News article
Marvel Stadium to make changes following ableism claims
Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium has committed to making changes after the venue was accused of alleged ableism during a recent concert featuring singing superstar Harry Styles.
The stadium is set to build a second sensory room and will retrain its staff on accessibility protocols after it was called out by Australian actor Chloe Hayden.
The actor is autistic and an advocate for disability rights, and held a meeting with Marvel Stadium chief executive Michael Green to discuss her experience at the Harry Styles show.
On social media, Hayden said: “I’ve spoken with the CEO of Marvel Stadium and we’ve discussed steps forward. A second sensory room is being built, and they have committed to retraining their staff. I plan on keeping them accountable for both.
“Both myself and Marvel Stadium are encouraging everyone with stories of poor disability access and discrimination to reach out to Marvel directly so they can hear as many stories as possible, and continue to gain knowledge to change, educate and create a better future.”
"A second sensory room is being built, and they have committed to retraining their staff. I plan on keeping them accountable for both."
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a number of other concertgoers reported being dismissed by staff and prevented from accessing the sensory room at Marvel Stadium.
A spokesperson for the stadium told the newspaper: “We are extremely disappointed to hear of the experience some patrons had at Marvel Stadium over the weekend when they were unable to access our sensory room which was at capacity on both nights.”
Image: Bob Tan/ CC BY-SA 4.0/ Edited for size