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

Fri Aug 10 23:53:55 UTC 2018

Well, our local theaters have what they call a cry room for small children who are loud. This might be an option, I don’t mean this suggestion to offend people. There are just some patrons who are louder than others.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 10, 2018, at 6:46 PM, Roger Newell via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Chris, I would generally agree that "separate but equal" treatment is
> detrimental to both the blind person and broader society, but I
> believe that it is an option worth considering in this case.
> 1. The child's breathing was so loud that it actually caused distress
> to other patrons. If the breathing could be heard clearly during loud
> portions of the movie, it sounds like it is a physicological issue, or
> perhaps it is the result of a cognitive disability so severe that the
> child could not be taught how to channel her excitement in another
> way, though of course we don't know this as it was not described in
> the article; conversely, it could be that the parents and teachers of
> the child have very low expectations.
> 2. I have heard of movie theaters offering separate screenings (at
> least in my country) to people with autism and other conditions that
> would inhibit the ability of their families/caregivers or other
> theater-goers to enjoy the movie. I feel that this is warranted in
> this case because it would have been the least restrictive environment
> for the girl or their family, allowing them to enjoy the movie without
> additional stress.
> 
> Now I must emphatically state that a separate screening of the movie
> is definitely not ideal in all circumstances--blind people have the
> right to integrate into society so that we can enjoy the same benefits
> as our sighted counterparts while simultaneously raising the
> expectations and altering the beliefs of society; but we must also
> respect that this is not achievable in all circumstances. Again I will
> ask the question: if the child was found to have no other way to
> channel her excitement and you, a paying customer, were seated next to
> her in a full movie theater, what would you do? We cannot definitively
> state what should have happened in this case because we simply have
> far too little information, but I think it is worthy to think about
> how blind people with significant disabilities in addition to their
> blindness should participate in society.
> 
> I am interested in reading other's thoughts on this and weeing how the
> story develops from here.
> 
>> On 8/11/18, Chris Nusbaum via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Hello All:
>> 
>> This is certainly an interesting case of apparent discrimination which
>> still
>> raises questions about where we should draw the line between insisting on
>> equal access to public accommodations and respecting the rights of the
>> public with whom we share those accommodations. At first glance, it would
>> seem that the decision of the manager to kick the family out is an
>> overreaction at best and outright discrimination at worst. Moreover, I
>> think
>> that the complaint from the moviegoer was also an inconsiderate
>> overreaction, particularly given the fact that it was plain to see that the
>> girl has multiple disabilities which impact her life and behavior. In my
>> opinion, there were many courses of action he could have taken which would
>> have avoided the situation we are now discussing: He could have moved
>> seats,
>> asked to be seated closer to the speakers, or asked for one of the
>> theatre's
>> amplification devices.
>> 
>> On the other hand, I think it is important for us to recognize that equal
>> access is a two-way street. When we participate in blindness training
>> programs or seminars, we often spend a lot of time focusing on social
>> skills
>> so we can ensure that we are conducting ourselves in a way which makes us
>> appear competent and presentable, thereby causing others in society to be
>> more disposed toward giving us the access we seek. I'm sure that many of
>> us,
>> including myself, have dealt with "blindisms" in our childhood--those
>> quirky
>> behaviors like hand shaking or eye poking which are supposedly done out of
>> habit in order to provide stimulation which would otherwise come visually.
>> For my part, I was often frustrated by my parents' repeated correction of
>> me
>> whenever they saw me doing a "blindism," but I'm thankful for it now
>> because
>> it has allowed me to better fit into various social circles. In that vain,
>> I
>> wonder if there is anything the girl's parents could do to teach her to
>> normalize her breathing? Are there other ways in which she could express
>> her
>> emotions without disturbing those around her? If her disabilities prevent
>> her from changing this behavior, there is nothing left for the family to do
>> but to educate and fight for acceptance. However, I think these questions
>> are something worth considering.
>> 
>> Finally, Roger, it seems that you are saying that the family's refusal of
>> the manager's alternatives was unreasonable. If I'm misunderstanding you, I
>> apologize. I would point out, however, that the manager's options, while
>> allowing the family to see the movie, were indicative of a "separate but
>> equal" approach. I daresay that most of us would balk at the idea that,
>> because of our blindness, we must schedule a private screening with the
>> theatre during which we are the only people allowed to see a movie while
>> cut
>> off from the rest of the moviegoing public. Though the problem in this case
>> was not directly related to the girl's blindness, why should she be forced
>> to cut herself off from the public just because someone was annoyed by the
>> sound of her breathing? Perhaps this is going out on a dangerous limb, but
>> I
>> don't see much of a difference between that approach and the approach which
>> the Jim Crow south used to justify their "separate but equal" treatment of
>> African-Americans in the wake of 1950s-era early integration laws. This
>> family, in my view, is asking not for special treatment, but for equal
>> treatment. They are using this as an opportunity to educate the public in
>> the hope that the situation they have endured will not happen to anyone
>> else. If that is what they are asking for, I would think that we in the NFB
>> should find common cause with them.
>> 
>> Just my thoughts,
>> 
>> Chris
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NABS-L <nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Armando Vias via
>> NABS-L
>> Sent: Thursday, August 9, 2018 6:41 AM
>> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Armando Vias <a.vias at outlook.com>
>> Subject: [NABS-L] 12-year-old with disabilities kicked out of movie theater
>> my reaction
>> 
>> Here is my reaction. So a 12-year-old with a disability got kicked out of a
>> movie theater! All because she was breathing! A man was sitting in front of
>> her. The man then complained to the manager of the theater! The parents and
>> the child were told to leave. I believe that this clearly violates the
>> Americans withDisabilities Act. I believe that all employees must receive
>> training regarding accommodating people with disabilities. You can read the
>> article by clicking the link below. This happened in West Virginia.
>> 
>> http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/Special-needs-girls-family-asked-to-leave-t
>> heater-because-of-loud-breathing-490316211.html
>> 
>> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
>> 10
>> 
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