ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Department of Justice on Thursday sued the parent company of the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens theme parks, claiming that a ban on wheeled walkers with seats at its parks violates civil rights law by discriminating against people with disabilities.
The department’s civil rights division is asking for a jury trial in Orlando to determine if United Parks & Resorts violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The complaint argues that the company needs to change the parks’ policies regarding wheeled walkers, known as rollators, and seeks damages for visitors who have been barred from using them since the implementation of a ban in at least three parks in Orlando and Tampa last November.
United Parks & Resorts, however, has disputed the claims made by the DOJ, asserting that the policy was enacted to address safety issues related to rollators with seats and aimed at enhancing guest safety while maintaining accessible options for all visitors.
The company mentioned that they had alternatives available for visitors at no extra cost. Nonetheless, the DOJ has highlighted instances where several individuals with mobility disabilities, including veterans, have been stopped at security and prevented from entering the parks with their wheeled walkers.
