Disability discrimination is still common in Canada
Joe Henry
Issue date: 11/8/05 Section: Opinion
Imagine this: You go to the movies and, while there, you see a person in a wheelchair.
You've paid for your ticket and you have a right to not be disturbed. We know that if that person was to take a call on their cell phone or rattle a bag of chips, you might be annoyed because they're interfering with your enjoyment of this movie.
But did you know, (or even stop to consider) that this person in a wheelchair like you, also has rights, and is being discriminated against right here and now? They may even be putting their life in danger just by being there in that theatre.
The person in a wheelchair is usually expected to sit in one spot in the theatre, probably with other people in wheelchairs, as this is the "accessible area" set aside for them. If the theatre has been accessed by a lift, what happens to this person in a chair if someone screams "Fire!"? Who is coming to save that person before they're overcome with smoke? What is the emergency plan?
Would those of us who are able-bodied accept it if we were told that you could only sit in a choice of one seat? What about if you had to wait for a member of staff to assist you to access the building each time you went to the movies? How would you feel if, when you approached the counter to buy your ticket, the counter was so high it made you feel as if you were one-metre tall?
Feel like a drink or some munchies? Well, you should find someone who will go and get them for you then, because you will see that a theatre snack area is inaccessible in many movie theatres too.
Now consider this: the person in the wheelchair has paid the same price for their ticket as everyone else has for theirs, and they have the same rights as every other person under the Human Rights Legislation. The difference is, perhaps not all people with disabilities have the same ability and drive it takes to speak up for themselves. More likely, it is the people behind the counter who have very little idea on how to serve someone who is supposedly "different".
You've paid for your ticket and you have a right to not be disturbed. We know that if that person was to take a call on their cell phone or rattle a bag of chips, you might be annoyed because they're interfering with your enjoyment of this movie.
But did you know, (or even stop to consider) that this person in a wheelchair like you, also has rights, and is being discriminated against right here and now? They may even be putting their life in danger just by being there in that theatre.
The person in a wheelchair is usually expected to sit in one spot in the theatre, probably with other people in wheelchairs, as this is the "accessible area" set aside for them. If the theatre has been accessed by a lift, what happens to this person in a chair if someone screams "Fire!"? Who is coming to save that person before they're overcome with smoke? What is the emergency plan?
Would those of us who are able-bodied accept it if we were told that you could only sit in a choice of one seat? What about if you had to wait for a member of staff to assist you to access the building each time you went to the movies? How would you feel if, when you approached the counter to buy your ticket, the counter was so high it made you feel as if you were one-metre tall?
Feel like a drink or some munchies? Well, you should find someone who will go and get them for you then, because you will see that a theatre snack area is inaccessible in many movie theatres too.
Now consider this: the person in the wheelchair has paid the same price for their ticket as everyone else has for theirs, and they have the same rights as every other person under the Human Rights Legislation. The difference is, perhaps not all people with disabilities have the same ability and drive it takes to speak up for themselves. More likely, it is the people behind the counter who have very little idea on how to serve someone who is supposedly "different".
