28th April 2026
Vichy Water Park has received a warning for discrimination on the grounds of disability after permanently banning a long-time customer from using its services. The decision was issued by the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson’s Office, which also recommended that the water park review its decision.
The investigation was launched following a complaint concerning an incident that took place in September last year. During a visit to the water park in Vilnius, a man with a disability experienced sudden stomach pain and was unable to reach a toilet in time, resulting in contamination of the premises. Following the incident, the customer’s membership was blocked indefinitely.
According to the complainant’s father, who represented his son in the proceedings, the sanction was excessively severe and failed to take into account the circumstances of the incident. He stated that the man had urgently searched for a toilet, but those located in the shower and sauna areas were locked. He also noted that his son could not find an accessible toilet for people with disabilities.
The complainant’s representative said he contacted the water park administration shortly after the incident, apologised for the situation, and asked the facility not to deprive a person with a disability of the opportunity to continue enjoying swimming activities. He also emphasised that his son and he had been regular visitors to the water park since 2007 and had never previously received any complaints regarding their behaviour.
In response to the inquiry by the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson’s Office, representatives of the water park argued that the complainant had seriously violated internal rules, contaminated a large area of the facility, and thereby posed a risk to the health of other visitors and to hygiene standards. The company maintained that it therefore had the right to refuse the individual entry in the future.
The water park also stated that it had not been aware of the complainant’s disability and insisted that all toilets at the facility had been unlocked, operational, and clearly marked.
According to Audronė Daukšaitė-Timpė, Head of the Legal Group at the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson’s Office, the investigation did not establish that the park’s toilets were inaccessible or inadequately adapted. However, she noted that the facility failed to consider the greater vulnerability of a person with a disability and immediately imposed a drastic restriction.
She also pointed out that the complainant’s representative contacted the water park soon after the incident to explain the circumstances, yet the facility did not offer any alternative solutions to its long-standing customers. For example, it did not consider measures that could both ensure compliance with hygiene requirements and accommodate the needs of a person with a disability.
“The Law on Equal Treatment obliges service providers to ensure reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities, yet no effort was made to do so in this case. Therefore, the water park unjustifiably restricted the complainant’s ability to access services on equal terms,” Daukšaitė-Timpė concluded.
The Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson’s Office issued a warning to the water park for discrimination on the grounds of disability and recommended that it reassess the ban imposed on the complainant. The institution was also advised to establish an internal procedure requiring an individual assessment of circumstances in situations involving the needs of persons with disabilities.