FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CR TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1996 (202) 616-2765 TDD (202) 514-1888 UNITED ARTISTS TO MAKE THEATERS ACCESSIBLE TO MOVIEGOERS WITH DISABILITIES UNDER AGREEMENT WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON, D.C. -- United Artists Theatre Circuit, Inc., one of the nation's largest theater chains, will make its theaters more accessible to moviegoers with disabilities under an agreement reached today with the Justice Department and a group of disability rights advocates. "Americans with disabilities will now be able to go to the movies with their families and friends," said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick. "Thanks to United Artists, we can now tell moviegoers with disabilities, 'access is coming soon to a theater near you.'" The Justice Department began investigating United Artists in 1992, after receiving complaints that some of its theaters were not accessible. Last August, after learning about a private suit raising similar issues, the Justice Department entered settlement talks to resolve the matter and today it joined that lawsuit. The suit, filed by several California residents and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund ("DREDF") of Berkeley, claimed that the Colorado-based company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as California state law. It alleged that some of the California theaters had insufficient seating for moviegoers with mobility impairments or provided the seating in the back row where they could not sit with their families. Today's agreement between the parties resolves the suit. United Artists owns or operates more than 400 theaters nationwide, with more than 2,300 screens, that were built before January 26, 1993. Under today's agreement, United Artists will begin modifying theaters, where necessary, and will complete the work by 2001. It will: provide a sufficient number of spaces in theaters for wheelchairs in such a way that moviegoers in wheelchairs will be able to sit with families and friends; make sure that at least two spaces in theaters with more than 300 seats are somewhere other than in the back row so that they have more of a choice of seating locations; ensure that one percent of all seats in existing theaters have folding or removable aisle-side armrests for semi-ambulatory persons or persons who wish to transfer from wheelchairs into a seat; make parking areas accessible and provide accessible routes to an accessible entrance; make existing restrooms accessible or construct accessible unisex restrooms and modify concession stands, telephones, and drinking fountains where necessary; ensure that theaters constructed in the future will comply with the law's new construction standards. United Artists also will modify 22 newly-constructed theaters that opened after January 26, 1993 to bring them into full compliance with the ADA's new construction standards. The company will fix about half the newly-constructed theaters by September 30, 1996 and modify the other theaters by June 30, 1997. "With this agreement, United Artists has taken the lead in making access in the entertainment industry a priority," added Patrick. Under California law, United Artists will also pay monetary damages to the plaintiffs who filed the private suit and will set up a $429,000 fund for moviegoers with disabilities who can show they encountered physical barriers at California theaters built after July 1982. California law, unlike the ADA, required theaters in the state to become accessible more than 14 years ago and enables persons to seek compensatory damages on their own. Finally, United Artists will pay $1,000 to each of the four individuals who filed complaints with the Justice Department under the ADA. The ADA, passed in July 1990, prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities. Title III of the Act requires public accommodations that were built prior to January 26, 1993, such as movie theaters, to remove any physical barriers to access when it is readily achievable to do so. Buildings constructed later must be built in compliance with certain guidelines known as the ADA's Standards for Accessible Design. United Artists has more than 400 theaters located in the following states: Arizona (8); Arkansas (6); California (76); Colorado (26); Connecticut (1); Florida (32); Georgia (19); Idaho (4); Indiana (2); Kansas (1); Louisiana (21); Maryland (5); Michigan (11); Minnesota (11); Mississippi (20); Missouri (1); Nevada (5); New Jersey (10); New Mexico (11); New York (44); North Carolina (12); Oklahoma (9); Pennsylvania (34); Puerto Rico (3); South Carolina (8); Texas (37); Virginia (8); Washington (1); West Virginia (2); Wisconsin (6). The agreement, filed today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, must still be approved by Judge Thelton E. Henderson. In 1994, Attorney General Janet Reno launched a national campaign to educate Americans about their rights and obligations under the ADA. She is committed to reaching out to businesses to urge voluntary compliance with the law. The campaign, which includes television and radio public service announcements, advertises a toll-free ADA information line. The number is 800- 514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). # # # 96-167 SUMMARY OF UNITED ARTISTS AGREEMENT Under an agreement reached today between the Justice Department, several persons with disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund of Berkeley, California (DREDF), and United Artists Theatre Circuit, Inc., United Artists will make more than 400 theaters (2,300 screens) accessible. It will: provide accessible parking as well as accessible routes from the parking lots to accessible theater entrances; modify existing restrooms to make them accessible or construct unisex accessible restrooms; provide a sufficient number of spaces in theaters for wheelchairs in such a way that moviegoers in wheelchairs will be able to sit with family and friends; ensure that auditoriums with more than 300 seats have some spaces for wheelchairs in a location other than at the back of the theater; make sure that one percent of the seats are aisle seats with folding or removable aisle-side armrests for moviegoers who are semi-ambulatory or for those who wish to transfer from a wheelchair into a fixed seat; and modify, where necessary, concession stands, water fountains, and public telephones to make them more accessible. The agreement resolves a private lawsuit that claimed several California theaters, constructed after July 1992, were not built in compliance with California law. The Justice Department later joined the suit alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a result, United Artists has also agreed to: compensate--under California law--the named plaintiffs; create a fund--under California law--to pay damages to other persons with mobility impairments who encountered barriers to access in California theaters built after July 1982 or who were deterred from attending because of access problems; pay $1,000 to each of the four individuals who either filed complaints with the Justice Department or on whose behalf complaints were filed; submit periodic progress reports to the Justice Department and DREDF and permit both parties to inspect the modified theaters. ADA REQUIREMENTS FOR MOVIE THEATERS The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed on July 26, 1990, prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Title III of the Act requires public accommo-dations, like movie theaters, to be accessible. Theaters Built Before January 26, 1993 Owners, lessors, or operators of movie theaters that opened for business before January 26, 1993, must remove physical barriers to access when it is readily achievable to do so -- when it can be done without much difficulty or expense -- such as: providing parking spaces wide enough for wheelchairs users and accessible routes from parking lots to entrances; making entrances accessible by, for example, installing ramps at inaccessible entrances or widening doorways; setting aside a reasonable number of spaces in auditoriums for wheelchair users, with fixed seats next to them, so that wheelchair users can sit with their families or friends; offering a reasonable number of aisle seats with folding or removable aisle-side armrests for use by semi-ambulatory patrons or people wanting to transfer to fixed seats; making modifications to restrooms or constructing unisex accessible restrooms when restrooms cannot be modified; and lowering portions of concession stands, public telephones, and water fountains for wheelchair users. Theaters That Opened After January 26, 1993 Private entities that are responsible for designing and constructing theaters opened after January 26, 1993 must ensure the these facilities comply with certain architectural guidelines, known as the ADA's Standards for Accessible Design. The guidelines set forth specific standards such as: the number of accessible parking spots required; the manner in which accessible routes must be designed; the slope of ramps and the width of doorways; the percentage (1%) of seats that must be aisle seats with folding or removable aisle-side armrests; the height of concession stands, pay phones and water fountains, and the number & location of spaces for wheelchair users that must be provided depending on the total number of seats in the theater. For instance, newly-constructed theaters must provide at least 1 space for a wheelchair in theaters with up to 25 seats, 2 spaces in theaters with up to 50 seats, 4 spaces in theaters with up to 300 seats, and 6 spaces in theaters with up to 600 seats.