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