Disabled Justin Bieber fan denied concert meet-and-greet

Justin Bieber superfan Rebeckah Aldred was told fans in wheelchairs were not able to purchase the VIP floor tickets because of safety concerns.

A Justin Bieber fan who is disabled is accusing Rogers Arena of discrimination after she was told she can’t sit in the VIP section at his upcoming Vancouver concert.

Bieber superfan Rebeckah Aldred was willing to pay the $500 for VIP floor seats and a pre-concert meet-and-greet with the young superstar at Rogers Arena on Oct. 10.

“I just love him,” she said. “He's so positive and upbeat. He does a lot of good things for a lot of people."

She contacted Steele on Your Side after staff at the Will Call box said fans in wheelchairs were not able to purchase the VIP floor tickets because of safety concerns.

“I think it’s horrible,” Aldred told CTV’s Lynda Steele. “It’s almost 2013 and this is still happening. I just think it needs to change.”

Her best friend Victoria was outraged and wrote a letter to arena officials accusing them of discriminating against the disabled.

"She has to sit up in a wheelchair-only section -- way back in the back. So goodbye to the floor-seat tickets, goodbye to your friends that you want to have a good time with,” Mockett said, adding that fans in wheelchairs are only able to sit with one able-bodied companion in the wheelchair area, meaning their other friends would be left out.

The friends even launched a Facebook page called “Rogers Arena Discriminates” trying to put pressure on the facility to change its disabled seating policy.

"I don't feel I should be discriminated because I’m sitting down and not standing up," Aldred said.

When Steele on Your Side asked the Canucks Entertainment Group, which runs Rogers Arena, to comment on the situation, the organization rushed to make things right.

“When we found out that she wasn't able to buy the meet and greet because of the floor seats, we investigated right away because that shouldn't have been the case. It was a front-line miscommunication,” said Chief Operating Officer Victor de Bonis.

The Canucks picked up the cost of her two concert tickets and provided her with two free tickets to meet Justin Bieber in person.

But her wish to be on the floor area with her friends at the Bieber concert is not going to happen, because of safety concerns.

"What we've done now for disabled seating is we've got a platform on Section 117 that is as good a view as you can get by maintaining the safety of all the guests,” said de Bonis.

Rogers Arena has a special elevated wheelchair section near the blue line that can accommodate about 10 fans. But Aldred says that’s not good enough, and wants to be in the VIP section on the floor with her able-bodied friends.

"I want to see Justin Bieber and I want the meet and greet, but I want people in wheelchairs to have the chance,” she said.

This isn’t the first time seating for people with disabilities has been an issue at Rogers Arena.

In January, Vancouver Canucks fan Scott Poulter was told he didn’t qualify for its “Last Seat in the House” promotion because he was in a wheelchair.  The Canucks changed its policy after we brought the story to their attention.