An advocacy group for people with disabilities sued Denver and its Performing Arts Complex in federal court Monday, claiming ongoing discrimination against people who use wheelchairs.
The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition represents seven plaintiffs in the suit and also names Opera Colorado, the Colorado Ballet Company and the Colorado Symphony Association as defendants.
The CCDC has been working with the city and theater complex on several “accessibility problems” at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House since its opening in October 2005 but has failed to “reach an amicable solution,” according to the suit.
The complaint alleges that wheelchair users face the following problems:
They are sold tickets for seats that don’t exist or are blocked by equipment.
They are told wheelchair seats are unavailable when, in fact, they are.
They are sold inaccessible wheelchair seats.
“We filed the lawsuit because we are dead serious about getting these problems resolved,” said Kevin Williams, CCDC legal program director. “Negotiations haven’t gone anywhere. It was time to take the next and final step to get this resolved.”
The 36-page suit listed other complaints as well.
“I’m disappointed,” said Jack Finlaw, director of the Division of Theaters and Arenas. “We are determined to continue to find ways to improve the accessibility of our buildings and devote the energies and resources necessary to do that.”
People in wheelchairs use “wheelchair lifts” to get to their seats at the new opera house.
The lifts work sporadically and are prone to breaking down, according to the complaint.
When disabled patrons do reach their seats, they’re on a sloped surface, which makes watching any performance an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation, the suit says.
Staff writer Kieran Nicholson can be reached at 303-820-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
