by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
Not everyone's experience with the new "Barbie" movie this week was a happy one.
US Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a combat veteran who lost both of her legs while piloting a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq in 2004, is the mother of two young daughters, ages five and eight - and all are big fans of Barbie. The senator reports that they have three Barbie "dream houses" in their home, so it was understandable when mother and daughters got dressed up in pink outfits and sparkly shoes and went to see the Barbie movie last week along with some young friends.
Because of her serious handicap, Duckworth is conscientious about phoning ahead to entertainment venues to make sure that they are accessible to her wheelchair. The senator called the theatre before they left home and learned that the room in which they would be watching the show was indeed accessible to wheelchairs.
Rock and roll - let's go to the show girls! And off they went for an afternoon with Barbie and Ken and the gang.
What the theatre had failed to mention when Duckworth called to check on wheelchair accessibility was that although the room in which the movie was showing could accommodate wheelchairs, the elevator that was necessary to transport wheelchairs and their users up to that particular theatre room was out of service.
It was an extremely disappointing situation, but Senator Duckworth, ever the good parent, chose to sit in the lobby while her young daughters and their friends enjoyed the "Barbie" movie.
It was a family moment that the seriously wounded combat veteran and mother has now lost forever.
A room may be able to "accommodate" a wheelchair, but it is not "accessible" to wheelchairs unless people in wheelchairs are able to reach it. Clearly that was not the case with this particular theatre.
This week also marked the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, legislation which has as its ultimate goal accessibility to all public agencies, businesses, and venues by all individuals, regardless of their disabilities. Older buildings were "grandfathered in" when the legislation was enacted, but as they were replaced or remodeled, the requirements of the law were to have been put into effect. Now, more than three decades later, most buildings should be in or nearing compliance.
In delivering an address honoring the anniversary of the legislation, Senator Duckworth told of her "Barbie" moment and the personal impact that not having access to the theatre had on her. She lamented, "I'm pretty tough about these things, but this one really was a little bit of a stab to my soul." She added that by now accessibility should be the default position of the Americans with Disabilities Act - but clearly we are not there yet.
Barbie would not be pleased - and neither would Ken.
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