GAC for low vision?

[smidgy]

ok. I was inspired by the "fastpass" threads to ask this.

hubby has low vision, due to macular degeneration. it is very hard to explain.. sometimes he sees good, sometimes not.

one thing is, he does not see good in the dark. he no longer drives at night. he doesn't see well in dark restaurants, bars. (san Angel, anyone?).

however, if his eyes have adjustedto the dark, he has a better chance. ie, seeing anything in Haunted Mansion or Pirates during the day is impossible. after coming in from the bright sunlight.

he has tried wearing sunglasses and holding his hand over his eyes, while closing them, throughout the line (me leading him)... it might work, (until some jerk takes a picture with a flash, then his eye adjusting period has to reset, and by that time the ride is over).

ok, now, there are dif. issues here. rides like Nemo, Pirates, even Splash Mt. (the line goes in and out of dark), it take him a long time to get through the line. and people behind us get mad, cause we are slow. iek, Nemo, there is no way to cut that line short in slow times.. you still have to walk around all the "paths". ok, in those cases a GAC might let us by pass those lines (which actually helps those behind us).

but, some rides, like Peter Pan, say. he can walk through that line no problem. now the early bird gets the worm..., so those who arrive at rope drop ride tons more rides with shorter wait times than those later in the day. BUT.. it does no good to ride something if you can't see a THING in the ride!! (if you can't look down and see the city of London...he loves that, thinks it's so cool). would YOU want to sit in a car and just ride around in the dark? seeing nothing?

this is why we would get there at rope drop, do a bunch of stuff he could see, and "collect" fast passes for later in the evening, after dark.

I guess My question would be, I know a GAC is NOT a FOTL pass. so while it might be used to bypass dark lines (although some lines he does NOT want to bypass, like Tower of Terror, haunted mansion.. he just wants to be able to SEE the stuff in them, like anyone else.. which he has a better chance of doing in the dark) like nemo or POTC, can it help us ride the dark rides at night ?

I am looking it only as giving him the same option those with good sight have. ie, to choose to ride when the lines are shorter or get a FP for later. it's just that in the AM, (or afternoon, early evening when the FP comes due, it is still light out.)


and yes, I know about evening EMH until the ungodly hour of 3AM. until his sight stopped him from working, hubby awoke for work at 4:30 AM for most of his adult life.

not trying to whine or complain.. just asking how it might help us,, "even opportunities out for us" , so to speak. hubby is resistant to using it at all,, feels stupid. but it was suggestedon the other threads, so ... asking..

thanks for your help!

 

[smidgy]

we never wanted to "cut" in front of everyone, or have FOTL

just wanted to have the same wait (after dark) as we would have in the morning, when we are there and willing to wait in the standby line, but it would be a waste cause he won't see anything. so technically, we don'thave the same options as everyone else.

this is why we would just get fast passes, and ride later.

(ps.. we are so NOT happy about no more night time EMH at AK. this was the ONLY time he could see anything in dinosaur.)

I also wanted to add that, while at nightitme EMh, he can see the ride interiors, the downside is he can't see anything in the park itself. this is why we like to do most of the park in the daylight hours, when he can see things, but come back at night, just to do the dark rides and the nightitme parades, and fireworks.

it's not a lot of fun for him to walk around with me leading him around at night, not seeing much.

 

[Aerorea]

I know this probably won't help, but just wanted to say that I understand. I have RP (retinitis pigmentosa) and the light sensitivity that often comes with it. It takes my eyes a long time to adjust as well. In my years of dealing with this, I have found that it is best if I always wear sunglasses outdoors. Then I take them off when I go indoors. I always make sure to have the sunglasses on before entering a light area. If it's a light/dark/light/dark situation, then it may mean I either take them on/off or just leave them on and let DH guide me. I just started using a white cane, so that helps too. Unfortunately, I have never seen the "briar patch" on SPLASH during the day. I close my eyes until I'm indoors again or put on my sunglasses before opening my eyes.

I have also found that, for me, dark rides are best ridden in the dark. At least then, my eyes are already adjusted to the dark and I can see more detail on the ride. This is very true for HM and POC. Perhaps evening EMH at MK or going when it is dark earlier would help for his situation.

I only use a GAC at WDW for show seating to sit near the front. In every case, the CM saw me approach (cane in hand) and never asked for a GAC (which I did have).

One more thing about the sunglasses - I highly recommend seeing a low vision specialist if he hasn't already. There are special sunglasses in varying non-traditional colors that may help him more than the standard sunglasses. I have found the commercial Ray-Bans in the brown tint with polarized lenses work best for me.

 

[dclfun]

First of all, I would speak to someone at Guest Services about a GAC as I think it would be helpful. Explain to them exactly what you've told us here and what he needs. I've seen kids with low vision have them to be able to sit up front, and I'm thinking that although there's no way to really bypass lines, perhaps there would be an area that he could wait in at some point to let his eyes adjust before boarding the ride vehicle. For instance, at Dinosaur they have an elevator on which to bring guests travelling in wheelchairs. If your party could use the elevator and then be allowed to wait until his eyes have adjusted, then board the ride vehicle, he could hopefully see all the details and enjoy the attraction. It sounds like he needs time inside the boarding area. I hope it works out for him!

 

[buffettgirl]

totally get this as my son also has low vision and has trouble transitioning from outside to inside and then back outside again. We're planning on taking a small flashlight with us next time but that doesn't seem like it would help you much other than walking around the park at night or walking through some of the darker queues.

but someone else said what I was going to suggest, maybe if your GAC could say that you can do the line but then need to wait somewhere inside in the dark area for a few minutes before boarding the ride so that it gives his eyes time to adjust.

 

[smidgy]

thank you all for your responses.

a few minutes is not enough time to adjust. it's frustrating. we could ride, say peter pan, in the morning, when lines are short. and have hubby miss the whole thing. OR ride at night, wait through a much longer line, then wait even longer for his eyes to adjust. ? to me, that is not an even "playing field" so to speak.
he is seeing the same retinal specialist he has seen most of his adult life.
I think we will get a GAC at guest relations. It might also help us get close to the front for some shows, so he can see the stage.

 

[dclfun]

thank you all for your responses.

a few minutes is not enough time to adjust. it's frustrating. we could ride, say peter pan, in the morning, when lines are short. and have hubby miss the whole thing. OR ride at night, wait through a much longer line, then wait even longer for his eyes to adjust. ? to me, that is not an even "playing field" so to speak.
he is seeing the same retinal specialist he has seen most of his adult life.
I think we will get a GAC at guest relations. It might also help us get close to the front for some shows, so he can see the stage.

Unfortunately I don't think there's a way to even the playing field for him. They can give him the time he needs for his eyes to adjust but it sounds like this might take a long time. I know they can give him a GAC to sit upfront at shows but be sure you get there early enough that there's still available seating. Most of us with various disabilities will never have an even playing field. For instance, for those of us who cannot transfer to a ride vehicle, we sit and watch our family members enjoying themselves but can really only do very few attractions ourselves. Remember it's what you make it. I've learned to enjoy people watching, seeing my grandkids faces light up, doing whatever limited things I can do in each park. I don't mourn the things I can't do any longer. I will never again have the full experience I once had before becoming disabled and there are many who never had it to start with. Maybe the retinal specialist will have some ideas- maybe prescription sunglasses to make it really dark so there is less adjustment? At any rate I hope you all enjoy family time in the parks and have a great vacation.

 

[smidgy]

unfortunately (actually, fortunately at the time), arriving for rope drop, enjoyin gthe short lines for many things, enjoying the park atmosphere during the day when he can see.. and collecting fast passes for the dark rides or rides with dark lines did help even out the playing field.

thanks for your help and thoughts!

sine we have never used GAC, we were wondering how they worked. thanks

 

[gilesmt]

QUOTE: would you want to drive around in a car in the dark seeing nothing? I think that is what it said.

Well no, but since I am legally blind I have no choice. Maybe someday your husband may understand how insensitive that statement was, especially when asking for help with low vision problems.

There is a law suit against Disney right now and weather or not they accommodate visual impairments. They are getting much better, but for years and years they did not, and I think there is still room for a lot of improvements.

I am not trying to start a fight, but I am furious by the comment that people would not want to ride around in the dark, that would be like asking for help with someone who broke there leg, and then state who would want to ride around in a w/c all day.

I strongly agree that Disney needs to do more, but for those who truly fit under the ADA law, as you stated, your husband still drives and can still see, so I am not sure he would even fit under ADA.

But that said, Disney does have several options for visually impaired. Fast passes would not be one of them, unless I am missing something. Disney is doing away with the collect the fastpasses in the morning and use them all at night. Unless they are making an exception if you GAC and I have not heard about that.

But they have audio discription, you put a deposit down and then in dark rides and other things the voice will explain the scene around you.

They have a cool and out of the sun place for people who can not sit in the sun due to medications, these would allow your husband the same oppurtunity.

Just like it is not up to disney to provide a person to transfer a person in a w/c, or a person to guide me around the park, or a person to push a w/c around the park, it is not up to them to provide each individual with the same experience.

If your husband truly can not see in the dark, than he is more than accommodated to use audio discribtion devices, to experience the ride like blind people who do have to sit in a car and ride the ride in the dark.

 

[dclfun]

unfortunately (actually, fortunately at the time), arriving for rope drop, enjoyin gthe short lines for many things, enjoying the park atmosphere during the day when he can see.. and collecting fast passes for the dark rides or rides with dark lines did help even out the playing field.

thanks for your help and thoughts!

sine we have never used GAC, we were wondering how they worked. thanks

I'm glad you figured out some things that helped him, and I think a GAC would be of real benefit to your DH, as I mentioned before. Since you did a great job of explaining his disability, by doing the same when you get there I'm sure the CM's in Guest Services will be able to provide him with the most appropriate accommodation. And yes, I can see why this is upsetting to him. He has a disability that is worsening and taking his vision which is hard to accept and adjust to. I remember going from walking to a w/c and that was harder for me to adjust to than it is now when I don't have an option of walking through the parks. Now I'm used to it- back then I was struggling to do the same things I'd always been able to do and was really sad over the losses.

 

[smidgy]

I'm glad you figured out some things that helped him, and I think a GAC would be of real benefit to your DH, as I mentioned before. Since you did a great job of explaining his disability, by doing the same when you get there I'm sure the CM's in Guest Services will be able to provide him with the most appropriate accommodation. And yes, I can see why this is upsetting to him. He has a disability that is worsening and taking his vision which is hard to accept and adjust to. I remember going from walking to a w/c and that was harder for me to adjust to than it is now when I don't have an option of walking through the parks. Now I'm used to it- back then I was struggling to do the same things I'd always been able to do and was really sad over the losses.

thanks again for your help and understanding.!!!

and I'm also sorry I inadvertently offended someone. My husband is disabled (the government says so) due to his low vision. I realize he is not totally blind, and I am sorry for those who are.

but he still doesn't want to sit in the ride car and not see anything when we can see things if he rides at night (at least so far)

and of course I know about Disney changing their policy of accepting "late" fastpasses. it was on one of those threads that I brough the subject up, and somene kindly suggested GAC. so I came over to this board to ask questions.

and thank you very much to those who have kindly helped!

 

[SueM in MN]

I would also suggest looking at the parks with evening extra magic hours (EMH).

It looks like you are going in September, when sunset will be earlier than it is in the summer. Along with the other hints given about dark glasses, you may find that helps a lot. For example, at a evening EMH at MK last fall, we were able to ride Peter Pan with basically a ‘fast as you can walk on’ wait. The same thing for Haunted Mansion.
Even though I have no problems with my eyes accommodating to the dark, I have found I can see a lot more at HM in the evening because my eyes are already accommodated to the dark.
MK’s EMH are typically 9 to midnight on days when the park is open until 9 pm.

During Epcot’s evening EMH hours, they are open from 9pm to midnight, including the Future World attractions.

There are also times when Animal Kingdom is open later in the day - until 7 or 8 pm. The shows like Nemo, Flights of Wonder and Festival of the Lion King are closed before that, but rides like Dinosaur, Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids are open. Since most people go to AK early in the day, waits for those attractions can be quite short in late afternoon, early evening.

So, thinking late instead of early might help you to be in the park when it’s darker and he has less light variation to accommodate to.

 

[hockeymomNS]

My mom is visually impaired.......she can't drive and has to use her white cane.

She went to Disney for the first time 2 years ago at the age of 66. She was very nervous. The GAC helped her in that the line aspect which is frustrating, was avoided. This is not to say that we didn't wait, we just waited by a side door at some attractions and she could sit up front. Do your research, including this board which was invaluable to me.

 

[smidgy]

I would also suggest looking at the parks with evening extra magic hours (EMH).

It looks like you are going in September, when sunset will be earlier than it is in the summer. Along with the other hints given about dark glasses, you may find that helps a lot. For example, at a evening EMH at MK last fall, we were able to ride Peter Pan with basically a ‘fast as you can walk on’ wait. The same thing for Haunted Mansion.
Even though I have no problems with my eyes accommodating to the dark, I have found I can see a lot more at HM in the evening because my eyes are already accommodated to the dark.
MK’s EMH are typically 9 to midnight on days when the park is open until 9 pm.

During Epcot’s evening EMH hours, they are open from 9pm to midnight, including the Future World attractions.

There are also times when Animal Kingdom is open later in the day - until 7 or 8 pm. The shows like Nemo, Flights of Wonder and Festival of the Lion King are closed before that, but rides like Dinosaur, Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids are open. Since most people go to AK early in the day, waits for those attractions can be quite short in late afternoon, early evening.

So, thinking late instead of early might help you to be in the park when it’s darker and he has less light variation to accommodate to.

gotta get hubby to change that signature!!! it was announcing his upcoming trip report, from our last sept. trip.! anyhoo!.. next trip is in may.

SUEM! thanks so much for replying. did you know that AK has (unfortunately) done away with nightime EMH.? Shucks and gol darn it!
we knew this going into our sept. trip and it SUCKS! twice a week "early entry" but no night time EMH.!!! so. you can NEVER see the park at dark (or, even "dim"!)...

it was always our plan to hit rope drop, catch some healdliners, collect a couple fast passes for everest (nebo likes to be abe to see the yeti (although, rumour has it, not many people have seen the yeti lately!!!) anyway, do the last showing of Linon king and see dinosaur when it was just getting dark..... no more.. sigh!!!

but we have tried the dark glasses, and nebo is not a late night person.

paranthetical aside here: anyone remember the book (back in the 70's : Games People Play. ? it was a sequel to "I'm OK, You're OK" (showing my age here)


anyway, in "games People Play" one of the games was (and I love this).....""why don't you .. yes but!"

ithe rules of this psychological game was someone would pose a problem. friends would try really hard to find a solution.. but each solution would be confronted with a "yes , but...." so, in the end the problem person would be able to prove that they had an unsolvable problem. no one could help them AT ALL! , and therefore... "I WIN!" my problem is unsolvable!! lease, everyone, feel sorry for me!"

th reason I mention this is because that is what I feel like I am doing here. and I'm not.. realyl! +

we have tried the dark glasses. we know about nighttime EMH.. hubby is not a late night person . we have found that the fast passes for the dark rides at night worked best.. apparently that won't be happening..sigh

and .. YES, I KNOW Disney can't "guarantee" the same "experience" for every single guest. (just trying to make sure I have covered all bases here,)

since hubby's vision has gotten worse with every trip, we have made up for it by utilizing Disney's "policy" of utilizing fast passes "late"

since, apparently, they wont' be allowing that anymore, I was trying to get information about the GAC . hubby is ver reticent to using them, but I am just trying to get info about them.

even before the whole FP fiasco, I can't beleive they did away with nighttime EMH at AK!!!!! now, you can NEVER be at AK after dark!!! that just bites!

 

[smidgy]

QUOTE: would you want to drive around in a car in the dark seeing nothing? I think that is what it said.

Well no, but since I am legally blind I have no choice. Maybe someday your husband may understand how insensitive that statement was, especially when asking for help with low vision problems.


.

sorry, but my husband knows he can still see inside the dark rides if he goes at night. and he hopes it will continue to be so, but we aren't sure yet. he gets avastin injections every now and then in his eye. we are hopeful

but, in the meantime, he still would like to ride the rides while he can see. and I am sorry if somehow that offends those who can't.

 

[smidgy]

QUOTE:as you stated, your husband still drives and can still see, so I am not sure he would even fit under ADA.

If your husband truly can not see in the dark, than he is more than accommodated to use audio discribtion devices, to experience the ride like blind people who do have to sit in a car and ride the ride in the dark.

this, to me, is so sad, that someone with a disablility would be annoyed by someone else's disability. esp. by the fact that it isn't "as bad as" their own.

yeah, he wants to see AS MUCH AS HE CAN, ..FOR AS LONG AS HE CAN . '
and you have a problem with this.. WHY? becuase you are blind, and he is not totally blind?

your insinuation that we are lying, that he can't
truly" see in the dark.. I'll just bypass that. but maybe someday he will have to rely on audio description...


but TODAY is NOT that DAY!!! and hopefully not the next day!!! and we know that a diagonosis of Macular degeneration means just that..(degeneration) but jeez. yes , he can still drive. in the daytime. and still see things good in the day time. maybe that will be for quite a few years!!! (hopefully, he is only 57).

I was only trying to ask about any accomodations (GAC) for low vision.

and I knew most of the people on the disabilites board would be very friendly and helpful.

 

[SueM in MN]

gotta get hubby to change that signature!!! it was announcing his upcoming trip report, from our last sept. trip.! anyhoo!.. next trip is in may.

SUEM! thanks so much for replying. did you know that AK has (unfortunately) done away with nightime EMH.? Shucks and gol darn it!
we knew this going into our sept. trip and it SUCKS! twice a week "early entry" but no night time EMH.!!! so. you can NEVER see the park at dark (or, even "dim"!)...

it was always our plan to hit rope drop, catch some healdliners, collect a couple fast passes for everest (nebo likes to be abe to see the yeti (although, rumour has it, not many people have seen the yeti lately!!!) anyway, do the last showing of Linon king and see dinosaur when it was just getting dark..... no more.. sigh!!!

but we have tried the dark glasses, and nebo is not a late night person.

paranthetical aside here: anyone remember the book (back in the 70's : Games People Play. ? it was a sequel to "I'm OK, You're OK" (showing my age here)


anyway, in "games People Play" one of the games was (and I love this).....""why don't you .. yes but!"

ithe rules of this psychological game was someone would pose a problem. friends would try really hard to find a solution.. but each solution would be confronted with a "yes , but...." so, in the end the problem person would be able to prove that they had an unsolvable problem. no one could help them AT ALL! , and therefore... "I WIN!" my problem is unsolvable!! lease, everyone, feel sorry for me!"

th reason I mention this is because that is what I feel like I am doing here. and I'm not.. realyl! +

we have tried the dark glasses. we know about nighttime EMH.. hubby is not a late night person . we have found that the fast passes for the dark rides at night worked best.. apparently that won't be happening..sigh

and .. YES, I KNOW Disney can't "guarantee" the same "experience" for every single guest. (just trying to make sure I have covered all bases here,)

since hubby's vision has gotten worse with every trip, we have made up for it by utilizing Disney's "policy" of utilizing fast passes "late"

since, apparently, they wont' be allowing that anymore, I was trying to get information about the GAC . hubby is ver reticent to using them, but I am just trying to get info about them.

even before the whole FP fiasco, I can't beleive they did away with nighttime EMH at AK!!!!! now, you can NEVER be at AK after dark!!! that just bites!

Yes, I knew that they did away with evening EMHs at AK, but thy are open until 7pm many evenings. I checked the calendar for May 2012 at the official Disney site and they do have quite a few evenings open in May that late.
In September and October it's starting to get dark by 7pm - May, not so much.
But, I was at AK in October 2011 when it was open until 7, which was getting dark.

I'm not sure really how much a GAC would help for his situation, but explain it and see what they can do. Some attractions -specifically Haunted zmandion - do have times when they are a short wait in the evening, even without EMHs.
There is more information about GACs in post 6 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

 

[nebo]

thanks sue!!! and everyone else!

 

[buffettgirl]

anyway, in "games People Play" one of the games was (and I love this).....""why don't you .. yes but!"

ithe rules of this psychological game was someone would pose a problem. friends would try really hard to find a solution.. but each solution would be confronted with a "yes , but...." so, in the end the problem person would be able to prove that they had an unsolvable problem. no one could help them AT ALL! , and therefore... "I WIN!" my problem is unsolvable!! lease, everyone, feel sorry for me!"

th reason I mention this is because that is what I feel like I am doing here. and I'm not.. realyl! +

HAHA! This cracked me up because I've done the same thing, and sometimes it just means that you have really thought through the situation and there really IS no solution, and if anything, you can take comfort that you've done your best to think of all possible scenarios.

 

[ttintagel]

They gave me a GAC for visual impairment, but in the end it didn't do me any good.

I also have issues with needing time for my eyes to adjust. I would show the GAC at dark rides and ask if I could wait in the loading area until my eyes adjusted, but I was always told no. The CM's at the Haunted Mansion were the rudest ones about it.