The Canadian National Exhibition has reversed a controversial decision that would have seen people with disabilities pay full price for admission to the event.
Organizers said Wednesday they made the change to try to align their admission policy with those of other attractions and events in the region for people with disabilities.
Major tourist attractions in Toronto follow similar admission guidelines. The Ontario Science Centre and Ripley’s Aquarium both charge people with disabilities the full admission price while the Toronto Zoo offers at 50 per cent discount.
READ MORE: CNE drops free admission for disabled
In a statement released Thursday, organizers said they had been given “valuable feedback” from customers and community members regarding the proposed changes.
They said they would be holding public consultations about the admission policy in an effort to “ensure that all interested voices in the community have an opportunity to help shape the policy going forward.”
The admission policy for this summer will revert back to the policy from previous years, which grants free admission to people with disabilities and their attendants.
A general admission ticket for someone between 14 and 64 years of age is $18, while seniors 65 or older pay $15.
“The CNE welcomes this discussion,” CNE General Manager Virginia Ludy said in a statement. “We look forward to engaging with the community.”
The 2016 CNE will take place on Aug. 19 to Sept. 5 at Exhibition Place in Toronto and Ludy said more than 1.6 million people are expected to attend.
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