How to plan wheelchair spaces and accessible seating

Updated 21 October 2026

Accessible places only work if guests can find them, book them and reach them. The seating plan is where all three start.

Why the plan matters

Most venues have some wheelchair spaces and accessible seats. The problems usually come later: the places are not on the online seat map, they are sold to other guests, or the route to them has a step nobody noticed. A clear accessible seating chart prevents all three, for the guest and for your staff.

This guide is about drawing and marking accessible places. How many you need, how big they must be and where they must be placed is set by accessibility and building rules, which differ between countries and types of venue. Check the rules that apply to you, and ask local disability organisations or an access consultant when in doubt.

Know the kinds of accessible places

"Accessible seating" covers several different needs. Your plan should tell them apart.

Wheelchair spaces: a clear, level space where a wheelchair user stays in their own chair. Often a removable seat, or an empty bay at the end of a row or on a platform.
Companion seats: a normal seat next to a wheelchair space, for a friend, family member or carer.
Transfer seats: seats a wheelchair user can move into, usually at the end of a row, with somewhere nearby to leave the chair.
Easy-access seats: aisle seats, seats with no or few steps, seats with more legroom, for guests who walk with difficulty, use a stick or have an assistance dog.
Seats for guests with sensory needs: seats near the stage or screen for lip reading or a good view of sign language interpretation, or seats in reach of a hearing loop.

Where wheelchair spaces usually go

Where you can place wheelchair spaces depends on the building. Common positions are:

The front row of a section, when it is reached without steps.
The back of the stalls or a lower tier, on a level cross-aisle or platform.
The ends of rows next to a wide aisle.
Dedicated platforms in stadiums, often with a good view over standing fans.

Guests who use wheelchairs want the same choice as everyone else: different prices, different views, sitting with their group. Where the building allows it, spread wheelchair spaces over more than one area and price level rather than putting all of them in one corner.

Step-free routes

A wheelchair space is only as good as the route to it. Before marking a place as accessible, trace the whole route on the plan: from the entrance, through the foyer, past the toilets, to the space itself. Look for steps, kerbs, narrow doors, heavy doors and slopes.

Draw that route on your plan, or at least the entrance it starts from. Mark the accessible entrance if it is not the main one, the lift if there is one, and accessible toilets. A guest planning a visit needs all of these, not just the seat.

Show accessible places on the seat map

On a seating chart, accessible places must be easy to find among hundreds of ordinary seats.

Use a symbol and a colour

The wheelchair symbol is widely understood. Use it for wheelchair spaces, and a different marker for other accessible seats such as easy-access or companion seats. Do not rely on colour alone: some guests cannot tell colours apart. A symbol or letter on the seat itself makes the meaning clear.

Add a legend

Put a short legend on every version of the map: online, printed at the box office, in the brochure. "Wheelchair space", "Companion seat", "Easy access", "Restricted view". Keep the same symbols and wording everywhere.

Mark restricted views too

A seat behind a pillar or under a balcony overhang can be a poor choice for someone who cannot easily move to another seat. Marking restricted-view seats helps every guest, and especially those who need to know what they are booking.

Number them like any other place

Wheelchair spaces and companion seats should have normal seat numbers in the scheme of their section: "Stalls, row M, seat 1" for the space and "row M, seat 2" for the companion seat. They then appear in the ticketing system, on the ticket and in the booking confirmation like every other place.

When a wheelchair space is a removable seat, keep the number. The seat can be taken out for a wheelchair user and put back for another performance, but the place keeps one identity, and its orders stay linked to it. For the general rules on rows and seat numbers, see the theatre seat numbering guide.

Place	Label	Marked as
Stalls, row M, seat 1	M1	Wheelchair space
Stalls, row M, seat 2	M2	Companion seat
Stalls, row C, seat 14	C14	Easy access, aisle
Circle, row B, seat 3	B3	Restricted view

Keep accessible places bookable

A wheelchair space that can only be booked by phone is a barrier in itself. Where you can, make accessible places bookable through the same channels as other seats.

Show them on the online seat map, with the same symbols as the printed plan.
Let guests book the wheelchair space and its companion seat together.
Decide how long accessible places are held back before they are released to general sale, and write that rule down for box office staff.
Give each place a stable ID, so a booking stays attached to the right space after the plan is edited.

How your booking system handles these rules is up to the system. The seat map's job is to carry the information: which places are accessible, what kind, and how they are numbered.

Different venues, same principles

The details change by venue, but the approach does not.

Theatres and concert halls: stalls ends and level cross-aisles are common positions; boxes and upper circles are often hard to reach.
Cinemas: the front row or a rear platform; see the cinema seating layout guide.
Stadiums: platforms and front rows along the stands; see the stadium seat numbering guide.
Restaurants and galas: a table position with no fixed chair, near the entrance and the accessible toilet.
Car parks: accessible bays close to the entrance; see the parking space numbering guide.

Information beyond the map

A seat map cannot say everything. Next to it, on your website and at the box office, describe what the map cannot show: where the accessible entrance is, whether there is a drop-off point, how to reach the box office if it has steps, whether assistance dogs are welcome, and who to contact with questions. Link from the seat map to that page, so a guest who finds a wheelchair space also finds how to get there.

Review the plan with real users

Drawings miss things. Invite a wheelchair user, someone who uses a walking aid and someone with low vision to walk the route and try the online map. Ask your front-of-house staff where guests get stuck. Then update the plan, not just the signage.

Checklist

You have checked the accessibility rules that apply to your venue.
Wheelchair spaces, companion seats and easy-access seats are marked separately.
Each mark uses a symbol, not colour alone, with a legend.
The step-free route, accessible entrance and toilets are on the plan.
Accessible places have normal seat numbers and stable IDs.
Restricted-view seats are marked.
Accessible places are bookable online, with the companion seat.
Staff know when held places are released.

How seatorio helps

In seatorio you select any seat, or a group of seats, and mark it as wheelchair, accessibility or restricted view. Each mark shows on the plan with its own colour and symbol, so the places stand out in the editor and in the exported image. Seats that are not for sale can be marked separately and show a cross. Table chairs can be marked the same way, one chair at a time, so a single place at a table can be the wheelchair position. Accessible places keep normal row and seat numbers. Every seat in the SVG export carries a stable ID and its section, and the JSON export lists each seat's row, number and marks for your booking system. You can also add text labels and icons such as entrances and stairs to show the route. Start from the theatre seating chart template, which has wheelchair places and restricted-view seats already marked, or see seatorio for theatres.

Planning for theatres? See seatorio for theatres and the theatre seating chart template.