This article was published in The Phoenix on August 5, 2005
Id you are disabled and ever want to go to the movies, other than our own beautiful Colonial Theater in town, let me suggest you go to the Pottstown Theaters on Route 724, right across from the North Coventry Mall. Why there? Because if you're disabled, you can get in free with a companion! Movie tickets now run close to $10 each, so that could save you a lot of money.
The other thing I like about the Pottstown theaters are that if you're in a wheelchair, you can sit anywhere- in the back or up front- there are even cutouts in the middle of the theater. The theaters in Oaks are beautiful, but not handicapped friendly. You enter the theater from the front, and unless you want to climb a flight of stairs, you're more or less stuck in the front. And who wants to be in the front of the theater, your neck aching from looking up, your ears almost deaf from the sound, your eyes blurry from the screen?
Speaking of movies, we have really come a long way since I was a kid. I remember seeing films like "Bye, Bye Birdie"and "Old Yeller" at the Colonial otherwise, movie theaters were pretty much inaccessible for wheelchairs, so I really didn't see my first movie until 19850 I was 29-years-old- with a date ( other than my mom). Appropriately, it was titled "Back to the Future". I was amazed at the sights and sounds and just being with the crowd. Plus, it's still one of my favorite movies.
This year's Best Actor Oscar went to Jamie Foxx, rightfully so, for his portrayal of the late, great Ray Charles. If you take notice, usually portrayals of a disabled person win at the Academy Awards. Look at Dustin Hoffman for his performance in "Rain Man".
But I think my favorite movie of all time regarding disabilities is a film from 1987 called "My Left Foot. " If you haven't seen it, rent it. Daniel Day-Lewis, who played Irish artist/author Christy Brown, gives another Oscar-winning performance. It is a story of Christie Browns' life of, coping with cerebral palsy. The only part of his body he could use was his left foot, thus the name of the movie. He painted while holding a brush in his left foot, and eventually wrote his life story. by painstakingly typing his story, letter-by-letter, with his left foot only.
What I really like about the film is that, yes, it's touching and has it's sad moments, but it is also funny and never mundane or melodramatic. It shows the pains as we as the joys of Christie's life. Most of all, it's very honest. It portrays Christy as the genius he was as an artist, but also shows the human side of Christy.
Whenever he was unable to cope with his life, he would escape to alcohol. The film shows that not every disabled person is a saint or a sinner. We are what we are- each person an individual.
Speaking of which, I never had a problem with the terms for being "disabled". I suppose the politically correct term now is "physically challenged:. I know some disabled people are very sensitive about this, whether using the word "handicapped", "crippled" or "disabled."
To me, I never really cared. I look in the mirror each day, knowing I can't walk, so it doesn't bother me.
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If you are in a wheelchair and want to see a sporting event or a concert, what I do is call the venue ahead of time and find out if there is a special number to call for accessible tickets. Most venues now actually have people who handle accessible seating. It sure beats calling Ticket Master, who more often than not, are not sensitive to these accessibility issues. Plus, you have to wait in line, only to be ultimately transferred to several other people. Chances are if you get through in time, you may still end up with tickets in the middle row.
So try to find a contact person at each venue who handles accessible seating. Most likely the box office will give you an "inside number" of the person who handles the seating.
It shows how far we have come in society. Back in the old days, if I wanted to see a concert of Flyers game, the Spectrum's handicapped section wasn't very accessible. You were stuck in the back of the venue, and when the crowd stood up, you couldn't see anything.
Now, most new venues have their handicapped seating on elevated platforms, so if the crowd does stand up you can still see.
I know at the Wachovia Center, you are allowed to bring one companion to sit with you in that section. At the new Phillies ballpark, I sat with three other friends, all able-bodied, and the seats were great, not in the back.
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Finally, one of the questions I still get asked almost daily is, "Do you need a push?" This is a sensitive issue. Now in my situation, normally, unless it's a heavy door, I can make it up a ramp or hill. But it's nice when people ask if they can help. Most of the time, I will politely answer, "No, thanks.Good exercise."Most people are satisfied with that answer, some grab the wheelchair anyway and say "C'mon, let me do it!"
In that case, I'm at their mercy and let them push the chair up the hill.
I think most people are nice, not meaning to be rude. It is almost like they're " good deed of the day", so I don't fight in. And if you say no, it may discourage the person from asking to help the next disabled individual they meet.
So, if you ever wonder, "Should I ask to help?" I always say that it never hurts to ask. Always favor the helping side. You may hear whispers of "No, don't...they would rather do it themselves." But it is good to ask because you never know- it may be a steep hill or heavy door which someone in a wheelchair cannot handle alone.
You also never know when you may really need help. Being disabled is a minority anyone can join at any time. I remember years ago when President Bill Clinton had knee surgery and was confined to a wheelchair for several weeks. It was then he mentioned that he truly knew what it was like to be dependent on others.
Iv'e learned over the years to swallow my pride and ask for help if I need it. Most people are only too glad to pick something up off the floor for you, or whatever the request may be.
Once the issue of pride and fear of the unknown are broken, there is a special bond which develops- even temporarily- from even just opening the door.
NOTE: The North Coventry Movie Theater is currently closed.The Wachovia Center is now the Wells fargo center.
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