Going to a movie theater is supposed to be a fun experience enjoyed with friends, but for Melinda Haus, that isn't always possible.

Haus was injured in a car accident in 1996 and has had to use a wheelchair to get around ever since. She said theaters try to be accommodating, but there is still room for improvement.

"I personally think the biggest issue with the seating is it's not integrated," the social work junior said.

"We don't have the option of being able to sit where we want."

When Haus visits Celebration Cinema, 200 E. Edgewood Blvd. in Lansing, she and her friends have to sit near the front in the ground-level area because she can't get to the stadium seating.

"Sometimes they bring out metal folding chairs for your friends to sit with you," she said.

The issue is far from being resolved.

Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled two large movie theater chains were violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing stadium seating to people in wheelchairs.

The Massachusetts-based companies don't have to provide wheelchair access until the theaters are renovated.

Celebration, which recently unveiled a building expansion project, could not be reached for comment.

The 18-screen NCG Cinemas at Eastwood Towne Center does offer some stadium seating to people with disabilities.

"In our two main theaters we have upper-level access for the disabled," day manager Kristy Smith said. "The theater has two levels, the main level and the upstairs cafe and video game room. There is an elevator that takes people up."

Theater patrons with disabilities receive an elevator pass, which takes them to the stadium section of the theater. The pass allows quick and easy access to the upper level while simultaneously reducing overuse of the elevator.

"We've had a lot of people express appreciation," she said.

The Massachusetts ruling isn't likely to affect Lansing-area theaters for some time, but the case could be used as a persuasive argument in future lawsuits, said Frank Ravitch, a professor at the MSU-Detroit College of Law.

"It raises some very complex issues as to how you would get someone to the higher seating," Ravitch said.

Ravitch said many theaters have ramps rather than stairs but added he could foresee potential problems if the only row accessible to wheelchairs is at the very front.

The main question, he said, is whether the lack of options in handicapped seating amounts to an "undue hardship."

Haus said she hasn't heard of any other lawsuits, but she said the lack of seating at theaters is inconvenient.

"We don't get to enjoy stadium seating when we're stuck in a wheelchair," she said.

State News staff writer A.P. Kryza and The Associated Press contributed to this story.