Release Date: 8/3/96
In the complaint, the Harrisons, represented by Laura Rovner and Marc Charmatz of the National Association of the Deaf Law Center, and Douglas Noah of the Orlando firm of Dean, Ringers, Morgan & Lawton, alleged that Disney's refusal to provide interpreter services for Emily discriminates against her on the basis of her deafness in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under Title III of the ADA, privately owned places of public accommodation, including amusement parks, must provide auxiliary aids and services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals to ensure effective communication between the parties. "Disney World holds itself out as a magical place for all kids, but the message that Disney sent to Emily Harrison is that you are not welcome in the Magic Kingdom if you are deaf," stated Laura Rovner, attorney for the Harrisons. "To refuse to provide a sign language interpreter for a five-year-old deaf child to enjoy the attractions at Disney World is discrimination. The purpose of the ADA is to make public accommodations, like Disney World, accessible to everyone." In their lawsuit, the Harrisons have asked the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida to require Disney to change its policy regarding the provision of sign language interpreters for Emily and other deaf patrons. They are also seeking reimbursement for the interpreter services they paid for. "It is ludicrous for Disney to expect that written transcripts for a handful of its attractions would be equivalent to the vast amount of information that is afforded on a daily basis to hearing patrons," said Nancy J. Bloch, Executive Director of the National Association of the Deaf. "In this day and age, Disney's actions and attitudes with regard to the access needs of deaf and hard of hearing patrons are not acceptable." The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation's largest constituency organization safeguarding the accessibility and civil rights of 28 million deaf and hard of hearing Americans in education, employment, health care, and telecommunications. A private, non-profit organization, the NAD is a federation of 51 state association affiliates including the District of Columbia, organizational affiliates, and direct members. Primary areas of focus include grassroots advocacy and empowerment, captioned media, certification of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies professionals, certification of sign language interpreters, deafness-related information and publications, legal assistance, policy development and research, public awareness, and youth leadership development.