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Florida Opens Formal Probe Into Disney’s Disability Access Policy

The inquiry lets state civil-rights investigators subpoena records, interview staff, decide if the 2024 overhaul unlawfully excludes some disabled guests.

Overview

  • A guest’s discrimination complaint over Disney’s Disability Access Service moved from mediation to a formal Florida investigation after the parties missed the deadline to settle.
  • The Florida Commission on Human Relations can now demand internal documents and question employees to assess whether the policy violates state civil-rights law.
  • The complainant, a full-time power wheelchair user, says the revised rules and suggested alternatives like queue re-entry or splitting a party are unsafe and make park access unworkable for their family.
  • Disney tightened DAS in 2024 to focus on guests with developmental disabilities such as autism, added live video screenings and annual renewals, and directed others to wheelchairs, return-to-queue options, or paid Lightning Lane access.
  • If investigators find reasonable cause, the case could trigger fines, forced policy changes, and broader lawsuits, while shareholders recently rejected an outside review of DAS with about 5% support and CEO Josh D’Amaro says Disney will keep following expert guidance.