Disabled Child Penalized for Laughing too Loud

A seven year old boy with cerebral palsy and autism who is wheelchair bound is entitled to have some fun, isn't he? Apparently, the manager of one Connecticut theatre doesn't seem to think so. The manager told the child's parents he had to leave the theatre because he was laughing too loud.

The family's money was refunded, but I would think the least this business could do would be to offer an apology to the family and arrange a private showing for them. In addition to the apology, movie gift certificates and special showings for the young man and his friends and family might also be an option.

I don't like disruptions in the movies either, but his mom reports that he wasn't laughing any louder than the rest of the kids. And, let's face it, when you go to the theatre and children are present, you're going to have disruptions -- kids getting up half a dozen times to visit the refreshment stand and use the bathroom, laughing. talking, etc. If you don't want these distractions, don't attend the matinees.

However, I sense that is not the real reason he was asked to leave. Some people just feel ill at ease around the disabled. There are people who cannot relate, feel threatened or frightened. They are different. Get used to it. The disabled will always be with us -- just like the poor, the elderly, the unborn. Some feel frightened and threatened by them, as well. We are all different, but we're all the same, too. We're all God's children.