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# How should theatres handle accessible seating and companion bookings?

> Accessible theatre ticketing should make appropriate spaces and companion entitlements discoverable and bookable without requiring customers to navigat.

**Accessible theatre ticketing should make appropriate spaces and companion entitlements discoverable and bookable without requiring customers to navigate an unnecessarily difficult purchasing route. The system also needs to prevent incompatible seat combinations.**

## What makes accessible booking different?

Seat availability alone is not enough. Wheelchair positions may be paired with adjacent companion seats; step-free access and sightlines vary by venue and seating configuration. Some organisations have verified companion-ticket eligibility rules, while others require an accessible booking team to help customers. A good system supports both a self-service route and assisted exceptions.

## Which controls matter?

| Requirement              | Practical behaviour                                       | Failure to prevent                                        |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Accessible inventory** | Identify spaces by access properties, not only price band | Accessible spaces hidden from eligible buyers             |
| **Companion pairing**    | Link eligible companion seats to the access position      | Companion position sold separately                        |
| **Eligibility**          | Make the venue's evidence process clear and proportionate | Unnecessary personal-data collection                      |
| **Holds**                | Apply the same temporary hold rules to paired inventory   | Double-selling a paired seat                              |
| **Assisted sales**       | Give box-office staff safe overrides with audit logs      | Customers stranded when the online flow cannot serve them |

## What does a customer-friendly journey look like?

A patron finds the performance, selects accessible requirements, sees appropriate options, adds a linked companion seat when permitted and receives accurate ticket and venue-access information. When the venue cannot safely make an automated eligibility decision, a clear contact route is better than an unexplained error. Accessibility information should be readable before checkout and not buried inside a PDF.

## What should venues test?

Test screen-reader use, keyboard-only navigation, mobile zoom, sold-out accessible sections, partial refunds and seat exchanges. Check that staff can correct mistakes without exposing sensitive customer information to unnecessary roles. Treat accessibility law and companion-ticket policies as jurisdiction- and venue-specific, not as universal software defaults.

## Related explanations

#### [How does reserved seating work in ticketing?](/events-inventory/how-does-reserved-seating-work-in-ticketing)

Events & Inventory · Seating and entry formats

#### [How do theatres manage season subscriptions and priority booking?](/by-organisation/how-do-theatres-manage-season-subscriptions-and-priority-booking)

Organisation Guides · Theatres and performing arts

#### [How can theatres connect ticket sales, donations and audience relationships?](/by-organisation/how-can-theatres-connect-ticket-sales-donations-and-audience-relationships)

Organisation Guides · Theatres and performing arts

#### [What ticketing capabilities do theatres need?](/by-organisation/what-ticketing-capabilities-do-theatres-need)

Organisation Guides · Theatres and performing arts

[More in Organisation Guides →](/by-organisation)