Can you believe stories like these still happen in 2022? If you think the world has done enough to make life just as easy for a disabled person as it is for an able-bodied person, you are blinded by your privilege. Even with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laws in place—which wasn't even in place until 1990, mind you—there are still so many hurdles that need to be overcome for anybody with a disability.
Recently, TikToker/author Jordon Genetski visited the amusement park Six Flags with her partner hoping to have a little fun, instead she left with an ADA lawsuit in her pocket.
At Six Flags
According to ADA law, rides must have an ADA approved entrance where someone with a disability has an easy entrance and exit to the ride and the medical equipment they use are able to fit through these entrances and then have a designated area to be stored as they enjoy the ride. This isn't just a nice or kind thing parks can do for disabled persons to enjoy their rides, it's the literal law…
Genetski woke up one day in her life and had Myasthenia gravis disease. This made it so her muscles and brain basically don't communicate as well as they should, causing lots of weakness and immobility—thus, she has to use a walker. ADA laws are in place in the U.S. to make it so people like her can live a life equal to that of any able-bodied person. So a multi-million dollar company, like Six Flags, should very obviously have functioning ADA entrances and exits to their rides.
Story Time pt. 1
Genetski decided to have a fun little day at Six Flags, with high expectations that such a huge corporation and popular theme park would obviously follow ADA protocol. However, they tried to get into a ride and the ADA entrance was simply whack. First, when they approached the “ADA” entrance, Genetski's walker didn't even fit through it. Then when they approached the ride they told her to put her walker across by the exit. Actually, they told her to WALK her walker to the exit and then WALK back to the ride…
Ok, seriously? She can't walk, Six Flags… Like, what??? So then they asked her partner to carry her walker over his head across the tracks. That should have never been an instruction ever, but he did it anyways, and as he did as they said, he slipped on the ride and almost fell through the tracks to his death. He was fine, but things could have been A LOT worse and this entire experience should never have happened.
Story Time pt. 2
When they went to the customer service office to make a formal complaint, the office workers started saying THEY were the ones in trouble and that they should not have walked over the tracks and there was “no proof" that they were instructed to do so. However, in the security footage, Genetski says you can clearly see the ride employees motioning their arms telling them what to do.
The icing on top of all of this is that Six Flags saw Genetski's viral TikTok video recounting the entire situation and they called her up. They then had the audacity to offer a “free ice cream cone” as condolences and to “fix the problem.” Genetski rightful declined and said she will be reaching back out with her ADA lawyer.
ADA Perspective
Justice will hopefully be served not only for the ridiculous situation that Genetski had to go through, but also for all disabled persons so ALL companies will take ADA laws seriously.
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