Disney’s Disability Access Service has been one of the most consequential and contested policy decisions the company has made in recent years.Credit: Inside the MagicWhen Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort updated the program in 2024 to limit eligibility primarily to guests with developmental disabilities like autism, the reaction from the disability community was swift, sustained, and in many cases deeply personal. Guests who had relied on DAS for years to access the parks safely found themselves navigating a new system that denied them the accommodation they had used without incident and offered alternatives that many described as inadequate or, in some cases, physically dangerous.The online conversation has been loud and the frustration has been palpable, but the legal dimension of this story has been moving in a slower, more formal channel. A discrimination complaint filed with the Florida Commission on Human Relations by a full-time power wheelchair user and longtime Disney Vacation Club member has now advanced past the mediation phase and into active investigation after a March 18 deadline passed without a mediation agreement.The development represents one of the more concrete legal actions to emerge from the DAS controversy and arrives in the same week that Disney shareholders voted overwhelmingly against a proposal to independently investigate the program’s risks, and in which new CEO Josh D’Amaro addressed the subject directly at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders.The Complaint and What It AllegesCredit: DisneyThe complaint, filed with the Florida Commission on Human Relations on February 20, 2026, and assigned case number FCHR No. 2026119734, was brought by a full-time medically necessary power wheelchair user who is also a Disney Vacation Club member. The complainant described the impact of the 2024 DAS changes in specific and personal terms, stating in a February 24 declaration: “Disney’s operational changes to the Disability Access Service program and related transportation policies have materially impaired my family’s ability to use that ownership interest safely and predictably.”The complaint focuses particularly on the alternatives Disney has offered when DAS is denied, including queue re-entry, return-time systems, and what the complainant characterized as suggestions to “attempt the queue first.” The guest argued that none of those alternatives are workable for a guest in their situation, writing: “So when Disney points to queue re-entry, return-time systems, or some version of ‘attempt the queue first’ when DAS is denied, it’s not offering my family a fallback. For a guest in a chair like mine, that alternative is physically impossible.”The complainant described the physical risks involved with queue environments designed without accommodations for their specific mobility needs: “Once committed to certain queue geometries, I can become physically locked in.” The filing characterizes what Disney presents as flexibility as something that has become “a risk multiplier” for their family rather than an accommodation. The guest added: “I used the process. I documented. I preserved evidence.”The case proceeded to investigation after mediation did not occur before the March 18 deadline. The advancement to investigation means the Florida Commission on Human Relations will examine the complaint on its merits.The Shareholder Vote and D’Amaro’s CommentsCredit: DisneyThe complaint’s advancement occurred the same day that two significant DAS-related events unfolded at Disney’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders.Shareholders voted on Proposal 7, introduced by shareholder Erik Paul and formally titled “Review and Report on Disability Inclusion and Accessibility.” The proposal asked Disney Parks to retain an independent third party to evaluate disability access policies from a legal, financial, reputational, and enterprise risk perspective and report findings back to shareholders. The proposal did not mandate operational changes or prescribe specific outcomes. Only 5 percent of shareholders voted to approve it.At the same meeting, new CEO Josh D’Amaro was asked directly whether Disney would consider restructuring the DAS program to ensure it benefits everyone who needs it. D’Amaro did not give a direct yes or no. He acknowledged that “accessibility is deeply personal and for many families, our services for guests with disabilities, they make it possible to enjoy our parks together,” and stated that “creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all guests, especially those with disabilities — it’s foundational to who we are.”On the current program, D’Amaro said it “reflects really extensive work that we’ve done with accessibility experts and medical professionals, all in an effort to better understand individual needs and then really thoughtfully match guests with the right levels of support.” He also emphasized that “it’s important to us that we have individual conversations with families, and that we have a broad range of accommodations that our cast members can recommend through these individual conversations.”D’Amaro left the door open to future change, closing his statement with: “As we look ahead, as we always do, we’ll continue to listen, we’ll learn and apply expert guidance as we evaluate these accommodations over time, and we’ll always be focused on providing great experiences and designing these services to support our guests.”The 2024 DAS changes were implemented while D’Amaro was serving as Chairperson of Disney Experiences.The 2024 Changes and Their ImpactCredit: DisneyDisney updated its DAS requirements in 2024 to limit eligibility to guests with a developmental disability like autism or similar, specifically those “who are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.” The change effectively removed many guests with physical disabilities from eligibility, a population that had previously relied on the program.Reports emerged following the rollout of cast members advising denied guests to practice waiting in line at home, to rent wheelchairs or scooters, or to re-enter queues by joining a party member already waiting. The complainant in the current FCHR case represents a specific and documented example of what that experience looks like for a guest whose mobility needs make those alternatives physically impossible rather than simply inconvenient.Disney has made incremental adjustments to DAS since the 2024 update, including adding clarifying information about the required video call process and extending the validity period of approved accommodations.What This Means for Disney Guests With DisabilitiesThe FCHR investigation represents a formal legal process separate from both the class-action lawsuit filed in 2025 by a Disneyland Resort guest and the shareholder proposal that failed at the Annual Meeting. Each of those tracks addresses the DAS changes from a different angle, and collectively they represent a level of sustained external pressure on the program that has not produced a meaningful policy reversal to date.For guests with disabilities planning a Walt Disney World or Disneyland visit, the practical reality of the current DAS program remains unchanged by the investigation’s advancement. Eligibility is still limited to guests with developmental disabilities as described in the updated guidelines. The individual accommodation conversations D’Amaro referenced at the Annual Meeting remain the most direct path for guests who do not qualify under current DAS criteria but need some form of support to navigate the parks.Guests navigating the current system who believe they have been denied appropriate accommodation have the same legal channels available as the complainant in this case, including state civil rights agencies and federal disability law frameworks.We will continue covering the DAS investigation and any updates to Disney’s accessibility policies as they develop. If you are planning a Walt Disney World or Disneyland visit and have questions about current DAS eligibility and what accommodations are available beyond the program, our Disney accessibility guide covers everything currently confirmed. Check it before your trip and go in knowing what to ask for.The post Missed Disability Deadline Triggers Company-Wide Investigation Into Disney appeared first on Inside the Magic.