Disney Class Action Settlement Proposed

Yesterday, the plaintiffs and defendants filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California a proposed class action settlement in Shields v. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US, Inc..  The case was brought by three individuals with visual disabilities, on behalf of a class of individuals who lacked full and equal access to Disney's theme parks because Disney failed to provide effective communication at its parks, imposed improper restrictions on service animals, and did not provide accessible websites.  The district court granted nationwide class certification for several proposed classes last year, but it also denied certification for others.  Yesterday's proposed settlement seeks certification of four settlement classes (encompassing some of the classes the district court certified last year and others it refused to certify) and seeks to resolve the dispute.  Given the importance of the matters in dispute, and the nationwide nature of the class, this proposed settlement deserves careful scrutiny by the disability community.