Kevin's wheelchair discussion on Email show

[maroo]

Sue, again, hit the nail on the head. No one knows more about this stuff, on a personal level or a Disney level, than Sue!

The only thing I have not seen mentioned anywhere is the cost of renting an ECV. They are expensive! And a pain to deal with. On our trip, the 15-year-old we had with us is in a power wheelchair. She can't transfer, stand, or walk on her own. After picking her up to get on rides, and do daily stuff, I threw my back out on our last day. I tried to get an ECV, so that my friends wouldn't have to push me around, and I didn't have enough money!! Those things are expensive!

And the only worse than an ECV is a regular wheelchair. They hurt to push when you are sitting in one. Your hands get blisters and it is so hard to go up or down inclines. And if you are behind it pushing...you have the same issue. Your hands hurt after a little while, they get sweaty and sore and they are tough to push uphill and hard to slow down when you are going downhill. Especially in a crowded park.

I am just thankful, on a regular day, that I can walk around the parks. I am glad that I am physcially able to stand in the line. I feel fortunate that no one has to get me dressed every morning. I am glad I can brush my own hair.

Everything else just seems small when I remember that.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I bring this up to say there is a fine line in using one for necessity and one for convenience.

Here is what I don't understand....why does anyone care if it is necessity or convienance? Seriously. If someone is using an ECV strictly for convienance, which I think is a very small percentage of ECV users, why would you care? Seriously I totally don't get that.

I am very much a MYOB type of person. I try not to judge situations I don't know anything about and just cannot understand how people can or would feel the need to make judgements about total strangers they see a "snapshot" of for a few minutes on a day of their vacation.

You see someone in an ECV get up and walk and immediatley think..."Humph, they do not need that ECV, they are just lazy." Does it every occur to anyone that maybe an hour later the person is in so much pain they cannot go on Dumbo because it just hurts too much to get into the ride at that moment? Maybe when YOU saw they were having a good moment and thank goodness they were able to have that. What a shame people judge them for it.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

You miss my point. My point is that I believe there is an increase in the number of uses, which stresses the system. The walkways, the buses, etc.

I have a neighbor who rented a scooter who used it to get to attractions quicker. That's it. She had only three days (there for a conference) and used it to cut time. I know she isn't alone.

I have seen entire families on a scooter. I'm talking 4, or even 5 people clinging on in every direction.

There has to be some personal responsibility. Just as with a car, they can be dangerous objects. If anyone was hurt in an ECV accident the EVC user would be responsible.

I notice people in other threads would have a problem because they believe the user is doing it for special priviledges. That never has even entered my mind. Then you have the people who think the user is needing it because of addictive habits (food, smoking,etc). That has never occurred to me either.

My concern was safety. That was the point I was trying to make.

 

[Leia's Mom]

My dad was a double amputee from exposure to chemicals in the military. He used wooden legs to walk very short distances. He died from the illness when I was 12. He used and ECV; however, in clothing, other than a slightly awkward walk, you could not tell that he was handicapped when he walked for very short distances.

My mom is a stroke patient. She is paralyzed on her right side. She cannot speak and is wheelchair bound.

So, with that in mind and hoping I am somewhat flame resistant, I will give my perspective. We would not have jumped ahead of everyone else in that situation. My father told me in no uncertain terms that he would NEVER use a handicapped space unless he, at that moment, needed it. If my sister and I were popping in a store for him, we parked at a regular spot.

For my mother, unless we are unable to open the door sufficiently in a regular space to allow her in and out of the car (which is a big issue sometimes), we do not park in handicapped spots. I am able bodied and can push her. I save those spots for people who "need" them.

Thus, in this situation, theoretically, I could have the person wait comfortably in the wheelchair until the remainder of the people got on or until the next bus.

Having said that, again, I don't know this family's situation. The person could have severe diabetes with leg issues. They may have needed urgently to get back to the room. There are 1000 things it could have been. Certainly, one of those things could be just plain selfishness. Having said that, worrying about other people's motives isn't productive for me on my vacation. I'd rather let it go and enjoy myself. Heck, at Disney, waiting for a bus is better than being at home

Amy

 

[WaltD4Me]

You miss my point. My point is that I believe there is an increase in the number of uses, which stresses the system. The walkways, the buses, etc.

I have a neighbor who rented a scooter who used it to get to attractions quicker. That's it. She had only three days (there for a conference) and used it to cut time. I know she isn't alone.

I have seen entire families on a scooter. I'm talking 4, or even 5 people clinging on in every direction.

There has to be some personal responsibility. Just as with a car, they can be dangerous objects. If anyone was hurt in an ECV accident the EVC user would be responsible.

I notice people in other threads would have a problem because they believe the user is doing it for special priviledges. That never has even entered my mind. Then you have the people who think the user is needing it because of addictive habits (food, smoking,etc). That has never occurred to me either.

My concern was safety. That was the point I was trying to make.

First, I think the number of people who rent a scooter for convienance like your friend is very small. Perhaps the increased useage is people who were never able to visit Disney before, but because of the availiblity of ECV's and scooters, now they can. My feeling is, if for every 1 person like your friend, there are 50 people that are now able to come and enjoy Disney that never could before because of equipment like a scooter or ECV. I'm okay with that.

Second, I am not aware that Disney has appointed anyone to be the ECV/Wheelchair police. If increased use has become a safety issue, it's Disney's responsibility to address/correct.

Third...Again, to me this is a MYOB issue. People should not have to explain to anyone why they are using an ECV or a wheelchair. Disney does not ask why, (nor should they) so I'm at a loss as to why anyone visiting the park deserves to know.

And I always love the little antecdotes....
"I have seen entire families on a scooter. I'm talking 4, or even 5 people clinging on in every direction."

I doubt the scooter would have the power to move with five people on it, but for the sake of argument, did you report it to a CM as a safety issue?

 

[Constant]

I don't post very often but I have to say Kevin has completely changed my point of view. I have never been one to allow any of this to upset me anyway but as a devoted people watcher I may have found myself assessing and I guess in turn judging people and their 'need'

No more, I agree that the best thing is from now on to accept that all in this position would gladly exchange places with us. What does it cost me to get it wrong? How bad would I feel if I later found out the unseen situation and had been unkind in anyway?

So in the situation above from now on if I am at the back of that queue with my 4y and 1y old and have to wait for the next bus, I just hope the assistance family who are on their way to the park...

Have A Magical Day!

I know I will

Thanks Kevin

 

[wishspirit]

Don't always agree with your dining reviews but on this one you are spot on.By the way, going downhill is almost as difficult as going up for the pusher or hold it backer in the downhill case.
Disney is amazing with their handicapped visitors.
Bill

I have never pushed anyone round Disney, but I have for work plenty of times. You are so right! There is no let up on the pusher of the wheelchair as well as the person ridding it, especially if they have to do controlled stops because people get in their way, however accidentally, I can't remember how many times I've been whacked round the ankles at work for getting in the way of a wheelchair!

I don't post very often but I have to say Kevin has completely changed my point of view. I have never been one to allow any of this to upset me anyway but as a devoted people watcher I may have found myself assessing and I guess in turn judging people and their 'need'

No more, I agree that the best thing is from now on to accept that all in this position would gladly exchange places with us. What does it cost me to get it wrong? How bad would I feel if I later found out the unseen situation and had been unkind in anyway?

So in the situation above from now on if I am at the back of that queue with my 4y and 1y old and have to wait for the next bus, I just hope the assistance family who are on their way to the park...

Have A Magical Day!

I know I will

Thanks Kevin

This is what this discussion is all about! It's great that we can make Disney that little bit more magical, especially for those who need it most!

 

[ALWAYSDISNEYDREAMING]

OK I feel the need to share.

My husband had an accident at work in 2001 and I had a car accident 1 month later. Due to his accident he became a shut in and gained over 200 lbs in 3 years and nearly died in 2004. I took the children to Disney without him because he could not sit stand or walk for any length of time and even though I had extensive back injuries I pushed through 6 days at Disney with no assistance so my kids could enjoy their first ever vacation. In 2004 we were able to get my husband into a wheelchair and he was able to go out for the 1st time in 3 1/2 years. The looks, stares and rude comments that he got broke my heart and I could tell that people just assumed he was fat and couldn't walk because of his weight. He refused to go out after that and he didn't want me to push him around in his chair so he just stayed home. I finally talked him into going to Disney by telling him we could get him an ECV. I then got into another car accident and needed knee surgery. which I had 4 months before our trip. I knew I would be well enough to go to Disney so I didn't think twice about it. Well long story short I also wound up using an ECV although I could get up to walk through a store I couldn't walk much more and I now knew why my husband never wanted to go outside again. The stares and comments were not only rude but often obnoxious and I even had a group of teenagers run inf ront of me. The first one got by, the second one jumped over the front of my ECV and the third one feel over the front of the ECV and they all ran off laughing. We took a second trip this year and I still need the ECV as does my husband. His ECV needed to be replaced 3 times and it upset my husband so much that they could not get one to work properly. This not only took up a lot of our time (we had to miss part of several days at the park so they could swap out the broken ECVs) this also added a lot of stress to our vacation that we didn't need. By the way it cost us $70.00 plus tax per day to rent our ECVs as well as dealing wth all the added stress and knowing that without the ECVs we would not be able to go to Disney. We also had to split up our family to get to the parks on seperate buses and we also had several bus drivers ignore us and let all the people waiting on line get on the bus and then say he never saw us when our son told him we had been waiting (and the bus had been empty when they pulled up) so we had to wait for the next bus. As others have said NO ONE would possibly want to do this so that they may get to the front of ANY line. Its just not worth it. I would give anything to be able to just go to the parks on my own 2 feet and wait in every line without the pain I experience daily and the insensitivity of others. None of this will stop me from going to Disney and I can'twait for our next trip. I will be on the pod cast cruise and I will not be using an ECV. I hope I can make it through. Just my 2 cents. Thanks for reading.