DISABILITY ASSISTANCE

THE IOWA STATE FAIR, America's classic state fair, welcomes everyone to its celebration of pride and achievement held annually in August.

THE FAIR BOARD is committed to making the Fair’s 400-acre, 121-year-old facility accessible to all. No qualified individual shall, on the basis of disability be excluded from participating in or be denied the benefits of public services, programs or activities held on the Fairgrounds.

ASSISTED LISTENING DEVICES: Available for the Cattle Barn Penningroth Media Center, Pioneer Livestock Pavilion, Sheep Barn Sale Ring and Swine Barn Sale Ring when the State Fair sound system is being used. For more information, call 515/262-3111, ext. 522, at least 48 hours in advance.

During the 11 days of the Fair, a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) will be available 24 hours a day for outgoing local/credit calls located outside The Des Moines Register Service Center, west of the Administration Building.

BUILDINGS: Ramps, curb cuts, street-level entrances and observation ramps make most buildings and facilities accessible to those using mobility aids. Accessible seating is available in the Grandstand and Pioneer Livestock Pavilion. Low-mount telephones are also provided. Donations from Iowans across the state have paid for the replacement of many blocks of sidewalks, eliminating many ruts, cracks and bumps.

FIRST AID: Medicap Pharmacy Health and First Aid Center is located east of the John Deere Agriculture Building. A satellite station is located in The Des Moines Register Service Center, west of the Administration Building. Both are staffed by representatives of the Central Iowa Chapter, American Red Cross.

GRANDSTAND SEATING: When ordering Grandstand tickets through Ticketmaster or the State Fair Ticket Office, please request seating for the disabled; room for one person and one companion will be provided in an accessible seating area. For information on Grandstand shows and ticket buying procedures, call 515/262-3111 ext. 305.

PAGING: Representatives of the Iowa State Fair Public Safety Department offer paging for lost children, senior citizens and medical emergencies ONLY from 8 a.m. to Midnight in The Des Moines Register Service Center, located west of the Administration Building. After Midnight this service is available at Iowa State Fair Public Safety headquarters, located at the west end of the Grand Concourse.

PARKING: The largest area of parking reserved for visitors with disabilities is located in the North Lot. Admission to this lot is through Gate #2 at East 33rd Street and East University Avenue. Vehicles with a DOT parking permit or a license plate designating a disabled driver or passenger will be directed to the reserved parking area north of the Grandstand racetrack. Vehicle parking fee is $6 on a space-available basis; some hard-packed surface parking is available.

Additional parking for people with disabilities is located on the inner Fairgrounds, accessible through Gate #10 at East 30th and Walnut Streets. Vehicles must have DOT parking permits or license plates designating a disabled driver or passenger. Due to the limited number of parking spaces available on the inner grounds, vehicle parking is $6 on a space-available basis.

Some hard-packed surface parking is available; however, the age and the rolling nature of the terrain means most of the parking area is unpaved. Designated accessible parking spaces on main streets in the inner grounds will not be available during the Fair.

Whether entering at Gate #2 or #10, parking personnel will do their best to direct disabled visitors’ vehicles to the closest, most convenient parking available. As north parking lots fill on high attendance days, the Des Moines Police Department determines when outside gates to the Fairgrounds are opened and closed. When one gate closes, generally, another is opened to assist in keeping traffic congestion on city streets to a minimum.

RESTROOMS: Facilities with ramps, widened doorways, handrails and stalls built to accommodate those using mobility aids are available in major buildings across the Fairgrounds. They include The Des Moines Register Service Center, Grandstand, Walnut Center, Elwell Family Food Center, 4-H Exhibits Building and William C. Knapp Varied Industries Buildings, the Horse, Cattle, Sheep and Swine Barns, west of the Susan Knapp Amphitheater, plus facilities north of Bank of America Ye Old Mill.

A unisex restroom large enough for visitors who require assistance is located in The Des Moines Register Service Center as well as in facilities north of Ye Old Mill. Two portable unisex toilets, roomy enough for an assistant, are located adjacent to Gate #10 and by the VSA arts of Iowa’s Governor’s Festival in Fun Forest.

SHUTTLE SERVICES:

1. Iowa Telecom trams provide convenient transportation from north parking lots to several Fairgrounds locations. Operating daily beginning at 8 a.m., trams feature a curbside electric/hydraulic lift, making them wheelchair accessible.
   
   Inner grounds boarding points: adjacent to the East Skyglider aerial tramway on the Grand Concourse, the west end of the Grand Concourse, across from Public Safety; east of Gate #10; north of the 4-H Exhibits Building; the northeast corner of the Sheep Barn; north of the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion; northwest of the Cultural Center; and adjacent to the Richard O. Jacobson Hall. Livestock traffic or special events may occasionally shut down shuttle service for short periods of time.
   
   
2. Free Campgrounds shuttles board at the northwest entrance in front of the First Church beginning at 8 a.m. daily. One wheelchair-accessible unit will be available approximately every 15 minutes. Operated by the Clearfield Lions and pulled by John Deere tractors, these shuttles run continuously round-trip between the Campgrounds, Farm Bureau Pioneer Hall, Richard L. Easter Museum Complex and the inner grounds.
   
   
3. Golf-cart mini-shuttle service (not wheelchair accessible) from north parking lots to inner gates is available all 11 days, beginning at 8 a.m. This service is provided by the Des Moines Za-Ga-Zig Shrine. While offered as a free service, riders are encouraged to make donations to the Crippled Children's Hospital and Za-Ga-Zig Shrine Transportation Fund. Golf carts are not available for rent for reasons of safety and liability.
   
   
4. Convenient DART State Fair Park 'n' Ride Shuttles make getting to the Fair easier. Parking is free at all locations. Most buses are wheelchair-accessible. Click here for details.

SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS: Sign language interpreters will be on hand at the Governor’s VSA arts of Iowa’s Festival in Fun Forest to assist visitors with hearing loss. To arrange for a sign language interpreter for a specific event, please call 515/262-3111, ext. 222 at least one week in advance.

SPECIAL FAIR DAYS:
Please check back for information on special Fair days at the 2008 Fair.

STORAGE FACILITIES: Available just west of the Administration Building. $3 for 4 hours or $5 for all day. (Fees subject to change.)

WHEELCHAIR RENTAL: A limited number of wheelchairs and electric scooters will be available on a first come, first serve basis at two locations: adjacent to Gate #11 at the west end of the Grand Concourse and east of Gate #15. Wheelchairs rent for $10 per day; electric scooters can be rented for $55 per day or $35 for half a day. (Fees subject to change. Deposit of a driver’s license is required for rentals.)

While it is not possible to make reservations for wheelchairs or electric scooters, it is suggested that people with disabilities wishing to use them visit on weekdays and arrive as early in the day as possible. Wheelchairs must be returned twenty minutes following completion of Grandstand events.

Suggestions for improvements and additional services are always welcomed by the Fair Board, which will continue efforts to make the Fairgrounds accessible to everyone.

Renovation always complies with federal specifications and guidelines related to accessibility. A drive to raise approximately $60 million to renovate and restore the facility is underway. As maintenance and modernization funds become available, the special needs of all Iowans will be kept foremost in mind.

Questions? Call 515/262-3111 or 800/545-FAIR. Or email info@iowastatefair.org.