Ariana Kallas has struggled her whole life to have the same experience as her peers and she’s continuing her efforts to catch Taylor Swift’s concert at Levi’s Stadium next month – and those in charge there are ready to help.
Kallas has been in a wheelchair since she was seven, having been diagnosed with a rare genetic disease when she was two years old. She is now 17 years old and recently graduated from El Camino High School in South San Francisco.
The Kallas family has eclectic tastes in music and often attend concerts together. They have attended several events at Levi’s Stadium and their father, George Kallas, said he usually buys ADA tickets or regular tickets and then exchanges them for ADA-accessible seats at the box office on the day of the show. Taylor Swift is Ariana Kallas’ favorite musician and her father rushed to buy tickets as soon as they went on sale in November. However, no ADA-accessible seating was available. He contacted the stadium and asked if they could exchange the seats he had purchased for ADA accessible seats, but was told there were no spares available, he said.
“I will be forced to carry her down the steep steps of the stadium and risk dropping her and injuring her and me,” said George Kallas. “She faces everyday challenges anyway. . . . If there is family home evening to watch some entertainment, why does it have to be difficult?”
Through a series of emails, George Kallas was told he needed to request the tickets and he later received a reply. Levi’s ADA exchange department responded in February that both of Swift’s shows were sold out and no ADA-accessible seats were available.
When it seemed like there weren’t many options left, Ariana Kallas took to Twitter. She noted that several other people with disabilities across the country had similar issues getting ADA accessible seats for the Taylor Swift show, she said. Her post caused a stir on Twitter, has been shared almost 30,000 times and has more than 330,000 views.
On Tuesday, Levi’s Stadium responded to the Kallases’ situation.
“We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy concerts and events at Levi’s Stadium, regardless of their accommodation needs. “There has been unprecedented demand for the Taylor Swift shows,” said a Levi’s Stadium spokesman. “ADA seats were made available as part of the original offering and have already sold out for fans requiring a variety of accommodations. We have reached out to the Kallas family and continue to explore possible solutions.”
George Kallas is happy that Levi’s Stadium is in touch with his family and is trying to work with his family to find a solution.
“I can’t wait to speak to them and I hope everything goes well because we’re looking forward to the show and I just want her to enjoy the evening with the family,” said George Kallas.
Taylor Swift is not only her favorite musician, but also Ariana Kallas’ role model.
“I love her music, but … it’s important to have a female role model like her,” said Ariana Kallas. “She was a really big advocate for women’s rights and LGBTQ and all of that stuff, and I think it’s really important that people have someone like that to look up to.”
But Ariana Kallas is a role model and advocate herself. During her time at El Camino High School, the school built a science wing and the only access to and from the building was by stairs or an elevator.
She emailed the principal and asked how she could exit the building in the event of a fire. Her concerns reached the principal and eventually the school built a bridge and decided to put up a plaque, naming it after Ariana Kallas, to recognize her commitment to people with disabilities.
When it came time to graduate, the school’s stage was not ADA accessible and she was told to roll in front of it to collect her diploma, but she resisted that too.
“She said no, I want to be able to get there at graduation and I want to cross that stage. I don’t want to roll in front of them, I want to cross them like any other kid,” said George Kallas.
The school responded to the problems and built a new stage with a ramp, he said.
“It has helped me not to be afraid to stand up for the rights of everyday people. I was in senior year when the bridge was built, so I realized that it might not help me much, but at least I know that future students who are in wheelchairs will do something that will help them helps,” said Ariana Kallas. “It’s nice to know that many people will have a better experience with these changes on campus.”
George Kallas said he just wants his daughter to continue to stand up for herself because the changes she pioneered at El Camino High School will be part of her legacy.
