Accessibility Information for Guests with Disabilities
DelFest is accessible to all guests with disabilities.
Guests with Disabilities – *NEW Registration Procedure*
All festival patrons with mobility disabilities are welcome and will be accommodated at DelFest. In an effort to better serve our patrons with mobility disabilities, we have developed a new pre-festival registration procedure. Please read over the procedure below and submit your accommodation request by May 8, 2014.
REGISTRATION PROCEDURE: All festival patrons with mobility disabilities should make their accommodation requests before May 8, 2014. Please make your request here.
PRE-FESTIVAL QUESTIONS: Please email accessibility@delfest.com with any questions and include “Accessibility Accommodations” in the subject line.
QUESTIONS DURING THE FESTIVAL: Please go to the box office or on-site single day box office for questions regarding accessibility accommodations during the festival.
Other Accessibility Accommodations: For all other non-mobility accommodations questions, please email accessibility@delfest.com with your accommodation request before May 8, 2014.
Service Animals – *NEW Policy and Procedure*
Recently, DelFest has been inundated with non-service animal pets, who have accompanied their owners in violation of Maryland and federal law. Moreover, these animals have posed a threat to the health and safety of festival patrons and legitimate service animals. We have therefore developed a new service animal policy and procedure. The policy and procedure will be strictly enforced and implemented in the interest of ensuring that bona fide “service animals” are permitted and all other animals are prohibited at DelFest. By law, if an animal’s purpose or task is to provide protection, emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship, it is NOT considered a service animal and may NOT come to DelFest.
SERVICE ANIMAL POLICY: Qualified and bona fide service animals are welcome at DelFest. Pets and non-service animals are NOT permitted. It is a crime to misrepresent a pet as a service animal. Those who bring their non-service animals to the festival will be ejected from the festival site without refund.
All service animals must be trained, housebroken, leashed and under control of their handler at all times. If any handler does not adhere to these conditions, the handler will be asked to remove the animal from the site. The handler then may return without the animal.
DelFest reserves the right to refuse admittance to or eject any individual whose conduct poses a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals or service animals.
PROCEDURE: Any patron arriving at the festival with a service animal will need to have their service animal credentialed at the box office. This process should not be feared, as it will be conducted with respect and understanding. After the service animal has been credentialed by festival staff, important information will be provided to the disabled individual. Once your service animal has been credentialed, staff are not likely to question you again unless the animal causes a problem. Any patron bringing a non-service animal will be not permitted onto any of the festival grounds, including camping areas.
Questions: Please direct any questions to accessibility@delfest.com.
Venue
The festival is held on the Allegany County Fairgrounds, which is an ADA compliant facility. Paved roads and pathways go throughout the property with hardened dirt paths in the campgrounds. The land is relatively flat with some small hilly areas in the campgrounds. The length of the venue is nearly ¾ of a mile long.
Parking
Patrons with a valid, state-issued accessible parking placard or tag must purchase the appropriate parking pass in order to park on-site. Upon arrival, show the parking attendant your Parking Pass and valid accessible placard and you will be directed to our Accessible Camping, centrally located within the fairgrounds and in close proximity to accessible bathhouses.
If you will be arriving in an RV (any vehicle 18’ or longer), you must purchase an RV Pass.
All patrons must follow the Arrival Guidelines
Restrooms and Showers
Several “brick & mortar” restrooms are throughout the fairgrounds with accessible facilities and showers. DelFest supplements with accessible port-o-johns.
Medical
Medical professionals are on-site and available 24 hours a day located near the food court – see festival map.
The Western Maryland Regional Medical Center is located about 6.5 miles from the festival. Local pharmacies are located nearby in Cresaptown at the Food Lion, and in LaVale at Martin’s or Wal-Mart.
Placards and the Law
We have had reports of some patrons borrowing or otherwise falsely using accessible parking placards or tags. This uses valuable space that we are reserving for patrons who actually have disabilities. It is against the law for anyone to use an accessible parking placard that was issued to another person. It is against the law to duplicate an accessible parking placard. It is against the law to park in an accessible parking space without a legitimate accessible parking placards. As vehicles arrive, we will check identification to confirm legitimate use of these placards and will contact authorities in situations with improper use.
