disney beds & hoyer lifts/hoists

[Ali and boyz]

anyone got any idea how we could manage trying to get the legs of the lift/hoist under the bed. it was such a nightmare this year as the beds in the accessable rooms were all on wooden box frames.

our son is quadrapletic and we cannot manage without a hoist. previous years we used bed blocks as the beds had small metal legs

would appreciate any ideas and help,

 

[jmartinez1895]

Calling and talking to the special reservation line ( they might transfer you) would be your best bet. A person I know rents a hospital type bed and Disney is very good about mvoing the furniture to get it in. Maybe they would be able to do something that would help.

 

[SueM in MN]

The Special Reservations number is listed in the disABILITIES FAQs thread in the post about resorts.

Also, I would suggest calling the place you ate renting from and explain the problems you had on your last trip. They should be able to coordinate with Special Reservations and Housekeeping/ Engineering at the resort.

 

[Ali and boyz]

Problem though seems to be that disney are heading towards beds with these wooden box frames rather than beds with even a small metal leg (which you could then use bed blocks). so if these beds are getting phased in then we will have a problem in the future. thinking there must be a way round using a hoist with these beds or a way round thisin general as we cant surely be the only people to use a hoist that visit disney.

worst case scenario is we need to hire a hospital bed but it more expense to what we hire already and we really dont need one when really all we need is a small space for the legs to go under

we have a year to get our head round what to do if the worst case scenario hits us again.

 

[dclfun]

I would also say to call and ask to speak with someone in Special Reservations. It has been my experience recently that they don't want to talk to us directly but in this instance, you really need some specific assistance rather than a vague "we'll note it on your reservation". I had an issue one time with bed placement. I can transfer from one side of the bed only and there wasn't space on the "right" side for me to get my wheelchair in between the bed and the wall. Turns out the bed was attached to the head board which was attached to the wall, so they had to undo the bed part and move it over for me. It looked horrible but at least it worked! I also have engineering remove the door spring every time we stay on property, so there are things they can do to make the room more workable. They regularly remove table/chairs or move furniture to accommodate equipment. If they had to remove a bed and bring in one that could be put up on wood blocks, then as long as another type bed is available, I would ask for that. I also think, in general, they need to realize that the solid frames really are a disadvantage for guests with disabilities who need the hoist or to be able to adjust the bed height with blocks. Lots of folks need a level surface to transfer, for instance. Good luck, and I'm glad you have a year to get it sorted!---Kathy

 

[dclfun]

Just wanted to add- has anyone confirmed that these new beds will be in all the accessible rooms? I know from staying at ASSPorts a few years ago that the table/chairs were different from the non-accessible rooms. They were a different shape, higher, and allowed someone in a w/c to get right under the table. I thought it was an amazing accommodation. It seems like they could keep the beds in those rooms different from those in the regular rooms just for situations like this which I'd think would be fairly common.---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

Just wanted to add- has anyone confirmed that these new beds will be in all the accessible rooms? I know from staying at ASSPorts a few years ago that the table/chairs were different from the non-accessible rooms. They were a different shape, higher, and allowed someone in a w/c to get right under the table. I thought it was an amazing accommodation. It seems like they could keep the beds in those rooms different from those in the regular rooms just for situations like this which I'd think would be fairly common.---Kathy

I don’t have time to look it up right now, but in the past, the ADA guidelines for accessible hotel rooms only addressed things like toilet height, door width, etc that were considered permanent features of the room. The did not address things like beds, chairs, etc that were ‘furnishings’. There was no requirement for bed height or ability to put a lift under a bed, so you could find a very high or vary low height bed in an ADA accessible room.

The newer guidelines do address bed height and space. I think the bed height was set the same as toilet height and there was a requirement for clear space under the bed - so the OP’s issue should be addressed once all accessible rooms are brought up to date.