[nagdu] Class Action Plaintiffs Allege Disney Parks and Resorts Discriminates Against Visually Impaired

Ginger Kutsch GingerKutsch at yahoo.com
Thu Jul 14 13:08:37 UTC 2011


Class Action Plaintiffs Allege Disney Parks and Resorts Discriminates
Against Visually Impaired

Orman Kimbrough, Jr.Attorney

(866) 735-1102 Ext 343Posted by Orman Kimbrough, Jr.July 13, 2011 

URL:
http://orlando.injuryboard.com/miscellaneous/class-action-plaintiffs-allege-
disney-parks-and-resorts-discriminates-against-visually-impaired-.aspx?googl
eid=291998

 

A federal judge Dolly Gee has certified a class action lawsuit against
Disney Parks and Resorts on behalf of plaintiffs Cari Shields, Amber Boggs
and Teresa Stockton who claimed Disney discriminated against visually
impaired guests. The lawsuit against Disney and its many theme parks does
not seek monetary rewards, but was broken down into ten different classes in
order to identify ten different issues that would have to be accepted as
widely viewed complaints against those who are visually impaired and toured
Disney theme parks such as Disney's MGM Studios. The Court reviewed
complaints made in order to justify the requirement that enough guests have
had the same experiences as the plaintiffs.

 

 

The plaintiffs identified ten different classes as sources of issues for the
legally blind named in the class action suit against Disney. The Court
ultimately found five to withstand all the requirements to be able to more
forward with.

 

 

The plaintiffs alleged there is lack of Braille, large-print or other
alternative signs, menus, maps and theme park schedules to be found around
various Disney resorts. The plaintiffs have further alleged that Disney cast
members have refused to read menus to them.

 

 

Disney argued that its park had designated areas for service animals to
defecate within the park, but the Court sided with the plaintiffs on the
inability to locate area for service animals to defecate. One plaintiff
recalled being told by a Disney cast member that she must take her service
dog to the kennel located at the front of the park, while another guest
noted that the spot designated for service animals was extremely remote.

 

 

The Courts agreed with the plaintiffs' allegations that Disney Parks refuses
to offer cast members to assist visually impaired guests inside the park,
and that they must bring someone with them and pay full price of admission.
Disney had argued that those assisting visually impaired should be paid
medical personnel and not friends or family that would otherwise enjoy
amenities of the theme parks.

 

 

The plaintiffs alleged discrimination against the visually impaired because
some guests have been denied access to the handicap parade viewing areas,
simply because they were not confined to wheelchairs.

 

 

The Court also agreed that Disney websites are incompatible with screen
reading software that assists visually impaired. Flash on websites
automatically renders screen reading software unusable as there was no
alternative website compatible with those programs.




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