Austin Trail of Lights working to rectify accessibility concerns

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Steven Eichner has lived in Austin for years but had never made his way out to the city's annual Trail of Lights holiday display. When he tried to attend a Rice University alumni event at Trail of Lights Sunday night, he said he ran into several accessibility issues that made navigating the event in a wheelchair all the more difficult.

Eichner said he and his wife arrived at the event around 6 p.m. Sunday. When he tried to make his way over to the party registration tent, he said the accessible ramp laid over the curb was approximately a four-inch over one foot of ramp. Under ADA standards, those should be one inch of rise over one foot of ramp, he said.

"[That four-inch ramp is] like, incredibly steep," he said. "If you tried to go up something like that, there's a good chance you're going to tip over, and that's not good for anybody."

Eichner added there was a sign depicting a wheelchair next to the ramp to indicate that's what people needing wheelchair access should use. Instead, he sent his wife to get his wristbands before the two searched for the ADA-designated entrance near Lou Neff Road and Barton Springs Road. That entrance, Eichner said, was not well-lit and featured darker-colored, construction-style signs indicating it was the ADA entrance. In the dark and without extra lights, he said he and his wife passed by it several times before realizing it was their entrance.

When trying to access a party tent, Eichner said one Trail of Lights staff member told him a golf cart would pick him up near the ADA entrance. Once he and his wife arrived at the entrance, he said another staffer told him a golf cart wasn't available and that service wasn't offered.

For Eichner, he said he still enjoyed the Trail of Lights and loved the festivities of the event. But when it comes to making events accessible for all patrons, he said organizations need to work closely with people with disabilities during the planning process to minimize retroactive changes needing to be made.

"There are lots of folks out here that are really, really interested in being able to provide input and guidance and feedback and test subjects," he said. "Let us look at a plan, let us participate and raise issues upfront. It's a whole lot easier to prevent instances or issues than to have them happen on the backside. Prevention is key and makes everybody happier and really enables folks to enjoy these events as a family."

On the Trail of Lights' FAQ page, event organizers outlined a slew of ADA-specific information for the event. Organizers said they encourage those with autism, special needs or sensory considerations to utilize the access program for people with disabilities. That program allows entry an hour before general admission.

As for wheelchair access and guests using them, officials said they "do not provide personal care, golf cart rides, or push service." However, a Trail of Lights spokesperson told KXAN it was "continually working to improve" and make the event accessible for all.

The Trail of Lights Foundation is committed to making the event as accessible as possible to the entire community and are continuously working to improve in this area. With the help of this guest, we were able to identify the need for additional staff training on accessibility accommodations as well as making some corrections along the Trail. 

Trail of Lights spokesperson