I went to the new Durham Performing Arts Center to see the Broadway show "Rent" with 10 of my friends on Jan. 24 . It was an awesome experience. It's wonderful to have a Mecca of cultural events within an easy drive of our community.

I was mindful of the fact that, even before it was built, the DPAC advertised itself as disabilities friendly. It is true it was up to code. The ushers also were very helpful. They mixed up one pair of handicap seating for another. However, the place is new, so I say cut them a little slack while they learn. They did help one friend down two steps to transfer from her manual wheelchair to a regular seat. They then folded her chair and put it in a safe place so we could get it easily.

There are a few things my friends with disabilities and I noticed the DPAC could improve.

To start with, they had just the required number of handicap parking spaces. However, that really is not enough. For an audience of thousands they need to provide people with disabilities more spaces, especially van-accessible ones. This can be solved with a little white paint.

Second, the parking garage is not attached to the theater. The garage is a little hike down a narrow road separated from cars by only a yellow line. The DPAC would be wise, as well as kind, to offer a drop-off space with a brightly colored curb cut and a generous awning. This way, people with wheelchairs or other mobility difficulties can be dropped off and can wait for their companions without being rained on, snowed on or burned by the pounding sun of North Carolina summers.

The ground floor lobby has the box office, concession stands and restrooms as well as stairs, elevators and a lovely garden box with wide comfortable benches to sit and socialize on. The concession stands and box office are down three steps from the main entrance. I was told days later there was a ramp on the other side of the garden box. It was not clearly visible, however. I would strongly suggest adding bold, but pretty, signs marking such important information.

The bathroom was more than adequate, with generous stalls and sturdy railings for easy transfer. I admit we forgot to inspect the men's room because the three people in wheelchairs I was with were women. An usher helped my friend through the crowd to the bathroom. While most of these suggestions can be added in a matter of days, we agreed it would be nice if every floor had handicap bathrooms. Going down in elevators and fighting through crowds can take twice as long for people in wheelchairs or who have other mobility difficulties.

I realize the DPAC does not have to do this, but it would make the center much more disability friendly, and thus get more repeat business from those of us these things would positively affect.

On another positive note, I recently returned to the Greensboro Clarion for a meeting.

After several people voiced concern about the inadequacies we'd found on our last visit, the hotel has taken care to bring their facilities up to code. The main ladies room still needed a bar in the stall, but it was on order. The restaurant bathroom had one and was specifically opened to us. The manager apologized that it was not up to code last time and asked that we alert him of anything else we could see that would make things better.

Ignorance can be educated! What a bright future we can have if we speak out and people are willing to learn.

Megan Jones lives in Chapel Hill.