Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and his mother were forced to leave a Tuesday screening of The Color Purple at AMC Fire Tower 12 after a seating dispute. The conflict resulted from the supposed lack of disability accommodations for his chair.
The civil rights activist had been suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that prevents him from sitting for long periods. Because of this, Barber has to walk around with two canes and sit in a chair made to accommodate his disability. So far, he has used this chair instead of a wheelchair in every public seating area with little to no issue.
When he and his mother went out to see The Color Purple, some employees refused to let him use the chair in the theater, worried it would be a fire hazard. They claimed that the rules stated that only wheelchairs were allowed, but when Bishop pressed for the theater’s written policy, they said they didn’t have one. When the police were called, Bishop agreed to leave and left his 90-year-old mother in the care of an assistant.
After the incident, AMC told CNN that their chairman and CEO, Adam Aron, reached out to Barber to meet him in Greenville, NC, to discuss the incident. A spokesperson then apologized for the theater’s actions and promised AMC would update its policy regarding disability accommodation. “Our theatre teams work hard to accommodate guests who have needs that fall outside of the normal course of business,” he stated.
Still, Barber clarified that the issue wasn’t just theater seating but also how companies handle the Americans with Disabilities Act. He explained that the world shouldn’t have “people who are sick are pushed to the side and told, ‘You can’t participate'” and that these laws were created to serve those with disabilities so that they may enjoy these venues. “With our laws, you have to make the accommodation,” he said.
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