Disney for the vision impaired

[AustinTink]

Hi,

My mom is 78 and has macular degeneration. It was worsened over the years and now she is legally blind, really only sees shadows. She made mention that she would someday like to go to Disney with us. She's never been.

I would like to take her and I don't know where to start. I was hoping for some tips for touring the parks with someone who has low vision. What things will she be able to really feel and experience without being able to see them?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mechurchlady]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=595713
This board has excellent FAQs. Read that and that should help.
She can get the GAC that will be stamped that she has vision limitations. Show that to the CM so they know her limitations. They can seat her down front at shows for example. There are some audio tapes also.

I am a food and DLR expert so I am not to up on visual services but there is a lot of info in the FAQs.

 

[ireland_nicole]

Yep; there is audio captioning available for some of the visuals, and also she can be seated at the front of an auditorium for shows. If you go to guest services first they will help you. Those are the main helps(I think?); I have to say, Disney is such a multisensory experience that she'll still have a great time- I say go for it, the sooner the better- create some priceless and timeless memories!

Also, you might want to consider a wheelchair for her. That way she doesn't have to worry about uneven pavement, stamina concerns, etc. and can just enjoy the experience!

 

[Chuck S]

My grandmother was also in a similar situation with macular degeneration. We did do as another poster suggested, and had a manual wheelchair for her. This was back in the 1970s, and at Disneyland, so ride loading wasn't as easy as it is today at WDW. But she still enjoyed attractions with bright colors and movement, like Small World, and America Sings (it replaced CoP at Disneyland until Splash Mtn was built.) With the wheelchair, we didn't need to worry about her missing a step on a stairway of tumbling off a curb. And she really enjoyed the Electrical Parade.