ORLANDO, Fla. — The Department of Justice announced Tuesday its investigating SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Aquatica Orlando for alleged disability discrimination.
The DOJ says it launched the investigation after receiving multiple complaints about the parks banning certain walkers called rollator walkers.
The three parks say it took this action for the safety of its guest and employees but so far hasn’t said specifically what concern triggered the ban.
Only Channel 9’s Ashlyn Webb spoke to one of the people who filed a complaint against SeaWorld. She says she noticed the ban this month, and since, hasn’t gone to the park because she didn’t feel comfortable.
“We go to all their events,” Angel said.
Angel says she and her family went to SeaWorld and Aquatica nearly every weekend. That was until earlier this month when the parks posted this notice, saying “for the safety of guests and employees, rollator walkers with seats on them are not permitted.”
Busch Gardens and Aquatica posted on their websites the ban is because “different pathway configurations” and “terrain” in the parks.
“I was really upset about it. I almost started crying,” Angel said.
Angel says her doctor told her she needs to use this specific walker now banned.
She writes in a complaint filed with the Department of Justice she has severe osteoarthritis in both knees and is hypoglycemic.
“I’m bone on bone on my knee,” Angel told Channel 9, about what she would say to the parks’ officials. “Please reconsider it, because there’s absolute medical reasons. And like me, I’m hypoglycemic. If my sugar dropping and I feel like I’m going to pass out, I just pull my walker over.”
We spoke with Matthew Dietz, director of the Nova Southeastern University’s Disability Inclusion and Advocacy Law Clinic, about what how the DOJ investigates disability discrimination claims.
“They would ask SeaWorld why it has this rule. What reason did they have? Was there a safety reason? Was there some other rationale for it?,” Dietz said.
If the parks can’t provide reasonable rationale for the rule, Dietz says the parks could be in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“The ADA prohibits additional eligibility requirements for people to go to a public accommodation like at an amusement park,” Dietz said. “So, when they say that you can’t go in with a certain type of walker, or you have to rent a different type of mobility device, unless there is a health and safety reason, there are very few other reasons that a person can provide that they can ask for.”
SeaWorld says the three parks will release a statement soon. When Eyewitness News receives it, this story will be updated.
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