Lawsuit Alleges That McDonald’s Drive-Thru Policy Violates Disability Act

A class action lawsuit filed against McDonald’s earlier this week claims that the fast-food giant's late-night drive-thru policy violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against those who can’t operate a vehicle on their own, reports the Chicago Sun Times. Blind Louisiana resident Scott Magee filed the suit, alleging that McDonald's violates the disabilities act by prohibiting visually impaired pedestrians such as himself from ordering at the drive-thru window after the restaurant lobbies are closed for the night. Instead, those like Magee that cannot drive themselves must rely on companions with cars or paid taxi services to gain access to a late-night Big Mac. When Magee attempted to order food on foot via a McDonald's drive-thru window late one night in August of 2015, after the restaurant lobby had been closed for the evening, restaurant employees “refused service to him, laughed, and told him to go away,” the suit says. Magee received the same response on other occasions, leaving him ashamed of his inability to access the McDonald’s services. The suit goes on to say that while McDonald’s is an innovative company, it has shown no “concern whatsoever for the accessibility of their late night drive-thrus to the disabled.” The lawsuit seeks “auxiliary aids or services” to accommodate the blind, plus unspecified court costs and damages for Magee. A McDonald’s spokesperson told the Chicago Sun Times that the suit had not been served as of Friday evening and declined to comment further.