MOVIES with accessibility included

Dispatches from the Republic of Facebookistan: accessibility. Business Case, never mind ways under the ADA to evade

Long ago in a Twitterverse many moons past, RantWoman encountered a small business person griping about a remodel and having to add $50,000 to the cost of his remodel because of building code requirements that as a condition of his building permit he had to add a wheelchair accessible restroom.

RantWoman SWOONS when she hears of businesses with accessible restrooms. RantWoman desperately queried the business owner as to his location and precise line of business. Turns out he is located somewhere in Idaho, somewhere RantWoman has trouble envisioning having any reason to go. If RantWoman remembered where in ID, she would happily post the location specifically so that all the people RantWoman knows who use wheelchairs and have trouble finding accessible restrooms would please beat a path to this guy's door, spend lots of money, tell all their friends...

Tonight RantWoman needs to stick closer to home, to a neighborhood movie theater that sounds like MUCH more fun to RantWoman than taking the bus downtown in noise and bright lights and prices high enough to get altitude sickness, even before thinking about the popcorn. Neighborhood movie theater has two rooms, one upstairs with a large screen and no elevator, one downstairs and accessible to wheelchair users but with a smaller screen.

Neighborhood cinema is a small business in a historic building so it argues that the downstairs room with a smaller screen is a reasonable accommodation and that it cannot afford any other accessibility measures.

What's a neighborhood small business to do? Wheelchair accessibility can be expensive.

(Okay. Said business is a movie theater. Likewise: Equipment to provide access to audio description options. Also options to access captioning ....)

But STILL... RantWoman would SO like to see people make a business case for accessibility measures. RantWoman would consider this a much better community service than having Facebook filled with gripes about rude customer service and unhappy people who would like to be customers but cannot because of a persistent accessibility issue. This includes the RantFamily, for all the reasons already listed.

RantWoman has been reading on Facebook of accessibility issues at the Columbia City Cinema.

To be honest even though RantWoman and RantMom might actually really like to go to a movie basically in our neighborhood and a short calm bus ride home, we have not made it to the Columbia City Cinema. Accessibility is the main reason why.

The RantWomen might sometimes like to go woith Little Sister and her wheelchair. RantMom also chooses between cane and walker. RantWoman has not so far even figured out how to ask enough questions to learn of the second viewing room. Instead RantWoman learned of the second theater from exchanges on Facebook. RantWoman sees no mention of assistive listening devices or access to audio description. Just sayin'

RantWoman is trying to decide whether she has enough energy herself to round up some people to think about the costs and sound business case for improving accessibility at the Columbia city Cinema. RantWoman admits that she is interested but cannot promise time to back up her interest. But RantWoman would be VERY happy to cheerlead for someone else who might.