In the past 2 years I’ve burnt several bridges in my advocacy for wheelchair accessibility. I can admit a large portion of that is because of my emotional problems and my own inherit flaws as a human being. I’m inpatient, and I’m especially short with those who have no concept of solidarity. Numerous people are going to say I’m grandstanding by doing The March for Wheelchair Accessibility next Thursday, but I must at least raise address a wrong that was never rectified.
Next Thursday will be the 2 year anniversary of the most difficult thing I’ve experienced being a comedian. As I’ve exhaustively recalled on Halloween 2022 I was set to perform on the Roast Battle that was in the Main Room of the Comedy Store. Unlike previous times the way the stage was setup that night made it impossible to use even my own ramp, and I had to be physically lifted by a friend and colleague on and off stage into a stationary chair like some a mangled marionet, no way to treat an invited perform. This experience was alienating enough but the deeper alienation was slower to reveal itself. In the following weeks and months, despite my best efforts to get the owners, management, the producers, and even other comedians to understand the nature of the problem and its implications I was met with a tired indifference even though I had been proving my own ramp and accommodations to do battles and shows that everyone enjoyed since 2014. The Comedy Store owner let me write a professional grade accessibility assessment memo outlining everything they needed to do, only to silently indicate it's too expensive, that it was because the city's faulty regulations& the building is too old. But there's no city government regulations stopping a private establishment from becoming more accessible
That’s no excuse for the things I found myself saying to people who once considered me their friend. It wasn’t their fault that I had been complicit in the lack of accessibility by bringing my own ramp. It's my fault that I fooled myself into believing that my quality of jokes would somehow inspire people to implement appropriate accommodations
This is more of a reason for next week’s demonstration. Even if this alienates me from doing future shows, I need to try and affect some improvement to the current situation. Furthermore, If you enjoyed seeing me Roast Battle, I ask you to support the March for Wheelchair Accessibility because the lack of accessibility and my impatience has alienated me from that performing on that show.
There’s no point in explaining how the ADA actually does cover performance stages An accessible route must connect stages and other performance areas directly to seating areas where they are directly connected by a circulation path as well as to dressing rooms and other ancillary spaces used by performers (§206.2. 6).
Finally and most importantly for me personally, the lack of accessibility in the Belly Room specifically affects potential customers with wheelchairs by the fact that it’s not safe for anyone who is carrying someone or their wheelchair into the Belly Room, and it should no longer be acceptable to do nothing, because inaccessible stages in inaccessible venues lead to inaccessible opportunities, which should concern us all because were all just one bad day away from being in a wheelchair.
