Hearing Impaired

[shovelhd]

Thank you both for your input.

My kids currently go to school where an oral transliterator training and certification program is taught. They have both been exposed to this, and have not liked it or benefitted from it. Maybe it's because they are too young. My daughter is 6 (will turn 7 at WDW) and my son is 12.

I will email Mark and get the list of services for each park. We are going to be at WDW 5/16-5/23. Our first park visit will be MK on Saturday the 17th, which is an E-Ride night. We are arriving at a casual hour and plan on staying to the close of eride. This is where we would have the best opportunity to pick up the GAC.

My son's implant evokes stares from hearing children as he wears his hair short. My daughter's is hidden underneath her hair, so at least one of them, the disability is "invisible".

Do I understand correctly that I would have to go to Guest Services at every park at the beginning of the day and get the handheld captioners and remote controls? The RW screens are available at the entrance for each attraction? What about seating, where do I ask for that?

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[shovelhd]

Just to give you both an idea of what benefit my kids get from preferential seating, here is an example. They both can go to first-run movies in theaters w/o captions and understand most of what is going on. They laugh with the jokes. In order to be able to do that, they need to be seated near the front of the theater, where the picture is crisp and the audio is clear. They don't have to be in the center. If they're too close to the front or too far in the back it's not good. This is the kind of accommodations we will be looking for at WDW.

Thanks for all of your help!!!

 

[Talking Hands]

Yes you will have to request the handhelds and CC devices at each park's Guest Services. The reflective captioning you request at each show or attraction as well as the seating. Inform the castmember as you enter that you need this.

 

[shovelhd]

Thank you Lisa for your help!!!! It is greatly appreciated.

Chris

 

[welovedis]

Chris-
Just wanting to say that my DH & I will be in WDW from 5/17-5/19, he is hearing inpaired and prefers lip-reading and reflective captioning for his needs. Perhaps we'll see in you & your family!

Have a great trip!

 

[shovelhd]

Great!!! We are staying at the BWV and will be hanging around there a lot. If you see a 12 year old boy with a silver BTE implant it's probably my son. Please say hi!!!

 

[shovelhd]

I emailed Mark Jones regarding my questions. He answered them all and sent along an attachment entitled "Services for Guests with Hearing Disabilities". Maybe we can arrange to post it here. It lists all of the services and assistive devices available and at what attractions they are available in the parks. It's what I needed to know in two pages.

He also sent along advice on how to word the access requirements on your GAC.

Extremely valuable.

Thank you all for your help, too!!!!!

 

[Talking Hands]

Access for Deaf and Hard of Hearing has all this information. You will find what you are looking for at the end of the article. May not be as up to date as what Mark sent which is why I always recommend contacting him for the most up to date information.
Knew that he would come through for you. Mark is a real gentleman.

 

[shovelhd]

Thank you too, Lisa!!!

One thing Mark told me that I haven't seen anywhere else is that the handheld caption device will also turn on the CC on the televisions. No need to carry the handheld and the remote.

 

[Talking Hands]

Now that is something Mark had not told me. Very good information to have.