Stern sues `inaccessible' theaters
by Eric Convey

Tuesday, December 19, 2000

U.S. Attorney Donald Stern, in what may be one of his last major acts before riding off into the political sunset with the Clinton administration, sued yesterday to make major cinema chains accommodate patrons in wheelchairs more comfortably.

"I haven't been overly impressed by the quality of movies this season (but) people in wheelchairs are entitled to see the same bad movies that I see," Stern said at a news conference announcing the suits yesterday.

The action targets theaters whose stadium-style seating leaves little room for wheelchairs except near the bases of screens.

One defendant, Dedham-based National Amusements Inc., issued a statement saying the company "has long been committed to serving the needs of all its patrons and has constructed its theaters in accordance with that commitment. We feel confident that our extensive efforts to accommodate those needs greatly exceed the legal minimum requirements."

The other defendant, Hoyts Cinemas Corp., which has its U.S. headquarters in Boston, declined comment.

Stern's office filed the suit under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act after two years of negotiations failed to produce a deal.

The law seeks to make public accommodations more accessible to people with handicaps.

The civil complaints argue that the theaters provided only second-class seating to wheelchair-bound patrons, often forcing them to strain their necks.

"The screen is out of focus, it's miserable," said Betsy Pillsbury, a Somerville resident who's confined to a wheelchair and is director of special projects for the state Office on Disability.

The suits seek to make companies retrofit theaters to make them more handicapped accessible.

Under federal law, the chains could be forced to pay $50,000 for the first theater built in violation of the law and $100,000 for each additional theater.

Pillsbury said she has cut down her trips to movies because of stadium seating. One of the inconveniences of being put at the top or bottom of a theater is that sitting near companions can be difficult, she said.

Sometimes, she added, people have offered to carry her to a seat. "I've been dropped down flights of stairs. It's just really not an option as far as I'm concerned."

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The funny part about this is that I first saw the story on WHDH 5:30 news and they showed video of NA Allston Twin and Hoyts Westgate 7. Neither of those are stadium!! With 6+ stadium theaters in the Boston area, they show two that are slope. I laughed for ten minutes before sending them an email. They finally did get it right on the 11 pm news, showing Hoyts Belligham and NA Randolph.