Re: Theatre and wheelchairs

[Guest guest]

> The ultimate irony here: the handicapped parking spaces for the downtown

> theatres have had to be labelled " not wheelchair accessible " -- because

you can't

> get to the theaters from the garage in a chair. Isn't THAT lovely?

UGH!! That's insane!! Unfortunately, it takes lawsuits to change things

like this, and the people who have legal standing to file the suits, like

yourself, are already dealing with so much already that it is difficult to

impossible to withstand the pressures of a lawsuit. I know people who can

and do successfully fight these access barriers, but the emotional and

physical toll on them is likely to be more than you could handle these days.

Here, there are two theaters. Both are historic buildings. Both are

non-profit organizations. The 5th Avenue Theater does a fantastic job of

accommodating wheelchairs. There is no elevator to the balconies, so

patrons in wheelchairs are charged balcony pricing for seating on the main

floor. If I remember right, the wheelchair seating is essentially any aisle

seat in the house and they simply remove the seat to accommodate the chair.

The ushers are extremely helpful. This theater also provides booster seats

for children and adults of short stature. My mother, being 4' 10 " , loves

the booster seats because it allows her to see better. There are only one

of each gender restroom on the main floor. The ladies room has 3 stalls and

is reasonably accessible. It is by no means fantastic, but it is

reasonable.

The Paramount is another story entirely. They also have no elevator and by

law, they are required to provide main-floor wheelchair seating at balcony

pricing. However, they don't tell you that up front and you have to ask for

it. Their wheelchair sections are on the far outside aisles. They are

slightly elevated, but they are also at such an awful angle that you get a

stiff neck trying to watch the show. The other wheelchair section is at the

very back of the main floor. The theater also has only one restroom on the

main floor, however, in this case it is a single unisex stall located under

the stairway. It is very accessible and very nice. In years past, the

restroom was always full. The sign on the door said it was an accessible

bathroom, but lazy patrons were always crowding into this one bathroom

rather than trekking down the stairs to the big bathroom. The theater is

getting better, though. The last few times I have been there, I noticed

that the ushers are making an effort to keep that bathroom reserved for

people with disabilities. As people come up to the bathroom, they gently

remind them that there are additional bathrooms downstairs and this stall is

reserved for people with disabilities. Most often, people thank them and go

on their way. They don't tell anyone, " you have to go downstairs " as they

understand that there are people with hidden disabilities. It's a big

improvement, but they have a long way to go. Their ticket prices are still

double what the 5th charges and their seating in the balconies are so close

together that I have difficulty walking after a show. They took out rows of

seats on the main floor to improve leg room, but the cheap seats aren't so

lucky.

Now, the biggest problem with accessibility in Seattle is all these hills!

You could get to the show and park in the garage, but it's an uphill journey

to get from the parking garage to the Paramount. At the 5th, there are

stairs from the garage to the theater. You can get there in a wheelchair,

but the problem is that to catch the elevator, you must get in on the second

floor downstairs, and that's impossible with the huge crowds getting in from

the first floor. Essentially, you have to get in and ride it down one floor

to reserve your space. Too many able-bodied people know this trick which

really makes people angry when the elevator is already full after waiting

several minutes. At least with the wheelchair you can get away with this

trick without creating an angry mob. The trip around the 1/2 way block from

the front of the theater to the elevator for the parking garage is also on a

steep hill.

-Barb

[Guest guest]

> The ultimate irony here: the handicapped parking spaces for the downtown

> theatres have had to be labelled " not wheelchair accessible " -- because

you can't

> get to the theaters from the garage in a chair. Isn't THAT lovely?

UGH!! That's insane!! Unfortunately, it takes lawsuits to change things

like this, and the people who have legal standing to file the suits, like

yourself, are already dealing with so much already that it is difficult to

impossible to withstand the pressures of a lawsuit. I know people who can

and do successfully fight these access barriers, but the emotional and

physical toll on them is likely to be more than you could handle these days.

Here, there are two theaters. Both are historic buildings. Both are

non-profit organizations. The 5th Avenue Theater does a fantastic job of

accommodating wheelchairs. There is no elevator to the balconies, so

patrons in wheelchairs are charged balcony pricing for seating on the main

floor. If I remember right, the wheelchair seating is essentially any aisle

seat in the house and they simply remove the seat to accommodate the chair.

The ushers are extremely helpful. This theater also provides booster seats

for children and adults of short stature. My mother, being 4' 10 " , loves

the booster seats because it allows her to see better. There are only one

of each gender restroom on the main floor. The ladies room has 3 stalls and

is reasonably accessible. It is by no means fantastic, but it is

reasonable.

The Paramount is another story entirely. They also have no elevator and by

law, they are required to provide main-floor wheelchair seating at balcony

pricing. However, they don't tell you that up front and you have to ask for

it. Their wheelchair sections are on the far outside aisles. They are

slightly elevated, but they are also at such an awful angle that you get a

stiff neck trying to watch the show. The other wheelchair section is at the

very back of the main floor. The theater also has only one restroom on the

main floor, however, in this case it is a single unisex stall located under

the stairway. It is very accessible and very nice. In years past, the

restroom was always full. The sign on the door said it was an accessible

bathroom, but lazy patrons were always crowding into this one bathroom

rather than trekking down the stairs to the big bathroom. The theater is

getting better, though. The last few times I have been there, I noticed

that the ushers are making an effort to keep that bathroom reserved for

people with disabilities. As people come up to the bathroom, they gently

remind them that there are additional bathrooms downstairs and this stall is

reserved for people with disabilities. Most often, people thank them and go

on their way. They don't tell anyone, " you have to go downstairs " as they

understand that there are people with hidden disabilities. It's a big

improvement, but they have a long way to go. Their ticket prices are still

double what the 5th charges and their seating in the balconies are so close

together that I have difficulty walking after a show. They took out rows of

seats on the main floor to improve leg room, but the cheap seats aren't so

lucky.

Now, the biggest problem with accessibility in Seattle is all these hills!

You could get to the show and park in the garage, but it's an uphill journey

to get from the parking garage to the Paramount. At the 5th, there are

stairs from the garage to the theater. You can get there in a wheelchair,

but the problem is that to catch the elevator, you must get in on the second

floor downstairs, and that's impossible with the huge crowds getting in from

the first floor. Essentially, you have to get in and ride it down one floor

to reserve your space. Too many able-bodied people know this trick which

really makes people angry when the elevator is already full after waiting

several minutes. At least with the wheelchair you can get away with this

trick without creating an angry mob. The trip around the 1/2 way block from

the front of the theater to the elevator for the parking garage is also on a

steep hill.

-Barb