University of Georgia Performing Arts Center — Attraction in Athens-Clarke County Unified Government

We went to see a comedy show at the performing arts center and overall had an okay experience. To start, when we pulled into the parking deck, there was a portable sign that stated how to pay for parking with a QR code. Once we found parking, we went ahead and paid. However, when we walked down the stairs (next to the breezeway to exit the deck) there was a sign on the parking meter stating that parking was free for our event. At this point, because we already paid, we found a worker to help us figure how to get a refund. They said that they could not do refunds and that we would need to reach out to the parking company for assistance. Knowing that we were not the only ones that paid, we let her know there was a sign that might need to be moved. She did not seem concerned. We ended up reaching out to the parking service customer care and they said it is not their responsibility and to refer back to the venue. After the show, we found another worker but they were still unable to help us.

Secondly, the venue has a concession stand where you can buy food and drinks. We were getting ready to purchase some snacks, and they let us know that you cannot bring them into the concert hall. That part makes sense, however, why are they there then selling food and drinks...

Lastly, the venue was beautiful, however, because we sat on the second level, we could not understand what the comedians were saying. You could hear the sound but it was hard to make out what they were saying. This may be because of the setup that they had for this specific event, but it was frustrating none the less especially considering the jokes...

On the PAC website, they publish that assisted listening devices are available upon request; this is a joke. All that they have available are a couple of sound amplification headsets that simply magnify all sound, including noise. Such headsets do not meet the minimum requirements for "effective assistance" as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Today there are many technologies available for venues in order to really assist individuals with hearing loss. Such things as hearing loops and FM and IR systems with headphones and neck loops are examples of truly effective assists for people with hearing loss. Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth streaming, though actively marketed by audio companies, has yet to be demonstrated in independent studies to be an effective solution for people with hearing loss due to latency issues and being too cumbersome for older (non-techie) hearing aid users.

The UGA Performing Arts Center can and should do so...

Recently attended a concert here for the first time. I was impressed with the ease of parking, the ease of entry, friendliness of the staff and the quality of the facility in general. The only tickets available when I purchased mine were in the balcony and that proved to be a very bad experience. The seating is HORRIBLE. I’d consider myself an average size man and the seats are way too small to be comfortable.There is absolutely NO leg room and if someone in your particular row is seated or needs to get up, everyone MUST get up to let them by. Seriously, the spacing on these rows and the size of the seat is more suited to elementary school age children. Considering the seating, I can say that I won’t ever be attending...