https://chng.it/PLdwTkgwcx Disney gutted its Disability Access Service (DAS), reflecting a large corporate shift away from inclusion -- if Disney isn't held accountable other corporations will follow their lead. For years, Disney has positioned itself as a leader in inclusivity, offering disabled guests a chance to experience the magic of its parks through its Disability Access Service (DAS). But now, in an era where corporations are quietly backing away from diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) commitments, Disney is gutting its once-accessible DAS program and shutting out thousands of disabled guests and keeping them from riding the rides that make Disney parks so popular. No one should be excluded on the basis of a disability, but Disney has been refusing disability access accommodations to thousands of people including people with terminal cancer, autism, veterans with serious war injuries, Lupus, Parkinson’s, Ulcerative Colitis, Multiple Sclerosis, Narcolepsy, ALS, Guillain-Barré, and so much more. Even worse—Disney has repurposed the access previously used for disabled guests and is now selling it for $400 a day as part of a new program that lets wealthy visitors skip the lines. Disney is worth more than $163 billion, it should be leading on expanding accessibility, not excluding disabled guests who have relied on the DAS program to experience Disney safely.
Disney has never really been a truly *good* company, and like any corporation they have their own fair share of skeletons and icky actions. The DAS changes have just been part of a whole slew policies and plans lately that really haven't impressed me much. My wife and I usually go down to WDW in Florida every few years, but each time we go back it seems like you just have to jump through more hoops and get nickel-and-dime'd on a lot more stuff now. When we first started going, and the Magical Express was still a thing, along with a Lightning Lane system that didn't keep you on your phone looking for time slots all day... those were good times. Now, though, I don't know, the value for the "bubble" just seems to diminish each year. As much as I enjoy our stays at Riverside, I think we'll be traveling abroad for a while instead. Not that it even matters to a company like Disney; for every couple/family that opts out, there are ten more ready to step in with fists full of cash to spend.
Few companies are 'good', as soon as a goverment stops telling them what not to do they typically start doing whatever they want.
Glad I've never given a penny to Disney and never will. My experiences as someone with a disability has been mixed in Europe. Commercial companies rarely ask for more than some evidence that you have a disability, my letter of diagnosis from 4 years ago is always sufficient. Government organisations are less good and start with an assumption that you're lying. I recently asked Essex County Council why they need to review my incurable condition on a three yearly basis for a blue badge. I got a letter full of nonsense and corporate speak.
I'm reminded of the classic Defunctland vid on the history of Fastpass. "Dear god, why is the monster-" "Eating people? We don't know." "Why isn't it eating those people?" "Those people paid to be friends with the monster." "How is this good news?" "It means we can charge people money to bypass the mess we made!"
Just look no further than what Disney did to the Star Wars franchise... The animated Bad Batch was okay, but Acolyte was awful and came across as a Wheel Of Time rip off. While the latest season of Andor is so tedious and boring, gave up after 4 episodes. We have actually cancelled our streaming subscription as compared to Netflix, Apple and Paramount+ the content is largely pants.
I actually thought Andor was really well done, especially this past season and just how vicious the Ghorman Massacre was depicted. Agreed on Acolyte though, that was trash, as was Kenobi. Kenobi would have been more interesting as a show focused on the Inquisitorius with an Obi-Wan episode/conclusion. Mando was good for the most part, as was Boba Fett, even though the last part of Boba was just a mid-season for Mando. I'm excited to see what they do with Maul, especially since Sam Witwer is such a phenomenal voice actor. I'm also really curious to see where they take Thrawn in the next season of Ahsoka and the eventual Heir to the Empire movie. His character has always fascinated me, and I'm so glad they got Timothy Zahn to write two more trilogies for the current canon.
Hard agree. I am really looking forward to Pixeljoker's re-cut version of it with entirely redone effects and some additional footage shot exclusively for the fan edit to improve the narrative flow.
I didn't mind Kenobi actually, I've only watched Mando/BoBF and Andor though as far as the other SW streaming shows are concerned. You almost certainly have, even if you didn't know it.
I very much doubt it, I've been a reader of Ethical Consumer magazine since the mid 90s, so I'm cognisant of the myriad of companies they own. I've even refused to buy music by artists who've signed to Disney labels or given the rights for their music to be played in Disney films. I take ethics very seriously.
