Making the Festival Accessible to All
Tall Ships® Tacoma 2008 is pleased to provide improved accessibility for this year's festival. Accommodations have been made for our guests with special needs for transportation, personal convenience and enjoyment of the festival. Special viewing areas and virtual tours have been created to enhance the experience for all our guests.
Getting There
Guests with special transportation needs will be accommodated in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Tall Ships® Tacoma 2008 is dedicated to accommodating our guests with special needs to the best of our ability.
Tacoma Dome Parking (Official Parking Lot)
Guests with special needs may park at the Tacoma Dome in ADA parking lots K and E and board one of our lift-equipped courtesy buses. Official disabled parking permits must be displayed from the rearview mirror of the vehicle. Car parking is $10.
Pierce Transit
Subscription passengers for the Pierce Transit shuttle will be able to access Dock Street and three “drop zones.” Regular Pierce Transit routes are ADA-accessible. These routes will drop passengers near Pacific Avenue and 15th Street and guests can walk down the 15th Street ramp to enter the festival. For more information about Pierce Transit schedules, visit www.piercetransit.org.
Sound Transit Link
The Sound Transit Link rail service from the Tacoma Dome Station to the 15th Avenue Station is free and all cars are equipped for wheelchair/mobility-aid loading. Riders with special needs should press the accessibility button at the door to request the ramp be deployed. Wheelchair areas are located immediately inside the door of all Link trains. Parking at the Tacoma Dome Station is free and ADA-accessible. Garage entrances are on East 25th Street.
Enjoying the Festival
While safety regulations do not allow wheelchairs to access the ships, new programs have been created to provide special viewing and an enhanced landside experience for all guests.
Virtual Tours
Guests can take a virtual tour of 10 different vessels to get a sense of what it’s like to be onboard a ship. The virtual tours, shown at the Foss Waterway Seaport Museum, are provided courtesy of Comcast, an Admiral Media Partner.
Virtual tours will be available for the following ships:
Guests will also have an opportunity to visit with Youth on Board Program participants who took part in the Victoria-to-Tacoma Tall Ships® CHALLENGE, as well as cadets from the USCG Eagle. There is no charge to enter the museum, but donations for the museum will be gratefully accepted.
Viewing Areas
Guests can view the ships dock-side by visiting one of our ADA-designated viewing areas. Due to safety regulations wheelchairs are not allowed on the floats, so these areas will allow guests with special needs to safely view the ships as they ply the waters of the Foss Waterway as well as those moored at their berths.
These areas, located in the Treasure Cove Village and the Northwest Passage Village will have staff, many who have served as crew members on a tall ship, available to answer questions about the ships. This is a great opportunity for guests who are unable to board a vessel to interact with crew members and learn more about life onboard a ship – many of our staff have lived on a ship for three to nine months at a time and have some great stories to share about their experiences.
Convenience
ADA-approved sanicans and hand-washing stations will be available throughout the festival. These amenities will be identified on the site map included in the festival program.
Tall Ships® Tacoma 2008 strives to follow the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act to create an enjoyable festival experience for our guests with special needs.