Lawsuit alleges Disney’s Segway ban violates disabilities laws
Walt Disney Co., the world’s largest theme-park operator, was sued by three people who alleged the company’s ban on personal two-wheel transporters at its facilities violated federal disabilities laws.
Mahala Ault, an Illinois woman with multiple sclerosis, can’t use her Segway Personal Transporter on a family vacation next month because Disney prohibits the device at its four theme parks in Florida, according to a complaint filed Friday in federal court in Orlando, Fla. Disney’s policy violates the Americans With Disabilities Act, Ault and two other people allege.
“A disabled individual’s only option would be to rent a motorized scooter or a wheelchair,” lawyers for Ault said in the suit.
Disney provides Segways for employees who aren’t disabled, Ault and two other disabled people said in the complaint.
The Segway, a two-wheeled, self-balancing transportation device, allows riders to remain upright and steer with body movements. The device, which debuted in 2002, is used by as many as 7,000 people in the U.S. with mobility-related disabilities, according to the complaint.
Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Polak declined to comment on specific allegations in the complaint.
“Our primary concern is the safety of guests and cast members,” Polak said. “We’ve been an industry leader in creating accessible experiences for guests with disabilities. The Walt Disney World is open to everyone every day.”
Stacie Rhea, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, wasn’t allowed to use her Segway at Disney World in September. As a result, she was able to see only a small portion of the parks, according to the complaint.
Dan Wallace, whose left foot was amputated in 1999, was also told he would have to rent a wheelchair or scooter for a future family trip, according to the suit.
The $35-a-day rental fees for scooters increase vacation costs by more than 50% compared with someone without mobility problems, the plaintiffs said in the complaint. Scooters and wheelchairs also don’t provide the same access to all resorts and are more dangerous for disabled people, the people claimed.
Ault, Rhea and Wallace are seeking to represent other disabled people planning vacations to Disney theme parks. They’re asking a judge to order Disney to modify its policies and award unspecified damages.
The Segway ban violates federal law because it “has the effect of denying full access and enjoyment of the parks to those disabled individuals who rely on the Segway for their mobility,” the lawyers said in the suit.
