7 replies to this topic

[Apparelyzed]

Disabled access protest at cinema

Protesters gathered outside a cinema after a disabled teenage girl had to crawl up stairs because she could not take her wheelchair in.

Amy Clements, 15, who has spina bifida, organised the protest outside Hereford's Odeon after her experience.

The protesters were calling for wheelchair access to be improved at the Commercial Road cinema.

However, Odeon said it was not possible to adapt the present building but they were looking for another site.

Amy said she was left feeling "embarrassed" when she was left crawling up the stairs when she went to see the St Trinian's film with three friends.

She said: "My friends went down to see where I could go and they opened a side door, but only found a big hall with stairs.

"My friend offered to carry me up there so I could get up there, but I was scared she was going to drop me, so I crawled up there.

"It was very hard because it was a hard floor. It was embarrassing for me."

More than 20 people took part in the protest on Thursday morning.

'Segregate people'

Jim Lawes, president of Hereford's Access for All scheme, said they had been campaigning "for years" to get the cinema to improve disabled access.

He said: "Just because a kid is in a wheelchair shouldn't mean they can't enjoy the same things as others.

"They should not segregate people in this way."

A spokeswoman for the Odeon cinema said they had been looking into the issue.

In a statement, she said: "The existing arrangements at the Odeon Hereford have been thoroughly reviewed to examine the various options available to provide wheelchair access to the cinema auditorium.

"Unfortunately, after the review Odeon regrets that it is not feasible at present to include the facilities to provide access for people in wheelchairs at this particular cinema.

"As a result of this, Odeon is looking at an alternative site in Hereford and is currently in active dialogue with developers and further information and timings will be issued in due course."

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.u...rcs/7561571.stm

[wheeliebear75]

Well then maybe the theater should go ahead and publish the documentations they have from various contractors that say it is unfeasible........otherwise I call that a line of

Wouldn't be the 1st time.

[Webwych]

This is exactly why I think the whole 'listed building' nonsense should be scrapped. By all means make the exterior in keeping with the other buildings but there's really no excuse not to make the inside completely accessible.

[BillS]

I guess I look at things a little differently. I think that ALL new construction and remodeling should be made accessible. Most old buildings that can be made accessible fairly easily should be made accessible. But I don't think forcing a place to spend $10,000, $20,000 or sometimes $50,000 plus to make it accessible just so they can get my $9.00 ticket isn't reasonable.

It sucks to have old buildings that aren't accessible but it's just part of life to me. I don't expect all of my friends to install ramps and elevators at their houses so why should I expect an old theater to do the same for me?

[Webwych]

BillS, on Aug 16 2008, 05:16 PM, said:

I guess I look at things a little differently. I think that ALL new construction and remodeling should be made accessible. Most old buildings that can be made accessible fairly easily should be made accessible. But I don't think forcing a place to spend $10,000, $20,000 or sometimes $50,000 plus to make it accessible just so they can get my $9.00 ticket isn't reasonable.

It sucks to have old buildings that aren't accessible but it's just part of life to me. I don't expect all of my friends to install ramps and elevators at their houses so why should I expect an old theatre to do the same for me?

Yes, I absolutely understand and agree with what you're saying about private dwellings and smaller businesses (although our government promises all kinds of grants to small businesses to make them accessible but I've yet to see that in action. To coin an english phrase 'I've heard ducks f@rt in the water before' ). We actually just got access legislation applied to 'new builds' in the UK very recently.

But when you think about these really huge chains of cinemas and department stores raking in huge profits each year, it's not much to ask, especially when the adaptations are frequently so basic. The 'ODEON' chain made £900 million in profit in the UK alone last year, so I'm not gonna feel to bad about asking them to fork out £25,000 ($50,000) so that I can go to the cinema. Also as I'm sure you're aware disabled people are parents too, and sometimes if you can't go to the cinema, that means your kids can't go either.

Finally lets talk about 'The Gimp Pound' (or Dollar). There are 10 million disabled people in the UK according to the last census, and in 51.2 million America, with 32.5 million of them classed as 'severely disabled' according to figures published in 2004. For the sake of argument, lets assume the 32.5 million are wheelchair users.

Now, times those 32.5 million by your $9 for a cinema ticket, that's 292.5 MILLION DOLLARS.

Suddely it's all looking a bit different.

Edited by Webwych, 16 August 2008 - 05:45 PM.

[lune14]

webwytch ...

I had to leave a cinema once (newly built) after an embarrassing "where are we supposed to sit??" scene. It truly is a feeling of segregation.... that's all I have to add, if I say more I'll never stop LOL

[Webwych]

lune14, on Aug 16 2008, 10:49 PM, said:

webwytch ...

I had to leave a cinema once (newly built) after an embarrassing "where are we supposed to sit??" scene. It truly is a feeling of segregation.... that's all I have to add, if I say more I'll never stop LOL

Why thank you **curtsy**

I am surprised at that, as the cinema I usually go to ('Cineworld') has a cushy spot at the top of the theatre with a wheelchair space.

Mind you I have to go to Bristol (about an hour from my home) because my local one is not accessible on all screens - and that's usually the movie I want to see!

[KarenFerguson]

Been there, done that. I can't tell you how many times I crawled somewhere not accessible. Off the top of my head, I can remember climbing up a stairs at a football game when I was in college (concrete steps are not fun) and at the Gamble House in Pasadena for a tour class - that was just silly, and I was damned if I wasn't going to see the second story)!

For this particular situation, I kind of have to agree with BillS. I think new buildings should certainly be accessible - no doubt about it - and should be reprimanded if not in compliance. But older construction (I googled the theater in question, and noticed it's really quite old), might be in kind of a gray area when it comes to complying with accessibility. In America with the ADA, older buildings that are historically significant don't have to become ADA accessible (cut to me climbing up the Gamble House stairs), I don't know if the Hereford Odeon theater fits into that category or not, but it's a possibility.

This is a tough one. For me, I just assume nothing is going to be up to code. When it's not, (which is such a shame), I try to do my best to point it out - if the building should be totally accessible.

I think the girl had the right idea to protest about a lack of accessibility. But such is life, and you really can't expect the world to be completely barrier free (cut to me climbing up concrete stairs). Meh, that just my opinion ...