Blue Jays fans counting on accessibility improvements to improve Rogers Centre experience

Aaron MacDonald is planning to attend his first Toronto Blue Jays game in seven years when the Chicago White Sox visit on May 22, and he’s eager to see how the Rogers Centre’s renovation changes the fan experience from the last time he was there.

He’s hoping the place feels more like a true park than it did on Canada Day 2017, when he watched Chris Sale throw seven shutout innings in a 7-1 Boston Red Sox win, with better sightlines and common areas. Warm weather and an open roof would be nice, too.

But he’ll also be counting on improved accessibility at Rogers Centre, something he didn’t consider at all during his last visit because “that was before I was in a wheelchair,” says the native of Port Hood, N.S. He was injured in an ATV accident about a week after that game and, for a while, that interrupted the regular trips he and his buddies would make to Toronto to catch a game or two.

He’s since been to Scotiabank Arena to watch the Maple Leafs and Raptors play, where “the sightlines are great” in the accessible seating areas, something he didn’t think would be as good at the dome due to all the cement pillars he remembers, but are now gone.

“That was my concern,” MacDonald explains. “I’ve been to Rogers Centre eight times. I noticed walking the concourse how many pillars there were, and I was wondering how the view would be. I’ve seen some of the photos on Twitter. It looks promising.”

The Blue Jays say they’ve improved accessibility wherever possible within the existing infrastructure of the 35-year-old building as part of the renovation, with changes most notable in the new lower-level bowl.

There are new field-level seats in both the premium and single-game areas, with adaptable armrests, while accessible seating at the top of the 100 level is now farther into the bowl thanks to the removal of the old pillars at the top of each section.

General-admission spaces now have more accessible drink rails, so fans with mobility devices can watch from different locations and make use of Outfield District tickets. The three premium clubs feature elevator access to field-level club entrances, in-club accessibility, plus accessible seating and wheelchair options.

Those new features combine with the dedicated accessible entrance and support staff, universal washroom and a sensory room and sensory kits the dome already had.

MacDonald’s trip on May 22 is part of a bachelor party for a high-school friend with three other buddies. They’ll be seated down the third-base line, hitting the three-seat max in the accessible seating section with two more in the general seating row directly in front of them.

“It’s frustrating to not get five together,” he says of a accessible seating limits common across sporting venues, “but I understand why.”

MacDonald also understands the constraints faced by anyone renovating an existing structure better than most, thanks to his Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification.

He’s a part of a couple of accessibility advisory committees in the Cape Breton area “to help advise and steer construction changes to help accommodate and make a space accessible for all.”

So when he examines the changes at Rogers Centre, MacDonald will have a keen eye for what was and wasn’t possible when he makes a return that’s been a long time coming.

Summer trips to Toronto were a norm for him and his friends until his accident interrupted the tradition and then COVID hit, extending the pause.

“The things I miss most being at the ballpark are the sights and sounds, the atmosphere and energy of the building. A good banter with opposing fans, one of my friends being a Red Sox fan whose games we normally tried to line up for our trips,” says MacDonald, whose first favourite Blue Jays were Carlos Delgado, Marco Scutaro and John McDonald leading into the Jose-Bautista-era teams.

“I enjoy all sports but baseball was always my No. 1. I played growing up, and going to a Blue Jays game became a meet-up every summer.

“Baseball is just a beautiful sport.”

One, he’s hoping the dome’s renovation makes it more easily accessible for all.