THE CODE CONNECTION

One of my favorite e-zines is 360mag.com .   You can read the teasers on the home page but you need a free member Username and Password to  get the whole story.   A recent article tells how theaters and moviegoers have been at odds over the rules for stadium style seating.   Unfortunately, when the new theater styles came out the owners and their architects were using the only rule book they had, the ADAAG standard in place at that time.   And as time passes new issues, previously considered a lower priority are moving to the "front burner."   Sight lines are a lot bigger issue today than they were 10years ago.

So what can we learn from this?  This story just one example of how culture, technology and the law are often out of sync.  Architects and building owners who are on the ball are wise consider the long term view.  As a general principle designers shouldn't just be thinking about the current "rule book" but looking also for the larger principle of "equal access" or "access for all - everywhere". Whenever responding to the next wave of culture and technology (often driven by money and markets), applying the principles of universal design can make a difference.  The rule book is there to help set minimum standards but design professionals have to move beyond this and THINK.  Owners have to be persuaded that equal access is an investment and not just an expense.

Here's the rest of the story from 360mag.com:

Supreme Court Avoids Ruling on Movie Theater Access
This week the Supreme Court decided not to decide whether moviegoers with disabilities must have a seating option besides the front row in stadium theaters. Justices refused to review two cases from lower courts that ruled against movie theater companies.

According to the Associated Press, the Bush administration persuaded the Justices to stay out of the debate to give the government time to revise and clarify the guidelines for movie theater owners. Recently, the Supreme Court decided in favor of the disabled in Tennessee vs. Lane, ruling that states may be sued for not making courthouses accessible to people with disabilities.

But it was a very narrow victory with a very narrow interpretation of the ADA. This Court may not be as supportive of access to leisure activities.

Stadium seating in movie theaters has become a hot topic in the courts. The National Association of Theatre Owners consistently argues that changes are unnecessary because their facilities provide access to seats as well as clear and unobstructed views of movie screens, fulfilling ADA requirements. The other side counters that the disabled must have a choice of sightlines comparable to the able-bodied. The front-row seating in stadium-style theaters is often unusable because of the angle and proximity to the screen.

Theatre owners are especially spiky because they believe the Justice Department should have spoken up while all the stadium-style facilities were being built in the past decade, not long after the fact. There are about 10,000 theaters with stadium seating.

Texas-based Cinemark USA Inc. and Regal Cinemas in Tennessee were named in the lawsuits. Regal Entertainment Group includes Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres.