The Ruisrock festival had to cancel its previously announced decision regarding the admission of assistants with disabilities.
Ruisrock starts up after a two-year hiatus. Roni Lehti
The traditional Ruisrock music festival is taking place this weekend in Ruissalo, Turku. Due to the corona pandemic, the event has not been able to be organized in the previous two summers.
The festival previously announced that assistants for the disabled can enter the area for free only with the necessary documents. These would have been, for example, an EU disability card, an escort card, an assistant card or a visually impaired card.
On Twitter, the new practice caused astonishment.
Citizen activist Amu Urhonen criticized the arrangements because, in his opinion, they made it difficult for a person who needed an assistant to participate in the event.
– A disability should not cause such extra trouble for a person, but accessibility should be smooth and a free assistant ticket should be a matter of course, Urhonen writes in his Twitter message thread.
The organizer commented
Iltalehti reached the promoter Mikko Niemelän to comment on the decision.
– The background was a sincere effort to improve these accessibility services and to ensure that those who need them can use them, he states.
According to Niemelä, the reform sought a solution so that festival-goers who need special services would not have to explain their need to orderlies. By showing the documents in advance, the person would have received a bracelet that would have entitled them to the services.
This is how the party celebrated in Ruisrock in 2019. Roni Lehti
However, the decision was canceled due to feedback.
– We received some feedback. After that, we went to ask our experts about it and got a recommendation from them that we should change this new practice. Now we will continue in the old way, says Niemelä.
He adds that the purpose of the reform was also to reduce possible abuses.
– Unfortunately, when it comes to such a big event, there are people who take advantage of things that are meant for those who need them the most.
Niemelä recalls a case where a person has arrived at the festival area in a wheelchair and then left his wheelchair in a shed.
The case is not the only one of its kind.
In 2019, Iltalehti reported on the 22-year-old About Julius, who dressed up as an elderly person to enter the festival area for free. At that time, Ruisrock offered a free 70+ wristband for the more grown-up party crowd.
The young man also published a video of his rapture on YouTube.
In turn, in July 2017, the “duck man” was surprised at Ruissalo’s beach. A cleverly disguised diver had tried to swim to the area. However, the man was turned back, but he sneaked to the party through the katve area.
More than 100,000 visitors are expected in Ruissalo for the weekend. This year, among the foreign artists, the biggest names at the festival are the Swedish band The Ark, the Dutch producer Martin Garrix and the American band Major Lazer.
We will see the domestic stars in turn Antti tuisku, Behm, Ellinora and Blind Channel.
Ruisrock’s decision was the first to report Over.