European disability card

[Ollivier]

We are a family of four, my daughter has autism. We live in Belgium.
It took us years to get the correct diagnosis.
With this diagnosis she can use headphones in class, take exams in a quiet room and she has a personal coach to help her with all the difficulties that comes with her autism in school.
She has a european disability card and most theme parks in europe accept this card for das like services.
She does not need to answer questions.

DAS is given based on needs and the accommodations that meet those needs. This is not a Disney rule, this is the way that the ADA is written. According to the ADA, accommodations are not given based on the diagnosis or specific disability; they are given based on needs that are related to a disability.

For us it feels natural to share the diagnosis or show the european disability card.
Can we give permission to the cast member to read the diagnosis, or is this just making the proces more difficult?

 

[DisneyOma]

The diagnosis won't give the cast member the info they need. They just need to know why the guest can't access the attraction by way of using the standard queue.

Think of it this way - not everyone with autism is affected by it in the same way. It's a spectrum, right?

 

[Ollivier]

I agree, but the diagnosis is more then just an autism stamp.
It is a result of a year long follow up proces and contains recomandaitions.

 

[lanejudy]

Can we give permission to the cast member to read the diagnosis, or is this just making the proces more difficult?

No, they would likely refuse to read a card or letter because documentation cannot be required so they don’t want to appear as accepting such. WDW’s accommodations are different than what a student may need in a school classroom. Each individual with a diagnosis of autism is impacted differently; some use DAS while some need no accommodation at WDW. Think about your daughter’s needs in a typical queue environment and explain that. With the correct explanation there may be little or no questions.

ETA: DAS only does 1 thing - allows a wait outside the standard queue. DAS is not needed for many ways that help folks: use of a stroller or wheelchair, using headphones or earmuffs, using fidgit toys or chewelry, wearing a hoodie and/or sunglasses to block sensory, listening to music, watching a video on phone or tablet, planning downtime into your park day and/or planning a non-park day during your visit, utilizing Genie+ and/or ILL$, etc.

 

[Ollivier]

No, they would likely refuse to read a card or letter because documentation cannot be required so they don’t want to appear as accepting such. WDW’s accommodations are different than what a student may need in a school classroom. Each individual with a diagnosis of autism is impacted differently; some use DAS while some need no accommodation at WDW. Think about your daughter’s needs in a typical queue environment and explain that. With the correct explanation there may be little or no questions.

ETA: DAS only does 1 thing - allows a wait outside the standard queue. DAS is not needed for many ways that help folks: use of a stroller or wheelchair, using headphones or earmuffs, using fidgit toys or chewelry, wearing a hoodie and/or sunglasses to block sensory, listening to music, watching a video on phone or tablet, planning downtime into your park day and/or planning a non-park day during your visit, utilizing Genie+ and/or ILL$, etc.

thank you for the advise on not talking about the diagnosis but just explain what the effect off waiting in long lines is.

I know exactly what the needs of my daughter are and I researched a lot about das. She qualifies, no question about that. Waiting outside the que gives her the space she needs.

 

[OurBigTrip]

thank you for the advise on not talking about the diagnosis but just explain what the effect off waiting in long lines is.

I know exactly what the needs of my daughter are and I researched a lot about das. She qualifies, no question about that. Waiting outside the que gives her the space she needs.

You can absolutely write a short description yourself that describes the issues caused for your daughter when she has to wait in a queue. CMs will read notes written by guests, but not those written by doctors or other entities.