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Disabled Claim 'Dancing' Is Doggone Unfriendly

Posted Jul 15th 2009 1:43AM by TMZ Staff

Dancing With The StarsTwo physically disabled people are suing "Dancing with the Stars," claiming the show's studio is so disabled-unfriendly a cameraman threatened to run over a service dog.

Robert Carr and Arnie Pike claim in a new lawsuit they went to CBS Television City in L.A. last March to watch the show. Carr is a double amputee who is confined to a wheelchair. Arnie Pike is a quadriplegic who also requires a wheelchair.

The men claim they arrived with two companions and a service dog and were forced to watch as the majority of the audience was let in ahead of them.

The suit claims the studio has no "designated accessible seating for persons with disabilities." They claim the staff has "a policy of placing disabled persons where they cannot be seen by the camera or the public."

DWTS CurseAccording to the suit, Pike was placed behind several rows of seats where he could not even see the action on the stage. The worst slight of all -- allegedly -- "his service dog was placed in the aisle where the camera man threatened to run over the dog."

The suit -- which also lists CBS as a defendant -- claims "Dancing" violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and asks for an order forcing the show to institute disabled-friendly policies. The plaintiffs also want damages.

Tags: cbs, dancing with the stars, DancingWithTheStars, disabled, dog, DWTS, lawsuit, service dog, ServiceDog, wheelchair

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46. This is hardly frivolous if you are the double amputee & needs a service dog to get around. Come on DANCING WITH THE STARS, lets treat ALL PEOPLE fairly

Posted at 12:04PM on Jul 15th 2009 by memyselfandi

47. I cannot believe some of the comments on here......wow

some of you people better hope you don't grow old or become disabled
if everyone is like you you're in for a rough life

Posted at 12:12PM on Jul 15th 2009 by BECAUSE I SAID SO!

48. I agree that the studio should be sued. They should be handicap(handiable?) accessible. However, the 2 should not get damages(I'm assuming they're suing for emotional distress). If anything it should be a class action where all disabled people can get a cut. :P

But really, they should've just reported the violation to the appropriate govt agency and let them handle it. Why do the need money from something they got for free???

Posted at 1:02PM on Jul 15th 2009 by Closeupman

49. Sadly this is true with most all shows. I went to see that Rock Star show with Dave Navarro and INXS a few summers ago and the man who was directing the audience on where to go when we first entered told us that only younger & attractive people are allowed down by the stage and his job was to decide who was good looking enough. He sent the "ugly" people to the upstairs balcony so the camera would not see them. We were sent to the front and stood right next to where Navarro sat (Never realized how short he was!) . Stupid I know but that's TV, and So Cal for that matter. The entertainment business doesn't want to have anything to do with unattractive people unless you're giving them money or making them money...period! I was born & grew up here doing some modeling & acting and have seen some COLD things that people do in that biz.

Posted at 12:31PM on Jul 15th 2009 by PGV

50. I have to agree with both sides of this. Make the network do something about this crap once and for all. FIRE that ignorant camera wimp. But at the same time< money will not fix a damn thing.

Posted at 12:36PM on Jul 15th 2009 by MM

51. To comment #34 - Bush Senior is the one who signed the ADA into law. He was hardly a liberal!

And forcing those in wheelchairs to sit in the back of the studio is no different than forcing blacks to sit in the back of the bus. Discrimination is discrimination and CBS (or ABC) should correct their discriminatory practices.

Posted at 12:36PM on Jul 15th 2009 by SR

52. SO, these diabled people were at the back? Probably right next to a bunch of able-bodied people. Why aren't the able-bodied people suing for getting crappy seats as well?

If the dog was in the way, and at risk for being stepped on, I'm not surprised the camera man said something. Maybe it wasn't meant as a threat, like all these people are whining about. Possibly it was a warning that the dog may get hurt and a person could injure themselves by falling over the dog that was in the way.

People this stupid shouldn't be allowed out in public. I'm sorry you're so bitter and angry about being disabled but it's not all about you and your disability!! Idiots.

Posted at 12:39PM on Jul 15th 2009 by Sarah

53. Why would anyone at home want to look at a couple of limb-less cripples in the audience?---TV is escapism, no one wants to see you guys (yes, I went there!).

Save yourselves for war protest parades and the such...where your "look" will come in handy.

Stay home - the TV screen will give you a much better view.

Posted at 12:44PM on Jul 15th 2009 by moxy

54. DAMAGES?? So that is what these people are really after. Will they claim not being able to watch DWTS has affected they life in some adverse way? And more likely the cameraman probably said something like "If you don't move your dog, he might get run over", More of a warning than a threat. A lot of the claim seems like lawyer-speak and you can bet it was a lawyer who told them to go after damages. I'm very sure there is another side to this story - the truth!!!

Posted at 12:44PM on Jul 15th 2009 by karenjj

55. I don't think it's frivolous at all. When you watch Dancing with the Stars, they DO put all the perfect looking people where the camera will be. I can completely see where a disabled person would put a wrench in their plans.
Just because the people are asking for money also, doesn't mean anything...they could need to pay their lawyers or expenses or they will donate it to a charity that fights cases like this.

Posted at 12:47PM on Jul 15th 2009 by Donovan

56. WHAT? I thought that DWS is a ABC program, what are they doing at CBS? WTF?

Posted at 3:58PM on Jul 15th 2009 by Lily

57. To be fair, these shows discriminate against almost everyone. Since the audience is on camera, only the best looking people get to sit in the front. It's kind of like a studio 54 velvet rope. If you're over a certain age, overweight, not as nicely dressed you get hidden in the back too. This is a fact. I've been there. Just think how many lawsuits they could have!

Posted at 1:23PM on Jul 15th 2009 by to be fair

58. WELL THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD A CAMER AND ASKED AHEAD OF TIME IF THEY HAD ACCESS TO CERTAIN AREAS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE KEPT THEIR ASS HOME BUT NO THEY SAW A LAW SUIT SO HERE THEY CAME. LOSERS.

Posted at 1:40PM on Jul 15th 2009 by FOR REAL

59. Um, so I thought we were supposed to treat all people equal? First off live shows place attractive people in better seats and there hasn't been suits over that. 2nd of all using your disability as an excuse to sue is sad. I have been screamed and yelled at by camera people before during a live taping, its how it goes its fast-paced and no excuses business.

Posted at 1:41PM on Jul 15th 2009 by Nikki

60. Why don't they stay home and watch it on TV like everyone else. You can see the action better, hear what is going on and have all the comforts of home.

This is just another case of Baloney...If being in the live audience of Dancing With the Stars is such a big deal, then these people have more problems than physical disabilities !!

Posted at 1:53PM on Jul 15th 2009 by pennyb638

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