Disney can't ask for documentation. It is against, I believe, the Americans with Disabilities Act. And really I am glad. I don't think people should have to explain their private medical condition to a stranger. While documentation might stem some of the abuse, I don't think that out weighs the loss of privacy of those who do need a GAC.
That is true.
The ADA says that no one can be denied accommodations they need related to a disability because they did not provide proof of disability.
For an extreme situation, but one that more people could relate to - if you wear glasses, imagine how you would feel if glasses were not allowed to be worn outside your home without proof that they are needed. Any time you entered a building or business, someone could ask you for proof that you need them. Most people would not like that and would see it as discrimination - people being treated differently just because of something about themselves that they can not control.
But I think it could be solved somewhere in the middle. Not asking for some sort of proof is counter productive to the goals of the ADA. I say this because without some sort of proof anybody can get it and that clogs up the system.
There should be some sort of State approved ID issued by Doctors that state the need for a GAC. (I assume other places have these too, I can't imagine a law that only effects Disney) You have to get a Doc to say you need a handicap sign for the car. The special ID issued wouldn't have to have your specific situation, just your needs.
There are no state issued disability cards and the ADA does say that a person with a disability can't be required to provide proof in order to get accommodation that is needed because related to a disability. (Europe is different - they have laws that do require a card for disabilities). The same ADA law applies to all "Places of Public Acco
Handicapped parking permits are a different situation. By law, you
do have to have a physician certify that the person has a handicap that makes a handicapped parking permit necessary. The handicapped person can also be required to provide proof of disability for things like discounts, free entry, front of line access (like people on Make a Wish trips), or things like buses that provide door to door service.
That's because these things are either limited in number (handicapped parking spots), are more extensive than required to accommodate the disability or desired by people without disabilities (all the other things).
One interesting bit is that the ADA only applies to certain disabilities and does not apply in the same way to temporary conditions (lasting less than 6 months). This is the
definition of disability in the ADA:
(1) Disability
The term "disability" means, with respect to an individual
(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual;
(B) a record of such an impairment; or
(C) being regarded as having such an impairment (as described in paragraph (3)).
(2) Major Life Activities
(A) In general for purposes of paragraph (1), major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
(B) Major bodily functions
For purposes of paragraph (1), a major life activity also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.
(3) Regarded as having such an impairment
For purposes of paragraph (1)(C):
(A) An individual meets the requirement of “being regarded as having such an impairment” if the individual establishes that he or she has been subjected to an action prohibited under this chapter because of an actual or perceived physical or mental impairment whether or not the impairment limits or is perceived to limit a major life activity.
(B) Paragraph (1)(C) shall not apply to impairments that are transitory and minor. A transitory impairment is an impairment with an actual or expected duration of 6 months or less.
OK..I totally get it now!! I don't know if I've ever seen that myself or have even paid attention to that. Now, I do need to give some praise to my MIL. She uses a wheelchair while we're there because she has really bad knees and it's extremely hard for her to walk without holding on to something. So, this past trip, she had to get a wheelchair.
But...what I love about her is that she didn't use the wheelchair to get ahead in line. She said that since she wasn't deathly ill and she could walk short distances, she would just park it outside the attraction/ride and get back in it when we were done!! I was/am sooo proud of her because sooo many other people wouldn't have. I Love you mom and am sooo proud of you for doing that.....(she's on the boards, too!! It's how I got started on here
)
Now...I wasn't saying that every single person who uses a wheelchair does abuse it. I was just saying how she could've easily used it as an "excuse" to get ahead in line, but she didn't. To those of you who are in a wheelchair or have family members who are, I hope you understand what I'm saying.
And....to you people who abuse the system....shame on you and yours!! All I have to say on that is Karma is a funny thing and shouldn't be messed with sometimes:thumbups2
Actually, if she had stayed in the wheelchair, she would have found that in most cases the wheelchair does not allow the person to get ahead in line.
The ADA says that, as much as possible, people with disabilties should be treated the same as people without disabilities *the ADA is about equal access and making things accessible in the same way as much as possible, not superior access.*
The majority of lines are actually wheelchair accessible thru most of the line and people with wheelchairs and ECVs wait in the same line with everyone else. These are called Mainstream Lines.
AK and the Studio were built with Mainstream Lines. MK and Epcot are much older, so they were not built with Mainstream Lines, but Mainstream Access was added to as many as possible as things were added or renovated.
Corey didn't bring it up because he has a problem with it. He brought it up because he was stating that Disney is going to start enforcing the rules more. There was no discussion as to whether or not your grandma needs one, but just that there is abuse, Disney is catching onto it and now they are going to be a bit more strict. So, if you do get a GAC you will have to get a fastpass if you want to go through the fastpass line and it will be enforced. I think the key word in all of this is enforced. Disney has caught on that people are selling the GACs or just plain abusing them. I don't think that Disney is pointing fingers at the person who is in a wheelchair is doesn't obviously have something wrong with them. It's the group of teenagers who get a wheelchair just for fun or the people selling them. It's the obvious abuse - not the Hmmm, they don't look like they have a problem. I bet they don't.
In some cases, CMs giving out GACs are not doing a good job about asking people what their needs are. The ADA says that accommodations are to be made based on needs - not just a 'one size fits all' accommodation.
Most GACs allow use of things like a quieter place to wait, a place out of the sun to wait or using a stroller as a wheelchair. MOST do not shorten or eliminate waiting in line.
WDW's own rules say that people who use a wheelchair or ECV don't need a GAC. Just having a wheelchair, ECV or visible mobility need will allow the person to use the accessible entrance (which in most cases, is the regular entrance/waiting area).
The GAC also has printed right on it that it is not meant to allow immediate access and that if you want to avoid waits, you should use Disney's Fastpass system. Some people are so 'me centered' though that they make a scene when they don't get what they want. We were actually waiting in line behind some other groups with disabilities when a man came up to the CM and demanded to be put on the attraction right away because "I have a disability and this card says you need to let me in right away."
He was loud, pushy and would not listen to the CM who explained the rest of us with disabilities were waiting and he would need to wait behind us. He refused, got louder and should probably ended up kicked out of the park. What actually happened was that he got to ride ahead of all of us people waiting (and some had already been waiting for almost the same amount of time as if we had been in the 'regular' line, so by the time we got on, our wait was longer than if we had not needed to wait in the accessible boarding area).
This sounds like a situation like the person who wrote originally about GAC was talking about. I'm sorry that I did not hear the podcast before replying - I was replying to things people posted on this thread.
And they already clearly know the rules in order to break them cleverly so they don't really care anyway. 
