Disney hit with class action lawsuit over DAS pass
Disney has been hit with a class action lawsuit over its Disability Access Service pass that provides accommodations for guests with disabilities.
A California woman is suing Disney Parks and Resorts over the DAS pass alleging the company “systematically (discriminated) against individuals with physical disabilities and (violated) their rights to equal access, privacy and dignity,” USA Today reports.
Disney said the claims are “without merit.”
DAS pass allows people with certain disabilities to wait for rides outside the traditional line at Disneyland and Disney World parks and then return at a designated time. In the past, it was granted for a variety of reasons but last year, restrictions were put in place that limited it to “guests who, due to developmental disability such as autism or a similar disorder, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.”
After the restrictions, people took to social media to complain about the changes and say they were denied passes they had previously received.
The new lawsuit originated from Trisha Malone of San Diego who, according to USA Today, said she was denied as DAS pass “on the grounds that she did not meet Disney’s newly imposed eligibility criteria, despite her willingness and ability to present evidence that her disability prevented her from safely waiting in extended waiting queues.”
The lawsuit names Disney Parks and Resorts and Inspire Health Alliance LLC, the contractor that conducts pre-DAS interviews.