In December 2023, during the Christmas holiday, Bishop William Barber II, a 60-year-old North Carolina civil rights advocate, was removed from a North Carolina AMC Theatre. He was coming to watch “The Color Purple” with his 90-year-old mother. AMC employees requested he leave because of his special chair. He brought this chair for his medical condition called ankylosing spondylitis, a kind of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine’s ligaments and joints. He uses this chair to help ease the pain. Apparently, AMC employees were concerned the chair was in the way of other patrons and a possible fire hazard. Barbar was sitting in the disabled section of the theater . Barber said he takes his chair everywhere and has not had any problems.
Story Goes Viral
After going back and forth and refusing to leave Barber was escorted out by police officers who threaten to arrest him for trespassing. He left and was not arrested but was disturbed by his experience so much that he held a press conference. The story when viral online and you can read articles about it from CNN, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, NBC News, Essence Magazine and many others. The CEO of AMC apologized for Barber’s treatment and discussed ways to improve interactions with disabled theatre patrons.
After reading several articles and listening to a podcast on Barber’s trials I was deeply troubled by his treatment. It seemed to me the AMC employees over reacted and calling the police was too aggressive.
Was a Loyal Fan of AMC
In 2014, I became a loyal fan of AMC because audio description was more available. Prior to that time, theatres offered little accommodation to blind and low vision people. I was even an AMC Stubs member for a couple of years and would go to the movies at least 2-3 times a week. I stopped during the pandemic. Today, I no longer go to AMC because there are no locations on public transportation close to where I live. Also, my life has changed and my schedule doesn’t allow and it is more convenient to watch movies on one of my streaming services at home.
I don’t know exactly what kind of chair Barber brought but I don’t feel it was in the way of others. AMC employees felt his chair was a fire hazard. I am not sure about that but when I have watched movies at AMC , like Barber, I sit in the disability section and there seems to be plenty of open space for a chair.
Use and Bring a Chair Too
Additionally, like Barber, I travel with my own chair. I started doing this a couple of years ago because when I have to wait for my transportation there is no place to sit near the entrance. Sometimes I have to wait awhile and it is uncomfortable and even painful to stand for long periods of time. So, I identified with Barber.
In a podcast, Barber described himself as a large size man. Meaning that most standard chairs don’t fit him. I have experienced that too. Sometimes chairs or benches are low to the ground making it hard for me to get up and down, aggravating my arthritis. Or the chairs have arms that make it a tight and snug fit for me to sit.
Getting Accommodations Hard at AMC
AMC said they could offer Barber accommodation if requested in advance. Well, in my personal experience that doesn’t work. Many times when I was an AMC Stubs member I would call only for the phone to ring and ring. Or I had to keep calling over and over again. So, I would just use the accessible AMC app and request my seats in advance. I would do this all the time and get my seat right in the disability section. I would have it assigned and paid for before I arrived. I remember one time going to a movie and the usher had to ask another movie goer to get up because she was in my assigned seat in the disability section.
In those early years, AMC was not use to blind and low vision customers. The audio description was advertised but employees were constantly fumbling with how to program the devices. So many times I had to advocate for myself and educate employees on what audio description was and how to set up the devices. It got so bad that I participated in a lawsuit against AMC for disability discrimination. I was able to show the number of times I went to the theatre and the audio described headset was not working. Employees would give me free tickets to come back but after awhile I was not impressed and would have rather watched the movie with accommodations. After the lawsuit was over, I noticed a major improvement. The majority of the time the headsets worked and the staff was now familiar. Since I am no longer a movie goer, hopefully this is still the case. I also got to know the manager and other personnel so when I came they already knew how to assist.
Don’t Go to Movies at Peak Times
As stated before, Barber was going to see “The Color Purple” with his mother during Christmas. Although this was the opening and peak time to see this movie, I wouldn’t have gone yet. I would have waited until the hype and traffic died down. Now, I know people are excited to see a new release immediately when it comes out but I don’t do that anymore. I learned the hard way when “The Best Man Holiday” came out. The theatre was packed and noisy. It made the audio description hard to hear in my headset. It was not a good experience for me and I ended up coming back on an off peak day where the crowd was smaller. Please, hear me on this. I am not passing judgement on Barber because his disability is different than mine. Or Maybe he can handle crowds better than me. However, I never go to the theatre when its crowded or during their opening night/weekend. I would typically go on Monday or Tuesday when there are fewer people around and I am more likely to get assistance when the staff is not so busy.
Hope Experience Creates Change
At the end of the day, I hope Barber’s experience will help create change. I hope movie theatres, not just AMC, will create safe and accommodating spaces for all movie goers. People with disabilities want to enjoy all that life has to offer and that includes going to the movies!
Empish J. Thomas 
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