Harry Styles’ Melbourne concerts hit with new disability furore.

Harry Styles’ Melbourne concerts have been embroiled in another disability furore.

Harry Styles’ Melbourne concerts have been embroiled in another disability furore, with two young Melbourne women forced to sit on a wooden box rather than seats.

They were also asked by a steward: “Who’s disabled?”

Nell Buchanan, 23, from Kew, paid $214 for a ticket to attend the concert with her carer and friend Jen Curran, 30.

Instead of being given seats at the superstar’s Friday concert, Ms Buchanan and Ms Curran were shown to the very back of the venue where they had to perch on a wooden box.

Nell Buchanan sitting on a wooden box

Nell Buchanan and Jen Curran ahead of the Harry Styles concert.

It comes as Heartbreak High actor Chloe Hayden, who has autism, was barred from Marvel Stadium’s sensory room.

Ms Buchanan has fragile X syndrome and Ms Curran, 30, from Brunswick has low lung function.

Ms Curran was attending as Ms Buchanan’s carer.

Under a long-established national scheme, people with a disability who require a companion to attend events qualify for free second ticket.

But when Ms Curran went to pick up the tickets before the concert, she was dismayed to find there was no disability entrance. “I went up to a steward and asked if there was a disabled entrance and he responded: “Why, who’s disabled?” in a rude manner.

Ms Buchanan produced her companion card, which is a proof of disability, and the pair were eventually shown to their row.

“We got to our seats to find there were no seats but a box on top of the wheelchair spaces. Beside us was a man in a wheelchair on top of the box with his companion on a plastic chair, also on top of the box,” Ms Curran said.

Chloe Hayden, who has autism, was barred from a sensory room.

“I asked the steward for some plastic chairs to sit on and he refused. I explained to him we can’t be expected to spend $214 per ticket and not even have access to a seat,” she said.

“Even an able-bodied person could not sit comfortably with no back support for so long. Eventually he called his manager who bought us two plastic chairs to sit on, on top of the box.

“There was a very small space between the side of the box, with about a half metre drop in the dark so I was constantly on edge that me or Nell would fall off or break our ankles,” Ms Curran said.

Ms Buchanan’s mother Sue said the lack of proper seats compounded problems with the booking process for disability companion tickets.

“When you book you have to request a ticket. You wait for a reply and it comes days later and by then all the good seats are gone. The tickets remaining for Nell and Jen turned out to be on a box,” she said.

The AFL said in a statement: “We are extremely disappointed to hear of the experience Nell and Jen had at Marvel Stadium over the weekend when they were unable to access their allocated seats.

“After conversations this morning with Marvel Stadium staff, we’ve found that they did everything right in booking the tickets but on the night were directed to a wheelchair accessible area rather than the seats they had booked.

“We aim to provide a positive and caring experience for all patrons and we sincerely apologise to Jen and Nell for the hurt and inconvenience that was caused over the weekend.”

Originally published as Harry Styles’ Melbourne concerts hit with new disability furore.