Content creator tackles wheelchair access at Levi's Stadium

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KRON) — The San Francisco 49ers are facing criticism over ADA seating at Levi’s Stadium after social media influencer Kevin Ortiz highlighted accessibility issues during a recent game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Ortiz, who uses a wheelchair, is visiting every NFL stadium this season and said he encountered difficulties securing ADA seating at Levi’s Stadium. He noted that most ADA seats are held by season ticket holders and often resold at high prices, making it challenging for wheelchair users to find affordable options.

“I know I had this issue, but I did have an amazing time. Shoutout to Levi’s because they did end up getting me seats,” Ortiz said after eventually securing a spot.

While he ended up having a good experience overall, Ortiz said he knows not everyone with a large Instagram following and a video camera would be so lucky.

“The normal person probably would have gotten the pushback from the first person and had just left. That’s what kind of upsets me too,” said Ortiz.

Ortiz usually buys a regular ticket and then tries to exchange it for an ADA seat at the stadium on game day. That approach worked at 10 other stadiums, but not at Levi’s. The 49ers told KRON4 they review accessibility seating exchanges about a week in advance.

“As far as the ADA seating, I think that it should be something where they do hold a certain amount of seats for the day of,” said Ortiz. “It should be first come, first serve.”

Ortiz’s journey to visit every NFL stadium as a wheelchair user is documented on Instagram, where he shares his experiences and the accessibility challenges he faces. His visit to Levi’s Stadium underscored the difficulties wheelchair users encounter when trying to secure ADA seating on game days.

The 49ers have acknowledged the issue and are reportedly working to improve ADA seating for next season. This comes amid reports of ADA tickets being resold at exorbitant prices, sometimes exceeding a thousand dollars.

Ortiz’s advocacy aims to show other wheelchair users that they deserve equal access to sporting events and should be treated like other fans who do not require ADA seating.

“People in this world with all shapes and sizes, with all types of disabilities that want to go to these events that have the money to spend and want to see these games, I just hope they have an adequate amount of seats,” added Ortiz.

Following KRON4’s coverage of ADA seating concerns, the 49ers have initiated discussions with affected families to address these issues and enhance accessibility at Levi’s Stadium.

Watch the full report from KRON4’s Jack Molmud in the video player above.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.