Do McDonald’s Drive-Thrus Discriminate Against the Blind?

A McDonald’s drive-thru only serves people in cars. That may not sound discriminatory, unless you consider this question: What if you can’t drive because you’re disabled?

For Scott Magee, that question isn’t hypothetical. Magee is blind, and whenever he walks to his local McDonald’s drive-thru window to order some food, he gets turned away.

But Magee isn’t just walking away—he’s suing McDonald’s. According to Magee and his lawyer, Roberto Luis Costales, the burger chain’s refusal to serve non-driving customers is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“This is something simple that can cause a lot of hurt to disabled people, especially if, like Scott, they cannot cook for themselves,” Costales told the Chicago Tribune.

The drive-thru experience is “a quintessentially American activity that should not be denied to someone because of their disability,” he added.

McDonald’s has said it will not comment on a pending lawsuit.