Wow, are my eyes opened! first time using wheelchair..............

Just a gentle reminder that just as people who are in WC/ECVs don't want to be judged due to their invisible needs, so too do the parents of older children in strollers. My large 80lb, 8 year old son spent last week in the world in a stroller (we did rent a special needs one...one of the larger monstrosities people might not llike). He needed it for sensory protection and for stamina due to his hypotonia. When he's older, he'll likely need a wheel chair rental at Disney for that. But that's nothing you could tell from looking at him. It's very disturbing to see some of the the responses here from people who tour in ECV or WCs. I would not have expected such narrow-mindedness from those who already experience people judging them without knowing their whole story.

So if you don't want someone to judge someone for their weight or seemingly able-bodiedness in a wheel chair or ECV, please don't judge a child, either. You can NEVER EVER deduce what a persons needs are based on looking at them. Respectfully.
 
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Just a gentle reminder that just as people who are in WC/ECVs don't want to be judged due to their invisible needs, so too do the parents of older children in strollers. My large 80lb, 8 year old son spent last week in the world in a stroller (we did rent a special needs one...one of the larger monstrosities people might not llike). He needed it for sensory protection and for stamina due to his hypotonia. When he's older, he'll likely need a wheel chair rental at Disney for that. But that's nothing you could tell from looking at him. It's very disturbing to see some of the the responses here from people who tour in ECV or WCs. I would not have expected such narrow-mindedness from those who already experience people judging them without knowing their whole story.

So if you don't want someone to judge someone for their weight or seemingly able-bodiedness in a wheel chair or ECV, please don't judge a child, either. You can NEVER EVER deduce what a persons needs are based on looking at them. Respectfully.

This. After all this is the board dedicated to disabilities. I too have an 8 year old with an invisible disability. If you saw him you would think he was completely healthy but he is not. Sometimes he is able to walk, but sometimes he is not so we do rent the double stroller (he has a younger brother who still needs a stroller). For the record, he has a twin who never gets in the stroller. And again, all this is said with respect and what happened to the OP was absolutely inexcusable, but you know what they say about assuming... (and if you don't google it). I am sure you did not mean for your posts to come off as confrontational as they did, but many people on here have children (young and old) with invisible disabilities and until you have walked a mile in their shoes do not judge what you cannot understand.
 
Personally, I think that making anyone feel uncomfortable on purpose is very mean, rude and unnecessary. My niece has arthritis but you wouldn't know it just by looking at her. Many children with a special need look able-bodied but they aren't. I say ignore the haters and people who think they know everything.
 
Disney in a wheelchair is a sport and a test. I have had people walk into me, walking forward or backward. People will dead stop in the middle of a path without regard for people behind them. I have had kids mess with my wheelchair controls on my power wheelchair. The most frustrating was when I had a CM and someone claiming to be a manager tell me that my wheelchair was an ecv and that I had to transfer, but they had no Wheelchair for me to transfer to. Once they gave me a wheelchair for transfer, it was almost twice the size of my chair.
 
I have noticed a general kindness from others when I use my ECV. People stopping quickly in front of me & people walking into me are the worst problems.

We have had one horrifying experience in the last 20 years. A travel group of young girls obviously thought it would be funny to topple my ECV with me in it. I did not know the young ladies, nor did I have any previous issues with them. There were 3 of them - grabbed my ECV & started to shove me to the ground. My adult daughter & quite a few guests near us helped me. We reported them. They were asked to leave MK & not come back. They were also in trouble with their group leaders for making their group look bad.

Disney Cast Members handled this very well. They deserve praise for the manner in which they handled everyone involved.
 
They are bigger and because there are many dangerous ecv drivers you are less likely to get cut off.

I don't know about that. Having toured (Disneyland) with a friend who uses a scooter, I noticed that she was nearly invisible to people. Despite the ECV. I think that when people don't see a head and shoulders at their own head and shoulders level, they just figure they are alone and step on out. There is no snap judgment of "lighter wheelchair" vs "heavier dangerous ECV"...they just don't notice them.

I know if I rented an ecv that would probably make it easier, but Im just not comfortable with it.

If you need it, get it. I hope it's OK to quote the late great Cheshire_Figment? He wrote:

Please ask the following questions. Here are the suggested answers to go with them.

1. Are you disabled (even temporarily)? Yes.

2. Do the people you are traveling with, such as your family, know you are disabled? Yes.

3. Do you expect to meet anyone you know during this trip who may not know you are disabled. Probably No!

4. Do you expect to meet a bunch of people who you will probably never meet again in your life? Probably yes!

5. Is there any reason at all that you should care what these people think about you? Absolutely No!!

6. Will using a wheelchair or ECV make for a better vacation for you and your family? Absolutely YES!
 


I don't know about that. Having toured (Disneyland) with a friend who uses a scooter, I noticed that she was nearly invisible to people. Despite the ECV. I think that when people don't see a head and shoulders at their own head and shoulders level, they just figure they are alone and step on out. There is no snap judgment of "lighter wheelchair" vs "heavier dangerous ECV"...they just don't notice them.

That is what I have experienced when I had to use the wheelchair. People don't see you because you are not in their line of sight. Kids aren't either but they are usually a lot quicker to move. If they are not, people walk into them as well. I don't know how often adults have walked into my kids because they didn't see them and my kids didn't move quick enough. A couple years ago a young man fell on top of my DS because he didn't see him. It could very well have been a person in a WC or an ECV instead. People tend to get tunnel vision and only see what is in their line of sight. With an ECV and WC you are not and sadly you are also not as fast as a kid to move out of the way.
 
I also noticed that people just don't pay attention to us in w/c's; they don't see us or acknowledge us

1) The guy should not have run over you.
2) However, why should people notice or pay attention to a wheelchair?
3) You should be treated like anyone else.
 
1) The guy should not have run over you.
2) However, why should people notice or pay attention to a wheelchair?
3) You should be treated like anyone else.


Seriously I actually can't believe you said that. Why should they notice me because they walk into me because they are only looking at their eye level you become invisible to people when you are using a mobility device. World Showcase is a perfect example they even put tape with arrows showing the direction of traffic and if you want to cut across you need to look around you as you are not going with the flow of the foot traffic during food and wine people seemed to think that they could walk because they didn't see me because I was not at their eye level that is why.
 
Seriously I actually can't believe you said that. Why should they notice me because they walk into me because they are only looking at their eye level you become invisible to people when you are using a mobility device. World Showcase is a perfect example they even put tape with arrows showing the direction of traffic and if you want to cut across you need to look around you as you are not going with the flow of the foot traffic during food and wine people seemed to think that they could walk because they didn't see me because I was not at their eye level that is why.
some people have a vision problem ( just like you have a problem that causes you to need a mobility device) It may look like I am looking right at you but I am not I may not see you. I probably bump into something a few times a day and this things are not moving and it is in my house that I could probably walk around with my eyes closed and do a better job getting around. I am not saying this is the case of every one at disney but the next time someone walks into you just say to your self they may have a disability
 
Seriously I actually can't believe you said that. Why should they notice me because they walk into me because they are only looking at their eye level you become invisible to people when you are using a mobility device. World Showcase is a perfect example they even put tape with arrows showing the direction of traffic and if you want to cut across you need to look around you as you are not going with the flow of the foot traffic during food and wine people seemed to think that they could walk because they didn't see me because I was not at their eye level that is why.
Relax, Rusty is saying that many people don't seem to notice or care if ANYONE is in their way, whether they are in a wheelchair or not. In that respect they are treating you they same way they treat everybody else.
 
Seriously I actually can't believe you said that. Why should they notice me because they walk into me because they are only looking at their eye level you become invisible to people when you are using a mobility device. World Showcase is a perfect example they even put tape with arrows showing the direction of traffic and if you want to cut across you need to look around you as you are not going with the flow of the foot traffic during food and wine people seemed to think that they could walk because they didn't see me because I was not at their eye level that is why.

I've seen people bump into ECVs, WC, strollers, others standing, others walking, benches, light poles, trash cans, etc. What I think The Rusty Skupper meant was why single out WC users? All people need to look where they are going - and not just look for WC users. But WDW is just too distracting a place - for all people. I've seen ECV users crash into things and people because they were talking to someone beside them. I've seen a guy crush his wife's legs because he pushed her WC into another one in front of him. He hurt the kid in front too. Stroller-dozer stories are all over the DIS.
 
Oh come on! You can tell by looking at a child whether they are sick or not - at least, I can! I'm talking about the child I saw who was so folded up inside the stroller she would have been in severe trouble had she had any sort of health problems! My daughter has asbergers, so does my niece and nephew, so I know all about invisible 'illnesses'.

You can tell by looking at a child whether they are sick or not? Whether they need a stroller or not? Really?

So you'd be able to tell just by looking at my DD in a stroller that she cannot walk independently? That's an amazing ability right there.
 
Gracie09, post: 54770899, member: 445022"]judgmental much? You have no idea why a seemingly 7 or 8 year old would be in a stroller. My nephew has a lung issue similar to cf and he at times needs a stroller, particularly if its humid out. They pace and don't go commando, but sometimes he just needs the break. Would he and they love to ditch the stroller, sure, but its not always possible. Unless you are the person pushing the stroller, you have no say in who goes in it


I'm sure that your nephew's parents make sure that the stroller he is in fits him. They want him to be comfortable, and are looking after his needs. Also, most of the parents that lug the monster strollers to WDW want their children to be happy and comfortable, so the stroller fits them as well. What the previous poster was describing was 7 and 8 year olds cramming theselves into the Disney strollers. Their legs were folded up so much inside they couldn't possibly be comfortable. I'm sure she meant no disrespect to the children with infirmities.

I've been pushing a stroller or wheelchair for 44 years, and my biggest gripe is people walking backwards. We all do it, but when we are locked in a crowd, it is so difficult to avoid being stepped on or someone falling on the person in the wc. I've learned to push the wc as if I was driving, looking to the sides, and being aware of any problems that could arise. I call it "defensive pushing".:duck:It is my observation that there are many people in WDW using rented wc's or strollers and they are simply not used to pushing such things and the consequences on the people around them. OP, I'm sorry about what happened to you. It must have been very alarming and stressful. On the other hand, I'm glad you were using a rental that could easily be replaced. If it had been a personal wc it would have ruined the whole vacation[/QUOTE]
 
Katherine Fattaruso 2015.jpg

For anyone who would feels they can diagnose based on what a person looks like, I am most interested in their ideas of what is "wrong" with me. I do not think I look "sick," but perhaps others can tell based on just a quick, impersonal glance.

They are called "invisible" illnesses for a reason. We look like able bodied, healthy people. That does not mean our needs are not real.

I have several friends and family members with Aspergers. I was not aware they looked any different than anyone else.

I have a great deal of experience with the disability community, and in my experience, there is no way to know a person's needs and life from a glance.
 

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