A collective claim accuses Disney of discriminating people with disabilities after the company made important changes in the way it provides accommodation in its thematic parks.
The lawsuit filed this month in the Superior Court of Orange County in California, alleges violations of the American Law with Disabilities, the Civil Rights Law of California and other laws.
Last summer, Disney imposed new strict limitations about who qualifies for their disabled access service, allowing people with disabilities to request a return time for an attraction at the same time to avoid physically waiting in the row in Disneyland and Disney World With the changes, the company said that accommodation is for those who “due to a disability of development such as autism or similar, cannot wait in a conventional tail for a prolonged period of time.”
Advertisement – Continue reading next
The measure to reduce eligibility occurred after Disney said that the use of the disabled access service tripled in five years, becoming the most requested service in its theme parks and far exceeding the population for which it was intended.
However, since then, Disney has faced complaints from many people with disabilities who say they have erroneously denied the necessary adaptations.
The lawsuit filed in the name of Trisha Malone, a resident of San Diego who was denied the access service to the disabled, claims that the new criteria “systematically discriminate” when evaluating people with physical disabilities like her.
“By explicitly limiting DAS accommodations to guests with developmental disabilities that” cannot wait in a conventional tail for a prolonged period of time, “Disney illegally issued people with physical disabilities, such as plaintiffs, Mrs. Malone And other guests to physical disabled who in a similar way, prevented them from standing or waiting in long lines, “according to the complaint. “Disney must provide an equal opportunity for all people whose disabilities prevent them from using conventional tails, regardless of whether their disabilities are of development, physical or other.”
Malone states in the demand that others already with disabilities were asked to reveal private medical information about the nature of their disabilities, symptoms and how conditions affected their ability to wait in a tail in public environments where other personnel and guests of Disney I could listen.
The complaint also claims that Disney coerced people with disabilities to renounce their right to participate in any class action dispute as part of the process of requesting the access service to the disabled.
Disney officials said that the disabled access service is one of the many accommodations offered to visitors with disabilities and that the company has evaluated that this private offer is necessary only for a limited percentage of guests.
“Disney undertakes to provide great experience for all those who visit our thematic parks, and particularly our guests with disabilities that may require special accommodations. Disney offers a wide range of effective disability accommodations and has worked extensively with experts to ensure that the individual needs of our guests are properly combined with the accommodation they require, and we believe that the statements in this complaint have no merit, ”said the company In a statement.
Last month, Disney silently updated his description of who qualifies for the disabled access service, apparently loosening his criteria. The change was made after Malone notified Disney about his claims.
However, DAS defenders, a group that has rejected the strictest rules, said that even people with developmental disabilities such as autism have been rejected the access service to disabled since it was reviewed last summer and the group said who have continued listening to the denials since the recent update entered into force.
Disney previously faced years of litigation during a 2013 change in its disability accommodation, but finally prevailed.
The new Class Action demand names Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Us, Inc. and Inspire Health Alliance, LLC, a medical care provider that Disney hired to help evaluate eligibility for the access service to disabled. Find changes in the eligibility criteria of the disabled access service to include all people with disabilities, damage of at least $ 4,000 for rape and another relief.
