We just got back from WDW last week and we had a good time. But, we did have a melt down at Haunted Mansion due to the changes. We worked to resolve it with the CMs there, but I did go to Guest Services to state that there are some issues with how the GACs are being handled by CMs.
What the Guest Services CM told me during the course of the conversation didn't really set well. She stated that because so many people are having their children "pretend" to have Autism or simply just state their child has ASD in order to "cut lines" they are being a bit more discriminate in the giving of GACs to Guests, sometimes refusing to give them. I informed her I understand that this can be a concern, but that to my knowledge Guest Relations is not allowed to ask for "proof" and that this could lead to quite a firestorm if they weren't careful.
If we had to provide proof we could from several sources including his doctors, Easter Seals, school corporation etc., but I know that it wouldn't sit well with our family to be looked at like we were trying to "get away with something". The GAC makes touring the world much easier and less stressful, and as I am sure most of you would agree, I don't mind waiting longer if it means he is calmer during the day and we have less meltdowns.
I would chalk this up to an inexperienced CM but I also heard it from two other CMs at DHS when we got to talking about my son's GAC and they wanted to see where it was issued.
Has anyone else heard this?
See that's what I thought too, but she just stated that they could just refuse to give one if they didn't "believe the child had Autism".
The other two CMs also stated they had spoken with families refused GACs due to the Guest Relations staff not believing or recognizing the signs of ASD in their kids.
Does anyone have a link to the Title III requirements from the ADA?
On our last trip we went to City Hall at MK to get my son his GAC. The family in front of us was trying to get one for there child and they did not get one. I got very nervous, but I just told them what we needed and why and they gave us one. I think that they may be cutting back on people just walking up and saying my child has xyz and we need a GAC and they are enforcing the need to explain what you need ( or at least I hope that this is what is going on).t the
I would totally provide proof of what needs my sons have - I may actually take a doctor's note just in case I run across a problem getting the GACs. However, it is against the law for them to require proof, so I don't know what justification they are using to deny them to people.
I have actually seen Guest Services staff refuse a GAC to several people over the past few years while I or my family was waiting for other things. I think that most refusals probably fit into the category of the family not being able to/refused to explain their needs. Here are 2 of the cases I personally observed:
Case 1: who said they had a child with “Cerebral Palsy and other needs” who needed a GAC because he could not stand in line.
The CM asked if the child had a wheelchair or if they needed information on renting one. The woman said they child did have his own wheelchair.
The CM offered one of the guide maps for guests with disabilities and said that most lines were accessible and the map listed entrances for those that were not and also listed warnings they would want to be aware of. The woman said that would not do because he was had CP. The CM asked what other needs the child had because of his disability and the woman again stated he had CP. When the CM began to ask again about needs, the woman became belligerent and started yelling at the CM.
They did not have the child with them and said they could not bring him because he was “with other family members” in another part of the park. The CM said that the child needed to be present because it would be issued to him and again offered the special park maps, which the woman refused by throwing them back at the CM, yelling all the way out.
My DH was waiting outside and saw her come out. When I came out, he asked what she was so mad about and said she had told the other waiting members something to the effect of “I told you it would not work.”
Case 2: A family brought in their child who they said had autism. The CM asked what sort of assistance they needed for him and the family said he “could not wait in lines.” The CM asked a number of questions about his needs and the family just kept restating “He has autism.” I have no idea whether or not he actually had autism, just that they could not or would not answer the questions from the CM about his needs.
I have read a number of posts over the years on this board and other boards and also in PMs to me where people said they were denied a GAC. Basically the information they shared came down to them just stating their diagnosis and not being able to explain their needs/disabilities related to their diagnosis.
When I shared the following information, they understood why they did not get a GAC.
The ADA does allow for accommodation to be refused if the person can’t explain what it is that they need. There is also no guarantee that accommodation will be present at all locations (for example, if someone says they need a separate waiting room and there is not one on that attraction).
They won't look at paperwork for a couple of reasons.
they are not medically trained so medical terms in the paperwork don't mean much to them.
- if you were sharing something like an IEP, most of the things in there are not relevant to a trip in the park, so it is information, but not neccessarily useful information to them in deciding what you need.
- the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) says they can't ask for proof of disability. (More about “proof” in another post coming up). They are allowed to ask what the nature of the disability is (which is different than the diagnosis). Autism and Cerebral Palsy are examples of diagnosis, not disability.
- the ADA says that assistance needs to be based on the needs of the person, which is why they ask the questions. Autism is a spectrum and (like all other conditions), the way one person is disabled by it is not the same as another person.
People assume that a GAC is a pass and that all are the same. It really is a communication card to let the CMs know what assistance the guest will need. Not every person with autism is the same, so just saying "autism" doesn't help them to know what that person needs.
For example, many people find that using a stroller in lines is very helpful, even if the child can walk. A stroller used as a wheelchair (or just a wheelchair for an older child) can provide a safe haven from stimulation or a separation from other guests. Some kids with developmental disabilities, like autism, may strike out, grab or hit other people who are within reach if they get overstimulated or upset. A stroller used as a wheelchair can be very helpful in situations like that because the person can be kept far enough away from others that they can't hit. A lot of people who become overstimulated easily will even be traveling around the park with a blanket over their head to further cut down on stimulation.
That would be an example of an accommodation that the questions the CM asks is trying to figure out if the person needs.
People need to think about similar situations to things you will encounter in the parks where you may wait in lines or where you are around a lot of people. Then ask yourself:
1) what does he/she do in those situations?
2) what about those situations is difficult for him/her?
3) what would change the situation to make it easier?
That is basically the information the CMs are trying to find out; there is no requirement under the ADA that assistance be provided if the person is not able to give information about what they need.
I have also seen a situation where someone falsely got a GAC for autism while I was with DD getting a GAC and they were in another line. The child was in a stroller and doing stereotypical behavior that most people would view as autistic. I won’t say all the things the mother said (for reasons that people without disabilities do read boards like this for hints on how to claim to have a disability). She did say
he could not speak and seldom interacted with people, but enjoyed his time in Disney. They finished while I was in line and my only thoughts were wondering if they had visited this board for hints.
When I came out, DH and other members of my party asked what that family had gotten, because the mom and son were very happy when they came out (they were wearing distinctive clothing, so I know it was the same one). DH said they boy ran up to the dad, said “We got one!” and jumped up to give Dad a high five. The mom said “It worked”.
We saw that same family multiple times during the day and saw the boy doing “autistic behavior” when they had to show the GAC, but acting like a typical boy his age at other times. I am not making a judgement here about someone I saw acting “typically” at some times, who was actually disabled. I had heard the mother tell the CM that he could not speak and seldom interacted with others, but that did not match his behavior.
I do not make any judgments on people’s needs, based on small slices of time. We have had that judgement made on DD, based on someone seeing her out of her wheelchair and I know enough to understand that people with invisible disabilities often have nothing to see.
However, in this case, it was many times over the course of a day not small slices of time and the behavior did not at all match what the mother told CMs it was.
So, yes, there are people who fake disabilities to get something that they perceive is a benefit. CMs should not be making snide comments or being “snotty” though just because they are frustrated with a system that allows abuse.
Mary976 said:
We don't usually get a GAC (DD uses a wheelchair) but were offered one last time to help with something specific for a couple of rides. We only used it a handful of times. At Soarin, the CM did check the name and asked who it was, he then asked me where the card was issued. But then he handed it right back and there wasn't a problem. I would assume he was verifying that the person whose name was on the card was actually the one using it...maybe the asking where we got it was to be sure we weren't "borrowing" the card from someone else??
Anyway, it seems like if you can explain your needs clearly (rather than just your diagnosis), the GAC process is more likely to be a smooth one.
Mary
We have also had the experience of being asked which of us was the person using the card. We have also been asked if she will be riding. There are people who ‘borrow’ the card or use it for attractions where the person is not riding (the GAC is to meet the needs of the person who will be doing the attraction).
-. Just like Sue I'm always very carefull what I post both in public, in private and talk about IRL. I thought I knew quite a bit about abuse and ways it was being done. Let's just suffice to say I've learned dozens more ways I could never have imagined, one even worse than the other. Ways that are difficult to crack down on. Ways obviously very much in the spotlight. Ways that the only way to really crack down while still being able to help out those with a true need at said moment indeed is to ask further. Ask more questions, read body language etc. 
I've seen "how to....." and "I've played the system in this way........." show up a surprising amount of times on international boards for my syndrome. A syndrome that is supposed to be........ rare. A syndrome that does NOT require a GAC simply because it doesn't always comes with needs that require a GAC. I've gotten unwanted PM's allover the internet about this when posting on a public part about WDW trips. Or others boosting about getting a GAC for need A which would come down to needing to use the GAC 5 times in a week, but using it whenever and whereever, resulting in dozens of time a day. 
Almost fel out of my chair to "enjoy the show". Statement of having the same syndrome and because of that not being able to wait in line. Other guests would be too high risk and any touch would result in luxation. In itself something that could be a fact for some with the syndrome. But the CM asked further; ok, you're asking for no waiting, but how would that deal with getting to the rides and shows, using our transportation? That was not a problem. What about the rides, the CM wanted to know, most will make sudden movements, if guest was so fragile, would they appreciate info which rides made movements? No, again no problem, going further to ask if he/she would now get to not wait in line for Space Mountain. Like that, I've seen more situations in which my syndrome was mentioned but the claims totally did not make sense.
