Festival

FIL increases accessibility for people with disabilities

Festival International de Louisiane is working to make its 2017 offering a great experience for everyone, including patrons with disabilities, which is why organizers have released information to help make the experience easy.

Festival International de Louisiane is working to make its 2017 offering a great festival experience for everyone, including patrons with disabilities, which is why organizers have released information to help make the experience easy.

GETTING THERE

There is plenty of free accessible parking at Cajun Field (Congress and Cajundome Boulevard) Thursday – Friday, and at Blackham Coliseum (Johnston and Cajundome) Saturday – Sunday. Free accessible shuttle service is provided to two stops Downtown: Jefferson Street/Lee Avenue and Garfield/Buchanan. All buses are lift-equipped. Shuttles run during Festival hours and until 11:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, midnight on Saturday, and 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Parking in Downtown Lafayette is very difficult during Festival. The primarily accessible parking in Downtown is located in the municipal parking garage on Buchanan between W. Convent and Main streets. Accessible spaces there are limited and are only available on a first come, first-serve basis.

GETTING AROUND

Festival International is located on the streets and sidewalks of Downtown Lafayette. Many of the streets are closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians. Not all sidewalks are accessible, but there are accessible sidewalks along Jefferson Street, along Main Street from Buchanan to Jefferson, along E. Vermillion from Lafayette to Polk, and along the front of the federal courthouse on Lafayette Street.

ACCESSIBLE VIEWING AREAS

There are viewing areas reserved for people who need accessibility features near the stage at the Scène Laborde Earles Law Firm Fais Do Do and at the Scène LUS Internationale. Patrons can access the ADA seating area at Scène Laborde Earles Law Firm Fais Do Do directly from Jefferson St. and at Scène LUS Internationale from the Garfield Street entrance.

RESTROOMS

There is at least one wheelchair-accessible port-a-let in each bank of portable restrooms at the Festival. Patrons who do not need accessibility features of these restrooms are asked not to use them.

FEEDBACK

The Festival and the Lafayette Mayor-President’s Awareness Committee for Citizens with Disabilities wants feedback from patrons about access to Festival for people with disabilities. Patrons are encouraged to email them with comments, positive or negative, at [email protected] or [email protected].