The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating several major theme parks for possibly discriminating against people with disabilities.
The agency said it launched an investigation into United Parks & Resorts Inc. to assess its compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The company owns or licenses theme parks including SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Aquatica, Sesame Place and others.
“The ADA protects every American from disability-based discrimination in places of public accommodation, including theme parks,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are committed to upholding our federal civil rights laws so that no guest is denied access or charged more because of a disability.”
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Officials with the federal agency’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said they were prompted to act after receiving complaints from people with disabilities alleging that three of United Parks’ properties are violating the ADA by banning rollator walkers with seats.
Without the walkers, the guests indicated in their complaints that they were unable to access the parks. Further, the complaints allege that the only option the guests were given was to pay for mobility aids that were not appropriate for their needs.
The Justice Department said the complaints emerged from SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Aquatica Orlando. The agency pointed to a page on SeaWorld Orlando’s website indicating that its policy on rollator walkers had been updated as part of a “regular review of safety and accessibility practices.”
“As a result, rollators and wheeled walkers with seats are not permitted at our Orlando parks,” the website states. If guests arrive with a non-approved rollator walker, the site indicates that “their device can be checked and held while they use an approved rollator without a seat or a wheelchair, both provided at no cost.”
Accessibility pages on websites for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Aquatica Orlando feature similar information.
Officials with United Parks & Resorts did not respond to a request for comment.
The Justice Department is urging anyone who believes they have been a victim of disability discrimination at parks affiliated with United Parks & Resorts Inc. to file a complaint with the agency’s Civil Rights Division.
