CityFolk 2023 Boosts Accessibility with Free On-Site Care Workers

By: Sarah St-Pierre

Festivalgoers and staff watch performers X Ambassadors from the accessible viewing platform on CityFolk’s closing night.

Linda Paul, 62, loves attending music festivals. However, she stopped attending the Ottawa Jazz Festival after it removed its designated accessible seating area, and she has been wary of driving her mobility scooter through the dense crowds at Bluesfest.

Thanks to a new attendant service rolled out at Ottawa’s CityFolk music festival this year, a new level of peace of mind was afforded to festival-goers like Paul who have physical disabilities. “I felt like someone cared that I was there,” Paul said.

Ottawa-based start-up Whimble provided experienced care workers who assisted patrons with their routine and emergency needs at the Lansdowne Park site. Whimble’s caregivers all have experience providing personal care to a person with a disability, have first aid training, and are vetted through background and reference checks. They were paid by the festival to provide assistance free of charge to anyone who needed it, supplementing the baseline support offered by festival volunteers.

"We were able to step in and support to make sure that everybody had a good time." Emma Brown, Whimble founder

Emma Brown, Whimble founder, stayed on site herself until 1 a.m. after Saturday’s show to ensure every patron with a disability had transportation to return home. “Basically, anything that the volunteers weren't comfortable with or weren't able to do, like go to the bathroom, helping people get a beer or drink their beer, we were able to step in and support to make sure that everybody had a good time,” said Brown.

When Paul, affiliated with the Ottawa Disability Coalition, expressed interest in visiting the CityFolk site to check on its accessibility herself, festival organizers offered her a tour and surprised her with a complimentary ticket for the evening. “I was very impressed that they are taking accessibility seriously,” said Paul, who gave top marks to the viewing platform and accessibility team.

Having not expected to stay for the show, Paul had not asked a companion to come with her, but was still able to enjoy her night thanks to Whimble attendants who stood in line to purchase food for her and discussed her safe return home with her. 

The attendant team was also present for the first time at Bluesfest earlier this year, and has outlined recommendations to further improve accessibility on their end as well as for the organizers, who handle both festivals. These include creating a text service to request help from an attendant, which would avoid calls over the loud noise of the event, and increasing the size of the accessible viewing platform.

Leanne Watson, who attended CityFolk on Sunday night, first encountered Whimble’s attendants at Bluesfest and was glad to see them return to CityFolk. “I knew what to expect; it set the bar,” she said. Her sentiment was echoed by Bob Brown, a volunteer who uses a mobility scooter. “Luckily, I haven’t needed it,” said Brown on Whimble’s assistance, “but it’ll come.”

We’re live in Ottawa! Join our beta here if you’re in the city. For those outside of Ottawa, join the waiting list here so we know where to expand next!

Header image (music fans raising their hands) via Anthony DELANOIX / Unsplash

Sarah is a freelance writer and Master of Journalism student at Carleton University who is passionate about inclusive journalism. While she does not have lived experience with a disability herself, she hopes to keep earning the trust of those who do by sharing their stories. She is new to Ottawa, having recently moved here from Montreal, and is excited about discovering more of what the city and community have to offer in her spare time.

You can reach her at: sarahstpierre3@cmail.carleton.ca.