ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday it was opening an investigation into SeaWorld Orlando\u2019s parent company after complaints that its parks\u2019 ban on \u201crollator walkers\u201d discriminates against guests with disabilities.<\/p>\n
The investigation will look into whether SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay \u2014 all owned or licensed by United Parks & Resorts Inc \u2014 violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. The parks do not allow rollator walkers, which have wheels and a seat.<\/p>\n
The act prohibits discrimination based on disability by public accommodations, including theme parks. Those who complained said they couldn\u2019t access the parks without their rollators and the only alternative the parks offered would require them to rent other mobility aids that were inappropriate for their disabilities, the justice department said in a letter sent to the company\u2019s chief executive officer.<\/p>\n
Gregory Kehoe, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, which includes Orlando and Tampa, said his office is committed to ensuring that all individuals with disabilities are guaranteed their rights under federal law.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery year, millions of people from around the world travel to Florida to visit our theme parks,\u201d Kehoe said in a statement issues with a department news release on the investigation \u201cNo one should ever be denied equal access to public accommodations based on disability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kehoe and Harmeet K. Dhillon, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the department\u2019s civil rights division, informed CEO Marc Swanson of the investigation in their letter and said the department had not reached any conclusions about the company\u2019s compliance with the ADA.<\/p>\n
They asked that company representatives meet with a DOJ attorney to discuss the matter within a week.<\/p>\n
The company didn\u2019t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n
Guest accessibility pages on the websites for the three parks say rollator walkers with seats are banned, but walkers without seats are allowed. Each says standard wheelchairs and electric convenience vehicles, or ECVs, are available to rent. SeaWorld Orlando\u2019s website says the rental prices start at $40 for wheelchairs and $110 or ECVs.<\/p>\n
The SeaWorld Orlando page says the ban is for the safety of park guests and employees, while the pages for Aquatica Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay say the ban is due to different pathway configurations and terrain.<\/p>\n
The DOJ letter said that requiring visitors with disabilities who use rollator walkers to rent alternative devices could be another potential violation of the law.<\/p>\n
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