Blind activist sues Ultra Music Festival for violating Americans with Disabilities Act

Paralympic athlete and activist for the blind Juan Carlos Gil is suing Ultra Music Festival for violating Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), claiming that the festival’s website and live events are inaccessible for the visually impaired.

Gil and his lawyer Scott R. Dinn took Winn Dixie Supermarkets to court earlier this year for having a website that was not compatible with current screen reading technology, a federal case that ended with a ruling that states “having an inaccessible website violates title III of ADA”.

Between being sued for $10 million by a security guard who was trampled by attendees in 2014 and the bizarre case of the company being embroiled in federal court with its European counterpart, Ultra Europe, the festival has spent its fair share of time in court. Despite the fact that Ultra has walked away from each case relatively unscathed, Gil and Dinn are confident that they will win the lawsuit and at the very least, spark a much needed conversation.

In this new lawsuit against Ultra, Dinn asserts that the law being violated is “the same as a civil rights law” and believes that the case will result in “a better Ultra experience and, obviously, a better Miami.” Ultra has yet to comment on the lawsuit.

Read more about the important subject of making festivals and nightclubs more inclusive spaces for the disabled here.

Cameron is Mixmag's US Editorial Intern. Follow him on Twitter here