In brief
The DOJ claims United Parks & Resorts, which operates SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, is discriminating against visitors with disabilities by banning wheeled walkers known as rollators. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and aims for policy changes, arguing the ban has negatively impacted individuals who rely on these mobility aids. The company contested the allegations, citing safety concerns as the reason for its policy.
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 asked for a jury trial in Orlando to determine if United Parks & Resorts violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The complaint stated that the company needs to change the parks’ policies for the wheeled walkers, known as rollators, and also sought an award of damages for visitors who haven’t been allowed to use them since the ban was implemented last November in at least three parks in Orlando and Tampa.
United Parks & Resorts disputed the Department of Justice’s claims and said it would respond through the legal process.
“The policy at issue was implemented to address repeated safety incidents involving misuse of rollators with seats and was designed to enhance guest safety while continuing to provide accessible options for all guests,” the company said in an emailed statement.
The company stated that its parks offered alternatives to the wheeled walkers at no cost to visitors.
The DOJ complaint said that several visitors with wheeled walkers, including two veterans with mobility disabilities, were stopped at security and prevented from bringing them inside the park.
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