[NABS-L] 12-year-old with disabilities kicked out of movietheater my reaction

Sat Aug 11 22:42:39 UTC 2018

Just=20out=20of=20curiosity,=20can=20those=20in=20the=20cry=20room=20hear=20=
the=20movie?

Ali

=20-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20Emily=20Schlenker=20via=20NABS-L=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To:=20National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list=20
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Fri,=2010=20Aug=202018=2018:53:55=20-0500
Subject:=20Re:=20[NABS-L]=2012-year-old=20with=20disabilities=20kicked=20ou=
t=20of=20
movietheater=20my=20reaction

Well,=20our=20local=20theaters=20have=20what=20they=20call=20a=20cry=20room=
=20for=20small=20
children=20who=20are=20loud.=20This=20might=20be=20an=20option,=20I=20don=E2=
=80=99t=20mean=20
this=20suggestion=20to=20offend=20people.=20There=20are=20just=20some=20pat=
rons=20who=20
are=20louder=20than=20others.

Sent=20from=20my=20iPhone

=20On=20Aug=2010,=202018,=20at=206:46=20PM,=20Roger=20Newell=20via=20NABS-L=
=20
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>=20wrote:

=20Chris,=20I=20would=20generally=20agree=20that=20"separate=20but=20equal"=
=20
treatment=20is
=20detrimental=20to=20both=20the=20blind=20person=20and=20broader=20society=
,=20but=20I
=20believe=20that=20it=20is=20an=20option=20worth=20considering=20in=20this=
=20case.
=201.=20The=20child's=20breathing=20was=20so=20loud=20that=20it=20actually=
=20caused=20
distress
=20to=20other=20patrons.=20If=20the=20breathing=20could=20be=20heard=20clea=
rly=20during=20
loud
=20portions=20of=20the=20movie,=20it=20sounds=20like=20it=20is=20a=20physic=
ological=20
issue,=20or
=20perhaps=20it=20is=20the=20result=20of=20a=20cognitive=20disability=20so=
=20severe=20
that=20the
=20child=20could=20not=20be=20taught=20how=20to=20channel=20her=20excitemen=
t=20in=20
another
=20way,=20though=20of=20course=20we=20don't=20know=20this=20as=20it=20was=20=
not=20described=20
in
=20the=20article;=20conversely,=20it=20could=20be=20that=20the=20parents=20=
and=20
teachers=20of
=20the=20child=20have=20very=20low=20expectations.
=202.=20I=20have=20heard=20of=20movie=20theaters=20offering=20separate=20sc=
reenings=20
(at
=20least=20in=20my=20country)=20to=20people=20with=20autism=20and=20other=20=
conditions=20
that
=20would=20inhibit=20the=20ability=20of=20their=20families/caregivers=20or=
=20other
=20theater-goers=20to=20enjoy=20the=20movie.=20I=20feel=20that=20this=20is=
=20warranted=20
in
=20this=20case=20because=20it=20would=20have=20been=20the=20least=20restric=
tive=20
environment
=20for=20the=20girl=20or=20their=20family,=20allowing=20them=20to=20enjoy=20=
the=20movie=20
without
=20additional=20stress.

=20Now=20I=20must=20emphatically=20state=20that=20a=20separate=20screening=
=20of=20the=20
movie
=20is=20definitely=20not=20ideal=20in=20all=20circumstances--blind=20people=
=20have=20
the
=20right=20to=20integrate=20into=20society=20so=20that=20we=20can=20enjoy=20=
the=20same=20
benefits
=20as=20our=20sighted=20counterparts=20while=20simultaneously=20raising=20t=
he
=20expectations=20and=20altering=20the=20beliefs=20of=20society;=20but=20we=
=20must=20
also
=20respect=20that=20this=20is=20not=20achievable=20in=20all=20circumstances=
.=20Again=20
I=20will
=20ask=20the=20question:=20if=20the=20child=20was=20found=20to=20have=20no=
=20other=20way=20to
=20channel=20her=20excitement=20and=20you,=20a=20paying=20customer,=20were=
=20seated=20
next=20to
=20her=20in=20a=20full=20movie=20theater,=20what=20would=20you=20do?=20We=20=
cannot=20
definitively
=20state=20what=20should=20have=20happened=20in=20this=20case=20because=20w=
e=20simply=20
have
=20far=20too=20little=20information,=20but=20I=20think=20it=20is=20worthy=20=
to=20think=20
about
=20how=20blind=20people=20with=20significant=20disabilities=20in=20addition=
=20to=20
their
=20blindness=20should=20participate=20in=20society.

=20I=20am=20interested=20in=20reading=20other's=20thoughts=20on=20this=20an=
d=20weeing=20
how=20the
=20story=20develops=20from=20here.

=20On=208/11/18,=20Chris=20Nusbaum=20via=20NABS-L=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>=20w=
rote:
=20Hello=20All:

=20This=20is=20certainly=20an=20interesting=20case=20of=20apparent=20discri=
mination=20
which
=20still
=20raises=20questions=20about=20where=20we=20should=20draw=20the=20line=20b=
etween=20
insisting=20on
=20equal=20access=20to=20public=20accommodations=20and=20respecting=20the=20=
rights=20
of=20the
=20public=20with=20whom=20we=20share=20those=20accommodations.=20At=20first=
=20glance,=20
it=20would
=20seem=20that=20the=20decision=20of=20the=20manager=20to=20kick=20the=20fa=
mily=20out=20is=20
an
=20overreaction=20at=20best=20and=20outright=20discrimination=20at=20worst.=
=20
Moreover,=20I
=20think
=20that=20the=20complaint=20from=20the=20moviegoer=20was=20also=20an=20inco=
nsiderate
=20overreaction,=20particularly=20given=20the=20fact=20that=20it=20was=20pl=
ain=20to=20
see=20that=20the
=20girl=20has=20multiple=20disabilities=20which=20impact=20her=20life=20and=
=20
behavior.=20In=20my
=20opinion,=20there=20were=20many=20courses=20of=20action=20he=20could=20ha=
ve=20taken=20
which=20would
=20have=20avoided=20the=20situation=20we=20are=20now=20discussing:=20He=20c=
ould=20have=20
moved
=20seats,
=20asked=20to=20be=20seated=20closer=20to=20the=20speakers,=20or=20asked=20=
for=20one=20of=20
the
=20theatre's
=20amplification=20devices.

=20On=20the=20other=20hand,=20I=20think=20it=20is=20important=20for=20us=20=
to=20recognize=20
that=20equal
=20access=20is=20a=20two-way=20street.=20When=20we=20participate=20in=20bli=
ndness=20
training
=20programs=20or=20seminars,=20we=20often=20spend=20a=20lot=20of=20time=20f=
ocusing=20on=20
social
=20skills
=20so=20we=20can=20ensure=20that=20we=20are=20conducting=20ourselves=20in=20=
a=20way=20which=20
makes=20us
=20appear=20competent=20and=20presentable,=20thereby=20causing=20others=20i=
n=20
society=20to=20be
=20more=20disposed=20toward=20giving=20us=20the=20access=20we=20seek.=20I'm=
=20sure=20that=20
many=20of
=20us,
=20including=20myself,=20have=20dealt=20with=20"blindisms"=20in=20our=20
childhood--those
=20quirky
=20behaviors=20like=20hand=20shaking=20or=20eye=20poking=20which=20are=20su=
pposedly=20
done=20out=20of
=20habit=20in=20order=20to=20provide=20stimulation=20which=20would=20otherw=
ise=20come=20
visually.
=20For=20my=20part,=20I=20was=20often=20frustrated=20by=20my=20parents'=20r=
epeated=20
correction=20of
=20me
=20whenever=20they=20saw=20me=20doing=20a=20"blindism,"=20but=20I'm=20thank=
ful=20for=20it=20
now
=20because
=20it=20has=20allowed=20me=20to=20better=20fit=20into=20various=20social=20=
circles.=20In=20
that=20vain,
=20I
=20wonder=20if=20there=20is=20anything=20the=20girl's=20parents=20could=20d=
o=20to=20teach=20
her=20to
=20normalize=20her=20breathing?=20Are=20there=20other=20ways=20in=20which=20=
she=20could=20
express
=20her
=20emotions=20without=20disturbing=20those=20around=20her?=20If=20her=20
disabilities=20prevent
=20her=20from=20changing=20this=20behavior,=20there=20is=20nothing=20left=20=
for=20the=20
family=20to=20do
=20but=20to=20educate=20and=20fight=20for=20acceptance.=20However,=20I=20th=
ink=20these=20
questions
=20are=20something=20worth=20considering.

=20Finally,=20Roger,=20it=20seems=20that=20you=20are=20saying=20that=20the=
=20family's=20
refusal=20of
=20the=20manager's=20alternatives=20was=20unreasonable.=20If=20I'm=20
misunderstanding=20you,=20I
=20apologize.=20I=20would=20point=20out,=20however,=20that=20the=20manager'=
s=20
options,=20while
=20allowing=20the=20family=20to=20see=20the=20movie,=20were=20indicative=20=
of=20a=20
"separate=20but
=20equal"=20approach.=20I=20daresay=20that=20most=20of=20us=20would=20balk=
=20at=20the=20
idea=20that,
=20because=20of=20our=20blindness,=20we=20must=20schedule=20a=20private=20s=
creening=20
with=20the
=20theatre=20during=20which=20we=20are=20the=20only=20people=20allowed=20to=
=20see=20a=20
movie=20while
=20cut
=20off=20from=20the=20rest=20of=20the=20moviegoing=20public.=20Though=20the=
=20problem=20
in=20this=20case
=20was=20not=20directly=20related=20to=20the=20girl's=20blindness,=20why=20=
should=20she=20
be=20forced
=20to=20cut=20herself=20off=20from=20the=20public=20just=20because=20someon=
e=20was=20
annoyed=20by=20the
=20sound=20of=20her=20breathing?=20Perhaps=20this=20is=20going=20out=20on=20=
a=20dangerous=20
limb,=20but
=20I
=20don't=20see=20much=20of=20a=20difference=20between=20that=20approach=20a=
nd=20the=20
approach=20which
=20the=20Jim=20Crow=20south=20used=20to=20justify=20their=20"separate=20but=
=20equal"=20
treatment=20of
=20African-Americans=20in=20the=20wake=20of=201950s-era=20early=20integrati=
on=20
laws.=20This
=20family,=20in=20my=20view,=20is=20asking=20not=20for=20special=20treatmen=
t,=20but=20for=20
equal
=20treatment.=20They=20are=20using=20this=20as=20an=20opportunity=20to=20ed=
ucate=20the=20
public=20in
=20the=20hope=20that=20the=20situation=20they=20have=20endured=20will=20not=
=20happen=20to=20
anyone
=20else.=20If=20that=20is=20what=20they=20are=20asking=20for,=20I=20would=20=
think=20that=20we=20
in=20the=20NFB
=20should=20find=20common=20cause=20with=20them.

=20Just=20my=20thoughts,

=20Chris

=20-----Original=20Message-----
=20From:=20NABS-L=20<nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org>=20On=20Behalf=20Of=20Armand=
o=20
Vias=20via
=20NABS-L
=20Sent:=20Thursday,=20August=209,=202018=206:41=20AM
=20To:=20nabs-l at nfbnet.org
=20Cc:=20Armando=20Vias=20<a.vias at outlook.com
=20Subject:=20[NABS-L]=2012-year-old=20with=20disabilities=20kicked=20out=20=
of=20
movie=20theater
=20my=20reaction

=20Here=20is=20my=20reaction.=20So=20a=2012-year-old=20with=20a=20disabilit=
y=20got=20
kicked=20out=20of=20a
=20movie=20theater!=20All=20because=20she=20was=20breathing!=20A=20man=20wa=
s=20sitting=20
in=20front=20of
=20her.=20The=20man=20then=20complained=20to=20the=20manager=20of=20the=20t=
heater!=20The=20
parents=20and
=20the=20child=20were=20told=20to=20leave.=20I=20believe=20that=20this=20cl=
early=20
violates=20the
=20Americans=20withDisabilities=20Act.=20I=20believe=20that=20all=20employe=
es=20
must=20receive
=20training=20regarding=20accommodating=20people=20with=20disabilities.=20Y=
ou=20
can=20read=20the
=20article=20by=20clicking=20the=20link=20below.=20This=20happened=20in=20W=
est=20
Virginia.

=20
http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Special-needs-girls-family-asked
-to-leave-t
=20heater-because-of-loud-breathing-490316211.html

=20Sent=20from=20Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3D550986>=20
for=20Windows
=2010

=20_______________________________________________
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