Comment NumberOL-100655
OrganizationADA Build it Right, Inc.
Received05/31/2005 09:47:20 PM
Commenter
First NameLast NameState/Province
WayneYarnallOR
AgencyU. S. Department of Justice
Docket IDCRT Docket No. 2004-DRS01
RuleNondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services; Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities
Attachments
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CommentsAnswers to Specific Questions


8-Stadium Seating - Theater Yes a specific regulation for stadium-style movie theater is important. It needs to be clear and simple. I think Distance from screen is an imperfect but easy to understand and implement for the majority of theater designers, owners, and builders. I agree with the Departments opinion that disabled seating should be within the rear 60% of seats. I am disabled using a power wheel chair and I prefer to sit in the rear 60% range. Line of sight angle calculations are more complex and the possibility of error and misinterpretation is too high to be usable. No issue is simple, there are a few people using wheel chairs who have marginal vision and prefer to sit as close to the screen as possible. But if there is a wide aisle in the front they could possibly sit there. However sitting on a slope in a wheel chair is uncomfortable. There is another problem in stadium seating implemented step stype, Since wheel chairs are deeper than companion seats, the step behind disabled seats needs to inset deeper than normal, or the companion seats or all seats in that row moved forward from the rear step. Then the person in the companion seat can hold hands with the person in the wheel chair. The ADAAG Manual (USAB 1998 Document --Not the ADAAG) shows this arrangement in the figures in Chapter 4.33 Assembly Areas Page 115 and 116. I can send you a pdf extract of these pages is needed. I greatly appreciated the seating layout of the new Carmike Twelve Theater in Corvallis, OR. You enter the theater on a 1:20 ramp the side from the rear up to approximately 50% from the screen with disabled seating in the center of the 50% row. There was insufficient space to the rear so the wheel chair stuck out from the companion seats. But in general it was a very good implementation. http://www.carmike.com/ Carmike Twelve 750 NE Circle Boulevard Corvallis, OR 541-753-3810 Thanks, Wayne
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