Family disappointed when autism-friendly LEGO Batman viewing was filled by non-disabled children...

[AGXStarseed]

(Not written by me)

Family left disappointed when they could not go to the autism friendly screening of LEGO Batman at The Light in Wisbech

Sophie and Leigh Vinciguerra with children Alfonso and Harry, of March.

A couple were left disappointed when they took their children to the autism friendly showing of LEGO Batman at The Light cinema in Wisbech only to find they couldn’t get in - because families without special needs children had filled the seats.


Sophie and Leigh Vinciguerra had specially taken their sons Alfonso, 5, and Harry, 7, to the friendly showing after Sophie was shouted at last summer when she took the boys to a regular screening of Pete’s Dragon and was told by other cinema goers to keep her son quiet.

Sophie said: “Alfonso is quite vocal. Last year at the Light a man shouted at me to control my son or remove him from the cinema.

“I apologised and explained he was autistic but instead of being understanding somebody else piped up to keep him under control.

“I went out of the film to speak to a manager as I didn’t know whether to stay or go and they said it might be best to leave so I took the children out of the film.

“Alfonso was beside himself distressed and the experience was embarrassing and upsetting, so when we came to the autism friendly screening of Lego Batman we were really looking forward to relaxing among people who understood.

“We got there at 11.30am ready for the 11.45am screening but were told there had been more pre bookings than expected so families without special needs children went into the autism friendly screening.

“The end result was it was full. The autism friendly showings are never full and in my view should be for families with children with additional needs.”

A spokesman for The Light Cinema said: “While the autism-friendly screenings are catered towards autistic children and people with additional needs, they are not exclusive private screenings.

“As part of The Light’s accessible policy, they are tolerant public screenings that are designed to be welcoming to people of all ages and abilities.

“We have no way of knowing if people have additional needs and it is not our place to be asking for proof. This is not the intention of the screenings. So we have them open to all.

“We run autism-friendly screenings every week and will be putting another showing of The LEGO Batman Movie on this Sunday.

“While autism-friendly screenings normally have lower attendance than our regular screenings, they can get really popular in the school holidays and we advise people to book in advance where possible to guarantee their tickets.”


Source: Family left disappointed when they could not go to the autism friendly screening of LEGO Batman at The Light in Wisbech

 

[Southern Discomfort]

Yeah, I don't see what the cinema can really do about this. They can't ask for proof of disability. It does feel like greed on behalf of those who went there, it feels vaguely like people who don't have problems with mobility using disabled parking spaces.

 

[OkRad]

If no one bothered them at the disabled screening, then they should not complain. The first time, that was terrible. But the second time, it seems they were not bothered. As Southern Discomfort said they cannot make people show proof and some people have non visible disabilities who are really tired of having to prove they are disabled enough.

I heard Joni Erickson Tada who is a Disabilty activist say even she looked at a lady who parked in a disabled spot with disgust and anger till she somehow found out she had a non-vis-dis.

I guess peeople with non-vis-dis are supposed to wear an eye patch or something.

 

[xudo]

I agree with what everyone else has said, in that the cinema can't really ask for proof of disability.

I think though, if they had been able to take their kids in to that showing, they probably would have had at least one parent who was there with a child without special needs make a comment about their kids "not behaving". Having said that, you'd hope that as it was specifically an autism friendly screening, that had that happened the cinema would have backed this lady.

 

[toothless]

I agree with what everyone else has said, in that the cinema can't really ask for proof of disability.

I think though, if they had been able to take their kids in to that showing, they probably would have had at least one parent who was there with a child without special needs make a comment about their kids "not behaving". Having said that, you'd hope that as it was specifically an autism friendly screening, that had that happened the cinema would have backed this lady.

if anyone without autism/without autistic children,family or service users whinges about there being to much noise from specific individuals then thats their own fault for not reading the common 'disclaimer' of autism friendly showings;ie they allow for autistics who make noise, who need to move about,who rock etc and they have brighter lights on and less volume.
if they have a problem with autistic kids theyre really stupidily in the wrong place and shouldnt be teaching their kids that special needs is a problem anyway.

id love to go to an autism friendly showing but its always animation like trolls, why dont they do showings for you know....autistic adults or do they think none of us could handle a 15/18? i struggle greatly with the normal cinema and have lots of challenging behaviors in there while watching a film, despite wearing industrial ear defenders and my hands and mouth occupied with sensory toys.