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http://orlandosentinel.com/business/local/newsletter/orl-biznews-segway022108,0,4592460.story
http://orlandosentinel.com/business/local/newsletter/orl-biznews-segway022108,0,4592460.story
OrlandoSentinel.com said:Judge dismisses lawsuit against Disney
Scott Powers and Jason Garcia
Sentinel Staff Writers
11:54 AM EST, February 21, 2008
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit against Walt Disney World aimed at forcing the company to allow disabled visitors to ride two-wheeled Segways in its theme parks.
U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell dismissed the suit from U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on Wednesday after agreeing with Walt Disney World's contention that none of the three people who sued had any standing to do so, because none of them demonstrated any intention to visit the resort in the near future.
"We asked for dismissal and the court agreed it was appropriate," Disney World Acting Vice President Jacquee Polak stated this morning. "We provide a variety of accommodations to guests with disabilities, which allow them to fully enjoy our theme parks."
The three plaintiffs -- a man and woman from Illinois and a woman from Iowa -- sued in November, contending that Disney violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by forbidding guests from using the upright scooters within its parks. One of them has multiple sclerosis, another has Lou Gehrig's disease and the third lost his foot in a 1999 accident; all cannot walk and say they now rely on Segways for mobility.
None of their lawyers was immediately available this morning to comment on Presnell's order.
The three had been seeking class-action lawsuit status, which could have potentially opened the case up to thousands of Segway users nationwide.
Disney says it has safety concerns about allowing Segways to maneuver through its often-crowded parks and that it has no practical way to gauge whether a Segway user entering a park is adequately trained on the scooters. SeaWorld Orlando also bars Segways.
Both theme-park companies say they make other accommodations for disabled customers by allowing motorized wheelchairs and conventional motorized scooters.
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