A thread in another forum (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2881090) had discussed a lawsuit that was filed against Disney, alleging that it had failed to accommodate visitors with disabilities. Late yesterday, the plaintiffs and Disney announced that they had reached a settlement (which still must be approved by the court).
Some of the original claims have been narrowed or dropped altogether, but Disney would make various practice/policy changes. In addition, the named plaintiffs would get $15,000 each, and their attorneys would get fees/costs of up $1.55 million.
The document itself is 95 pages (http://ia600502.us.archive.org/19/items/gov.uscourts.cacd.479242/gov.uscourts.cacd.479242.196.1.pdf), but it includes the following summary of its key terms:
Some of the original claims have been narrowed or dropped altogether, but Disney would make various practice/policy changes. In addition, the named plaintiffs would get $15,000 each, and their attorneys would get fees/costs of up $1.55 million.
The document itself is 95 pages (http://ia600502.us.archive.org/19/items/gov.uscourts.cacd.479242/gov.uscourts.cacd.479242.196.1.pdf), but it includes the following summary of its key terms:
Under the Settlement Agreement Disney has agreed to enhance the services it currently offers to guests with visual impairments at the Disney Parks and on websites owned or operated by Disney. Those changes include: updating its guidelines regarding the manner in which costumed Disney characters interact with guests accompanied by service animals; providing certain Braille schedules, menus and maps; providing additional audio description and information about facilities and attractions on the handheld device already available to guests with visual disabilities; modifying policies and practices applicable to guests accompanied by service animals, including designating additional relief areas for service animals and modifying the options available to guests accompanied by service animals when service animals cannot ride on certain attractions; providing a limited number of free admission passes to be distributed by an agreed-upon charitable organization serving individuals with visual impairments; modifying guidelines regarding the reserved viewing areas for guests with disabilities at live parades; enhancing locker and parking facilities; and enhancing procedures and standards for making websites owned or operated by Disney accessible to users who access those websites using screen reader software utilities.