Senior citizen gets an apology after being denied a seat at Vision 2050 cube

The team behind the Malta Vision 2050 immersive experience has apologised to an 81-year-old man who was denied a chair for the show, forcing him to sit on the floor. 

Procedures for the Valletta City Gate show have been changed to ensure all visitors have a “dignified and comfortable” experience, the team told Times of Malta.

It was reacting one day after a "painful and humiliating" visit by 81-year-old Mario Caruana. 

Caruana, who struggles to walk or stand for long periods of time, was visiting the immersive show with his son David. 

“Growing up, I remember my father was a fan of working with film projections and Super 8 films, and I thought it would be a fun experience to show him how the technology of projections has advanced today,” David Caruana told Times of Malta. 

David Caruana and his father Mario, outside the pavilion, before the ordeal began. Photo: David Caruana

The 15-minute immersive experience tells the story of Malta set in the future and helps better understand the long-term national strategy outlined in Malta Vision 2050.

Caruana said a security guard at the door "asked us if my father was strong enough to stand up for the 15-minute show, as there are no chairs inside." 

When he asked if his father could use one of the chairs placed in the show's waiting area, staff refused and told him they had “orders from above” that forbade them from giving out chairs. 

His father could not lean against the walls for support, because the film is projected onto both the walls and the floor.

Caruana said he was left with no choice but to place his father on the floor and kneel behind him to support his back.

“Tourists from all over the world staring at two Maltese people sitting on the floor, in complete contrast to the high-tech, futuristic vision being projected on the walls around us,” he said. “The irony is sickening.”

He said the lack of empathy shown by staff made the situation worse. 

“What hurt is that these young ushers did not see that these regulations were cruel, and instead of breaking them and helping an elderly person, they stuck to them.”

Organisers apologise

Vision 2050 organisers contacted Caruana shortly after he posted details of Thursday’s “shocking” experience on Facebook.

“I am glad they spoke to me directly and apologised. I hope this situation will not repeat itself and we take more care for our elderly and those suffering from mobility problems.”

A spokesperson from the Vision 2050 team said the vision centres around the well-being and care of the community. 

“Whenever a member of this community fails to be treated with dignity, remedial action needs to be taken,” they told Times of Malta. 

“As soon as The Vision 2050 team was made aware of the unfortunate situation that one of our attendees had to go through - alongside his loved ones - we took immediate remedial action.”

The Vision 2050 team said they directly apologised to the family and have rectified the procedure to offer a seat to whoever requires one at the immersive experience.

“All our visitors deserve a dignified and comfortable experience and we will ensure that this continues to be the rule.”