Disney’s Responsibility to Its Customers
Every business must consider the health and well being of its customers, and Disneyland is no exception. Having recently come under fire for refusing muscular dystrophy customer Tina Baughman to use a Segway instead of a wheelchair or motorized scooter at their California theme park, Disney must reconsider what it means to look out for the health and welfare of all of its customers (Cohen). There are several reasons why a business such as Disneyland must consider these factors. Considering the health and welfare of customers, including those with disabilities, is good business practice making the establishment more attractive to a wider variety of people, reduces liability and chance of lawsuits, allows the business to operate with less interruption, and allows each customer to experience what the business has to offer with the least amount of distress.
Whether the business is a theme park like Disneyland or a doctor’s office, reasonable accommodations must be made for the disabled according to the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (Department of Justice 1). According to the Department of Justice, “The 2010 Standards set minimum requirements – both scoping and technical -- for newly designed and constructed or altered State and local government facilities, public accommodations, and commercial facilities to be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.” The ADA standards for accessible design includes design and construction, alterations of current facilities, compliance dates, scope of coverage, assembly areas, medical care facilities, curb ramps, plumbing facilities, recreation facilities, and more (Department of Justice 2). According to Disneyland’s website, “The Disneyland Resort is committed to providing access to as many Guests as possible and provides select accommodations for mobility disabilities, hearing disabilities, visual disabilities and service animals” (“Disabilities”). A variety of printable documents on the website illustrate the different services available for people with disabilities who travel to Disneyland.
Adhering to the ADA is good business practice for Disneyland. Disney is known as a family-friendly place where all people can enjoy amusements of various types. In the example of Tina Baughman who was refused to allow the use of a Segway while taking her eight year old daughter to Disneyland for a birthday trip, the theme park received bad publicity because of this event. Baughman was not asking for unreasonable accommodations for herself, such as being able to go on rides that would have been dangerous for her without extreme alterations to the rides by Disney, she simply wanted to accompany her daughter to the park and to be able to travel through the park in a comfortable manner (Cohen). Repeated episodes of incidents such as this being published in the media would have a negative effect on a business like Disneyland that prides itself on being a family-friendly place, even more so in a time when the economy has a bleak outlook and families must select carefully where they wish to spend their dollars for amusement. Disney should have taken a closer look at whether or not Baughman’s request was reasonable before refusing her request to use a Segway at their park.
Besides bad publicity, not adhering to the ADA or allowing reasonable accommodations for the disabled leaves a business like Disneyland open to lawsuits. This is what happened in the Baughman case, who sued via the ADA claiming disability discrimination, and a federal appeals court ruled in her favor, saying, “Technological advances didn’t end with the powered wheelchair” (Cohen). Businesses such as Disneyland and others must stay on top of the law and also new technologies that better allow people with disabilities to access public and commercial places. By keeping abreast of the law and technology, Disneyland not only avoids the lawsuits, potential hazards to its customers, and keeps its status as a forward-thinking family-friendly place of entertainment.
When a business incorporates the standards of the ADA into its structure and practices, it allows the business to operate with less interruption for all customers. Having a set structure and rules concerning how to deal with customers’ disabilities streamlines the way entry, events, rides, concession stands, restaurants, accommodations, and other places in Disneyland work so that both disabled and non-disabled customers can have maximum enjoyment with the least interruption in a busy theme park. Disneyland provides a webpage concerning mobility disabilities, and attractions are marked with four different symbols showing whether they are accessible for people with wheelchairs or people with electric convenience vehicles (ECVs) (“Mobility Disabilities”). This information is clearly provided, and assists people with disabilities in planning the best way to enjoy the most attractions during their visit to the theme park.
However, in spite of the good intentions of the ADA, there are limits to it. Businesses like Disneyland cannot be expected to make accommodations on absolutely every attraction for everyone with disabilities because there are such a wide range of disabilities. While it would have been easy for Disney to allow Baughman to use her Segway, there are some attractions that simply cannot be altered so that everyone with any type of disability can enjoy them equally. For example, some attractions are visually based, like those that provide a 3D visual experience, and the technology does not yet exist to allow visually impaired people to have the same experience with that attraction as a sighted person can. Some rides may not be safe for people under a certain height, and cannot be changed for those who are unable to fit into the safety devices required during the ride’s operations. Disneyland must show that it makes reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities, and it does so by offering maps, documents, and guides, but it cannot be held liable for absolutely every situation and disability. By showing that it is making its best attempt to adhere to the ADA, Disneyland protects itself from unreasonable requests and lawsuits that make park safety a problem for both disabled and non-disabled customers. As technology progresses, Disney must continue to update its facilities to accommodate the disabled, but without new technologies some attractions will still be off-limits to people with certain disabilities.
Businesses like Disneyland have a great responsibility toward all guests, disabled or not, and their health and welfare. Adhering to the ADA is good business practice, reduces lawsuits, allows the business to run smoothly, and allows all customers to have the best experience at the attractions with less distress. Although the technology does not exist to allow every disabled customer at Disneyworld to experience every attraction equally and Disney does not have the obligation to fulfill unreasonable requests, it should do its best to make sure that the ADA is followed and that reasonable requests are honored.
Works Cited
Cohen, Adam. “Does Disneyland Discriminate Against the Disabled?” Time. (23 July 2012). Web.
Department of Justice. “2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.” U.S. Department of Justice. (5 Sept. 2010). Web.
“Disabilities.” Disneyland Resort, n.d. Web. 13 Oct 2012.
“Mobility Disabilities.” Disneyland Resort, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012.
