not sure if anyone else said this, but I was going to as well.. Some children cannot be removed that easy that is why they are in them too.. I do think they are rolled on, I could be wrong though.. the DisAbilities Board would have this answer....very wise to have poster check there...
A stroller being used as a wheelchair can be rolled onto the bus, using the lift or ramp at the back if needed. But, the child should be removed from the stroller and it should be folded once on the bus if it is not a stroller designed for transport.
This is for safety of the child and to prevent damage to the stroller.
If someone has questions about whether their stroller is safe for transport, we can help them figure out.
You may have a point, but that's Disney's policy. I don't whether it's mandated by ADA, or just intended to minimize guest conflict.
There is nothing in the ADA that would require a stroller being used as a wheelchair to be strapped down like a wheelchair.
The ADA never requires an accommodation if it is not safe to do so (for example, if someone has a Service Dog and it is misbehaving and not under control of the handler, a business has the right to require the dog to be removed for the safety of others).
Guests using regular or even special needs strollers as wheelchairs might be happy to roll them onto the bus and not remove the child.
But, I do know of at least 2 people whose strollers were bent just by the act of tying them down because they were not designed for transport. One family noticed the special needs stroller was not pushing quite right on one of the last days of their trip.
They and the other family found out the frame of the stroller had been bent when they needed to fold it up to get home.
They were not happy that their expensive stroller was wrecked beyond repair and were angry that none of the bus drivers had mentioned it could get damaged by tying it down.
So, I am very surprised that Disney would have a policy that puts liability for damage and possible injury on themselves and their drivers.
Actually any stroller may be designated as a wheelchair, but that does NOT mean it gets tied down. Only approved special needs strollers are allowed to be tied down (WC-19 approved, or something like that).
Other than those specific special needs strollers, strollers as wheelchairs can be loaded by the back door, just like wheelchairs, but after that the child must be removed from the stroller for safety reasons. Strollers are not strong enough to be tied down and stay upright and stable in the event of a crash.
Just because they can doesnt mean they should.
ANSI/RESNA-SOWHAT-WC19 is a set of design standards for wheelchairs and special needs strollers that can safely be used in buses, cars and vans.
ANSI stands for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America.
Wheelchairs may have special loops built into or bolted onto the frame to make it easier to tie them down for transport. Most wheelchairs also have sturdy welded frame parts that can be safely used to attach tiedowns, even if they were not designed with loops. Most people who own their wheelchairs know exactly which parts are sturdy parts of the frame and which should not be used for the straps.
Strollers are made to be lightweight and to fold easily. Great when you are trying to fold and unfold them to put them into a car trunk, but not safe for sitting on a bus in. Most strollers have frames with many joints because that is how they fold up. Many fold in one or 2 steps and fold forward then close side to side. Again, easy when putting into a car trunk, but not safe for sitting on a bus in. In an accident, they would pull apart or collapse.
Some special needs strollers have been designed to ANSI/RESNA WC 19 standards to be safe for transport. They have stronger frame components and have specific places where tiedown straps can be safely attached. They also have better seatbelts and have been crash tested.
This stroller looks like a pretty typical stroller, but is approved for transport.
The red loops near the bottom on the frame are the safe tiedown spots. Not all transport ready strollers will have loops, but many do and all transport ready ones have designated safe tie down spots.