“Disney Sued Over Disability Access Policy”
This week, we learned that the families of sixteen kids and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities are filing a lawsuit against Disney Parks and Resorts because of issues with accessibility for their children. For more information, please click here.
Although we cannot comment on a projected outcome of the lawsuit, we can commend parents for advocating for their children and recognize Disney for all that they have done in the past to support kids of all abilities. We want to recognize how difficult it is to support kids of all abilities when there is no way to predict who will be walking through your doors each day. There is not much that anyone can do to plan ahead for each day’s clientele. However, you can be as prepared as possible for whatever will come your way. We suggest that parks, pools, museums, and other recreational facilities prepare themselves for as many possible unique needs that their customers may have before they arrive. That way, staff can brainstorm how to best address these needs early on.
Comment boxes are another great thing to have. You can even explicitly say, “Was there anything else we could have done to meet your family’s unique needs today?” This can assist you in planning for the future. The best you can do is to work with families and ask what you can do to help. As always, feel free to reach out to any KIT consultant for advice on how to support all families in your recreation locations so that all kids can have fun!
To read the original article, please click here.
– Written by Elise Hopkins, KIT Blog Writer
Kids Included Together (KIT) is a non-profit located in San Diego, CA and Washington, DC. We help make the world a more inclusive place by providing live and online training to people who work with kids. We teach strategies, accommodations and best practices to include kids with and without disabilities in before & after school programs. Inclusive environments create stronger communities. Learn more about our work at www.KITonline.org.