Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, a former president of the North Carolina NAACP chapter, says a local theater wasn’t allowing accommodations for his disability at a screening of The Color Purple, and instead called the police for trespassing.
AMC Theatres has issued an apology to a prominent civil rights leader Bishop William J. Barber III after one of its theaters not only failed to accommodate his disability at a screening for The Color Purple, but called the police on him.
“We sincerely apologize to Bishop Barber for how he was treated, and for the frustration and inconvenience brought to him, his family, and his guests,” said the chain’s vice president of corporate communications, Ryan Noonan, via a statement, per WNCT.
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The statement goes on to note that the company’s CEO Adam Aron has spoken to Barber by phone and plans to meet with him “to discuss both his situation and the good works Bishop Barber is engaged in throughout the years.
According to Barber, he was blocked from using a special chair he takes everywhere with him to see the film. He says that because of his particular form of arthritis, which is known as ankylosing spondylitis, he is unable to sit in regular chairs or even wheelchairs.
He was attempting to sit in the disabled section of the theater with the chair he brought when staff stopped him and told him that he could not.
The former president of the North Carolina NAACP chapter told CNN he uses two canes to walk due to his medical condition and has never had a problem with using his chair. According to NPR, staff told Barber his chair would create a fire hazard.
“I’ve used this chair everywhere,” Barber told CNN. “Broadway, the White House, I’ve never had a problem.” He said he’s even used it at theaters before and never had an issue.
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At the AMC Fire Tower 12 theater in Greenville, North Carolina, on Tuesday, though, he was not only barred from using his chair — which is described by CNN as being “a stool-type chair with a backrest and no arms” by CNN — but the police were called.
The Greenville Police Department dispatched two officers to the theater after receiving a call for trespassing. The officers arrived to see a customer arguing with employees, who were wanting him removed. Barber agreed to leave and was escorted out. No charges were filed.
“I felt like I wasn’t being heard,” Barber told CNN. “It felt as though they weren’t even trying to consider making accommodations for my disability.”
In their statement response, the theater said, “AMC welcomes guests with disabilities. We have a number of accommodations in place at our theatres at all times, and our theatre teams work hard to accommodate guests who have needs that fall outside of the normal course of business.”
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“We encourage guests who require special seating to speak with a manager in advance to see what can best be accommodated at the theater to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the guest and those around them,” the statement continued. “We are also reviewing our policies with our theater teams to help ensure that situations like this do not occur again.”
Following this incident, the NAACP North Carolina State Conference said it “serves as a powerful reminder that we must create spaces that are inclusive, fair, and respectful of the rights of every individual,” per NPR.
“Discrimination based on physical abilities has no place in our society, and we must take decisive action to address this issue,” the organization continued in a statement. “While AMC has issued an apology, there is an urgent need for concrete steps to ensure accessibility in all AMC theaters across the nation. The NAACP stands united in our calls for accessibility and justice.”
NAACP North Carolina has launched an online petition calling for AMC Theatres to improve accessibility for all customers and adopt lasting change so events like this one won’t happen again. As for Barber, he is planning a news conference in Greenville Friday to address the incident.
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