Credit: Six FlagsAccording to recent filings, a Six Flags lawsuit alleges that the company and its Magic Mountain theme park are being discriminatory due to their disability accommodation policy.
Related: Six Flags Planning Massive Park Expansion in California
A lawsuit was filed late last year stating that the system utilized by Six Flags to accommodate guests with disabilities, called the “Attraction Access Program,” is actually discriminatory and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
According to the lawsuit, filed by a California Army veteran known as I.L., the program requires guests with disabilities to fill out information regarding their disability with a third-party group called the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) in order to receive an Individual Accessibility Card. The details required include personal information and medical documentation.
This is in contrast to a typically-developing guest, who can simply approach the theme park at any time and buy a ticket “without any advanced planning or preparation.” The suit elaborates:
“Because disabled persons must gather the necessary medical documentation and submit it with their application on the IBCCES website prior to their park visit, persons with disabilities do not have that same luxury afforded to nondisabled persons. Defendants have therefore failed to implement policies, procedures, and practices respecting the civil rights and needs of disabled individuals.”
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Furthermore, the ADA prevents people and organizations from asking about an individual’s disability or requiring documentation to prove that they have a disability.
What’s worse is that the lawsuit indicates that I.L. actually applied for and received the Individual Accessibility Card. However, on multiple visits to Six Flags Magic Mountain, employees declined accommodations because he “didn’t look like he should qualify for the Attraction Access Program.”
Related: Your Guide to Vacationing at Disney World with a Disability
I.L. further stated that one incident had an employee rip up their card because “he did ‘not look disabled enough’ to have the listed accommodations.” That is beyond disrespectful. Not all disabilities are immediately apparent simply by looking at a person.
The lawsuit names Six Flags Entertainment Corporation and Magic Mountain LLC, the subsidiary that runs Six Flags Magic Mountain, with the goal of compelling the amusement park to change its policy as well as every other park under the Six Flags banner, including Great America and Great Adventure. It also wants “declaratory, injunctive, and equitable relief and attorneys’ fees and costs.”
This Six Flags Lawsuit Could Change Disability Policies in Dozens of Theme Parks
Related: Accessibility Expert Bashes Universal Disability Accommodations
This lawsuit, in particular, stands out because the policy in question isn’t just used by Six Flags. It has been implemented by multiple amusement companies, including Universal Destinations and Experiences, which runs Universal Studios and Universal Orlando Resort, as well as Sesame Place, a theme park brand owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.
Related: Six Flags Magic Mountain Scrapping Opening Day Attraction
If the lawsuit is decided in favor of I.L., then it is likely we’ll see these policies changed in multiple amusement parks across the country. While this will surely be frustrating for the parks, it will be a positive change for guests, who have complained about these policies ever since they were first implemented.
The fact of the matter is that anyone should be able to go up to a theme park, buy a ticket, and go in without having their private lives questioned. On top of that, a person shouldn’t have to do extra homework to enjoy a day at Universal Studios or Six Flags. This policy and the IBCCES prevent this from happening.
Do you think this theme park disability policy should be changed? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below.