Mommy Minute: Movie theater provides jobs and hope for adults with disabilities

RIDGEFIELD - When Kris Mann steps-up to the podium to welcome a packed house to the Prospector Theater in Ridgefield, he speaks with a strong, clear voice. "Right now, I'm an usher, ushering people to their seats, " says this 32-year-old with Down syndrome, now employed at the recently renovated movie theater that opened Thursday night to crowds attending "Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.'' "It's a miracle," he says. At the Prosepector, 60 percent of the staffers, who make popcorn, sell tickets and run films, have developmental disabilities. This one-of-a-kind place was built to reduce the high unemployment rate amongst adults with disabilities while also providing Ridgefield with a much-needed first-run movie theater.

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