Dallas' Oak Lawn gay pride parade has celebrated acceptance of people's differences for decades.

But Sunday's event felt more welcoming because of new efforts to accommodate disabled spectators.

Madison McNair, who has mitochondrial disease and uses a wheelchair, said organizers originally had suggested she arrive early and plan to watch the parade on TV at a nearby bar because of her impaired mobility and intolerance to heat.

"Pride is an inclusionary event," said the 20-year-old, who attended the parade for the first time Sunday. "It felt very exclusionary."

Instead, she contacted the Human Rights Campaign, which turned to the Oak Lawn United Methodist Church for help.

1 / 13Grand Marshall Nicole O'Hara Munro yells and blows kisses to folks in the crowd during the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Boulevard.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 2 / 13Large crowds gathered along Cedar Springs Rd and Oak Lawn during the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 3 / 13Men dance on a Black Tie Dinner, Inc. float during the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 4 / 13Karla Camacho (center, left) and Adony Rios of Dallas react to people parading by in the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 5 / 13People view the Texas Freedom Parade from the Legacy of Love monument at Cedar Springs Rd. and Oak Lawn in Dallas, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 6 / 13Marching with Rainbow Roundup, Kaia Kantor, 7, slaps hands with folks as she rides on the shoulders of her mother Kimberly Kantor of Plano during the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 7 / 13Robert Holloway of Fort Worth performs with a flag and rifle corps during the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 8 / 13People along the route yell for beads during the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 9 / 13People marching with the Mobilize for Equality group pass by the Texas rainbow flag during the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 10 / 13Elliott Puckett waves to the crowd from the "One Community One Love" bus during the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 11 / 13New Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall greets those in the crowd as she walks the length of the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 12 / 13People reach for beads thrown from passing floats during the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) 13 / 13Alex Flores, of Roundup Saloon Dancers, dips country western dance partner Ray Govender of Dallas during the Texas Freedom Parade, Sunday, September 17, 2017. The Lakewood Brewing Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade traveled southbound Cedar Springs from Wycliff to Turtle Creek Blvd. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

For years the church has helped the parade, providing water, restrooms and places to watch.

Lisa Hancock, the church's associate minister of music and worship, took on the challenge of providing better accessibility for the disabled.

"It's a lot more than a place to sit," said Hancock, whose husband relies on a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy.

Together with custodian Curtis Baker and facilities administrator Mike Larsen, Hancock constructed a platform with a ramp and set up handicapped parking, wheelchair-accessible restrooms and air conditioning.

The church paid part of the estimated $2,500 expense with funding it allocates annually for Pride outreach. Organizers hope T-shirt sales and online donations will help cover the rest.

On Sunday, volunteers from nearby churches and schools escorted attendees from the parking lot to the platform. As the parade passed by, 16 people with disabilities and their caregivers were there to watch.

The church hopes it can expand the platform next year and provide even more parking.

1 / 2Madison McNair, center, sits in her wheelchair at a viewing platform constructed by Oak Lawn United Methodist Church to watch Sunday's pride parade. The platform was built after McNair inquired about a better place for disabled people to watch the parade. (Sarah Coello / Special Contributor) 2 / 2The Oak Lawn United Methodist Church constructed a platform after Madison McNair, left, inquired about a better place for disabled people to watch Sunday's pride parade. (Sara Coello / Special Contributor)

Cora Robertson said uneven sidewalks around the parade route make finding a spot for her wheelchair difficult.

Even when disabled people arrived early enough to find good spots, they risked being jostled by crowds.

She was pleased the new platform offered a safe location to watch this year.

McNair said the positive response to her request for accommodations in Dallas has her thinking about how other events can be improved, including the Houston Pride event.

"The support that I got encouraged me to keep pushing," she said. "I'm going to keep going for other people."

CORRECTION, 4:30 p.m., Sept. 19, 2017: A photo caption in an earlier version of this story misidentified the name of a float a group of men were dancing on. It is the Black Tie Dinner, Inc. float, not the LS Elite.