't afford thousands for premium seats, so that's why I think they should pay less than AB people for those seats and be given a discount on account of disability.