Our Access All Areas columnist Zoe MacLean  believes everyone enjoys a  cinema or theatre visit. It is an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, or at least, it should be...
"For anyone with a disability one of the main challenges when visiting the cinema and theatre can be finding a suitable seat to enjoy the performance whilst remaining beside the friends or family. I have had many experiences of going to a performance and being told that, “you can’t sit there, you’re a fire hazard” or as I was once told by an usher “I will have to put your wheelchair in the cupboard”
My mum was also asked more recently if in the event of a fire she would wait behind with me until everyone else had been evacuated. Having encountered many similar responses from staff, it is clear that something needs to change.
I am in the fortunate position of being able to transfer from my wheelchair to a seat quite easily. However, for many people this is not a possibility and for them, their wheelchair becomes their seat during a show. Theatre staff need to realise that every customer has different needs and deserves to be treated as an individual. For many people while their disability does not define who they are, the aids that they use to move around become an essential part of them.
To take someone’s mobility aid away from them would be like taking someone’s legs away from them. This highlights the importance of being able to access a mobility aid in an emergency situation as this may be the person’s only means of escape. Many theatre buildings are now showing their age are not designed to accommodate anyone with an impairment or disability. Nowadays, an ageing building can make evacuation of a disabled person difficult but not impossible. In order to address fire safety issues, theatre staff could perhaps seek advice from the fire safety services in order to draw up an emergency evacuation plan of how to help anybody who requires extra assistance.
Another issue is the need for a well equipped and accessible toilet. This is an essential part of any outing for a disabled person.
Sometimes during the interval of a show people may wish to purchase drinks or food from the bar. In some instances the bar may be inaccessible to someone with an impairment. In this case it would be helpful if a member of staff could offer some assistance to bring them any food or drink that they may require. Access to a lift, if it is possible to install one, allows easy access to upper cinema screens.
Clear signage around the premises, which may include a braille version and the inclusion of a hearing loop and audio described performances attracts a much broader audience.
A trip to the theatre is a family occasion and people sit together as part of a group. A disabled person deserves to be included in their family group, sometimes for safety reasons, someone with an impairment may be asked to sit in a different location. If this is the case their family members should be able to sit with them. Some theatres and cinemas also offer a discount scheme for anyone who needs to take a friend or relative with them to assist them during the performance. For many disabled people they would be unable to make a trip to the cinema without assistance.
There is a greater need for disability awareness training amongst staff. A simple change in procedure such as the creation of a fire evacuation plan can make a trip to the cinema or theatre a much more pleasurable experience. More staff awareness of different types of disability could save a disabled customer the embarrassment of their disability being a stumbling block when they go to the cinema or theatre for a night out. Taking steps towards a greater understanding of disabled customers and their needs are not difficult ones to make, but ones that very much need to be made."