MILWAUKEE — Parking spots are hard to come by during festival season in Milwaukee. It was even harder for disabled combat veteran, Don Mulder.
He reached out to TMJ4 after he couldn't find any handicap spots near Milwaukee's Bastille Days.
Mulder and his girlfriend were unable to enjoy the festival due to a lack of handicap parking accommodations, raising concerns about accessibility at the popular event.
Mulder drives a Harley trike with a disabled parking license plate.
He left the festival Thursday night near Cathedral Square Park after being unable to find accessible parking.
"We went home, we did not enjoy ourselves. We did not enjoy the festival," Mulder said.
"I was very disappointed because it would have been a fun night for my sweetheart and I," he added.
According to the American Disabilities Act, festivals are generally required to provide accessible parking spaces for those with disabilities.
Watch: Disabled veteran brings attention to lack of accessible parking at Bastille Days festival
"Unbelievable that the city would not have that type of accommodation for folks who really need it," Mulder said.
Mulder emphasized that his concern extends beyond his personal experience. "Not just for myself but for everybody else. I think we should all have the benefit of enjoying activities and festivities together in unison."
Mulder spoke with multiple people with disabilities who walked blocks to get to the festival.
"I just saw people walking by with a young child in a wheelchair. Blocks. Walking blocks. I saw another woman who had a cane. Blocks. Walking blocks,” Mulder added.
Barbara Leigh, who serves on the Milwaukee County Commission for Persons with Disabilities, was able to attend the festival only because she lives nearby and could use her scooter to travel the short distance.
"It's hard enough to be one of us," Leigh said.
"Persons with disabilities really need places that they can go and feel welcome. And if there's no parking for them then it's really difficult," she added.
The festival itself doesn't provide dedicated parking, instead relying on nearby parking garages and metered spots. When contacted about the accessibility concerns, festival organizers responded: "We will certainly do everything we can to ensure we can assist anybody requiring special needs, especially our veterans."
East Town Association sent the following statement:
"As an open and public street festival, we unfortunately don't have any designated public parking spaces available and have to rely on the numerous parking garages and metered street parking locations that are all within one block of the festival. However, we will certainly do everything we can to ensure we can assist anybody requiring special needs, especially our veterans, as our festival has even partnered with the U.S. Navy as part of Milwaukee Navy Week which features various Navy affiliated bands and community outreach displays."
You can send an email to info@easttown.com if you need more information on parking.
This story was reported on-air by Megan Lee and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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