A disabled Disney shareholder is urging the company to review the impacts of their 2024 overhaul of the Disability Access System (DAS) at Disney Parks. But a recent SEC rule change is helping Disney block the shareholder’s resolution.

Shareholder Asking Disney for Independent Review of DAS Changes

The resolution asked Disney to hire an independent expert to review the risks associated with the DAS changes.

Shareholders request that Disney commission an independent review, conducted by a qualified third party, of the company’s accessibility and disability inclusion practices. This review should assess legal, financial, and reputational risks; evaluate Disney’s policies against international accessibility standards and competitors; and identify opportunities for leadership improvement. Shareholders further request that the Board provide a public summary and internal briefing on the findings to ensure accountability and transparency.

DAS Shareholder Resolution

Disney asked the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) to allow them to exclude the resolution because it is “materially false and misleading”, “relates to the Company’s ordinary business operations,” and “the Company has substantially implemented the Proposal.”

Disney’s letter to the SEC was filed on November 4. On November 17, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance announced it would no longer review company attempts to exclude shareholder proposals except in some state-law circumstances. The change took effect immediately, meaning Disney no longer needed the SEC’s approval to exclude the resolution. The shareholder, Erik Paul, has sent a rebuttal to the SEC, responding to Disney’s claims.

“Disney has long told stories where the powerless rise, villains fall, and wrongs are made right,” Paul said in a statement. “Its brand is built on magic, inclusion, and the belief that every voice deserves to be heard. Yet now, in a twist worthy of its darkest tales, the company risks becoming the villain of its own story—using newfound power to silence the very shareholders it should be listening to. Disney now faces a clear choice: live up to the values it sells to the world, or step into the role of villain silencing the disabled community.”

Read a breakdown of the original proposal.

Disney’s Disability Access Service

Disney updated their DAS requirements for Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort in early 2024. Eligibility has been significantly limited and Disney has suggested guests practice waiting in line at home or ask for a return time at an attraction, despite many attractions Cast Members not being trained to allow this. A class-action lawsuit against Disneyland alleging disability discrimination was filed in February 2025 and the case is ongoing.

Disney has continued to tweak elements of DAS and its guidelines, including adding information about the required video call and extending the service’s validity period.

What do you think of the SEC rule change? Let us know in the comments and on social media.

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