Group Sues New Academy Awards Venue

AP via NYTimes.com ^ | 3/23/02

[GeneD]

Filed at 11:13 a.m. ET

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The new Kodak Theatre, site of this Sunday's Academy Awards show, is being sued by a group that claims the building lacks proper seating for people who use wheelchairs.

The theater violates state and federal laws designed to provide the disabled with access, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court by the Western Law Center for Disability Rights, based in Los Angeles.

During a tour of the theater two weeks ago, officials ``couldn't show me a single seat that complied with the law,'' said Eve Hill, director of the nonprofit group.

Representatives of the theater's owner, Canada-based TrizecHahn Corp., said company officials had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment.

Hill said it was only a coincidence that the suit was filed just days before the Academy Awards. However, she added, ``It is a good opportunity to educate the public and builders that this is an important issue.''

[satchmodog9]

I love it when the left turns on each other.

[raybbr]

Except for Christopher Reeve, who else could need to go there in a wheelchair?

[CIB-173RDABN]

It is time to repeal these laws. Except for government buildings, no one should be required to build for such a small minority.

flame away if you will, but once they win this battle, they will move on to another. Life is not fair, laws can not make it so.

[brooklin]

I've got to agree with you. My wife's donut shop, which is on a concrete slab, was sued by a handicap group for not being wheelchair accessable. They did a drive by reveiw of a number of business' in the area and had their lawyers slap out a bunch of lawsuits. They lost, of course, but they claimed victory for raising awareness for the handicapped. We got to pay our legal fees of course.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

HA!Liberals suing liberals.I hope they manage to shut down the academy awards as it takes up to much tv time to watch old movies when there were real actors in hollywood!