Legally blind first timer

[Melanie418]

Hi - my family and I are planning our first trip to WDW in early May. I am legally blind and my daughter is visually impaired as well. I am looking around to find out if there are any accommodations we can receive (i.e. close seating, large print maps, guides, menus etc.) to make our trip the best it can be.

I should mention that I will also be 6 1/2 months pregnant when we visit so any tips there would be great as well.

I really want this trip to be special, but I don't want people paying us extra attention and so forth just becuase of our visual impairments either. I hope this makes sense. Thanks in advance! Melanie

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Hello and welcome to the boards!

Firstly, here is a link the the official WDW website for people with visual disabilities:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/common/Plain?id=PlainVisualDPage

The assistances it lists are the Braille guidebook, the stationary tactile map (found near the entrance to each park), and two audio taped tours (one giving a brief overview of the park, the other taking the guest around the park with distances and descriptions.

Not listed on there is the Guest Assistance Card (or GAC) which provides necessary accommodations for people with 'invisible' disabilities. The can be acquired from Guest Services, and are stamped with your requirements. For your family, it would probably be to sit closer to the screen. The FAQ near the top of the disabilities board has more information on the GAC and how to get one.

I'm not sure if they provide large print / Braille menus at the restaurants or not. Anyone else here know?

As regards being pregnant, there are warnings outside the relevant rides and in the maps and guide books, as to which rides pregnant women should avoid. I would presume that that information would also be in the Braille map, but I can't speak from experience.

I'm sure other people here will chip in with their suggestions / information / advice etc.

Have a great holiday!

 

[Melanie418]

Thank you so much for this information! I actually do not read Braille and I "can" read most regular print items, but large print is more comfortable for me. My husband and MIL are going also and are fully sighted so they are a big help. I will definitely check out the GAC, because preferred seating is the biggest thing I would like to look into. I want my daughter and I to be able to see things well and if we aren't in the near front we won't be able to. I want to try and find some kind of maps that I can study before arriving so that I will be somewhat familiar with the parks. Thanks again for the reply!!
Melanie

 

[taximomfor4]

Just to let you know: We travel with a vision impaired member as well, and generally speaking, many shows require us to have 2 sit in the VI seating and the others sit in normal seating (sometimes right behind, but mostly farther back in the same section). This keeps more VI seats available for others with the same needs.

Have a wonderful trip!

Beth

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Here's a link to the DIS boards collection of maps:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/

They've got all the park maps (including water parks and Downtown Disney) and maps of the resorts.

As there are two of you with visual impairments, you might be allowed to keep your whole group together, so you each have a fully sighted companion. If you go down the route of the GAC (which I think would be a good plan) I'd suggest you get one for you and one for your daughter, so that you will always have one, even if you split up at some point during the trip (it may also be easier to get you all sitting in the VI section with 2 GACs).

Are you staying on property? If so, whereabouts? This is more me being nosy than anything, but if you have any questions regarding your resort, we can try to answer them too.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you go down the route of the GAC (which I think would be a good plan) I'd suggest you get one for you and one for your daughter, so that you will always have one, even if you split up at some point during the trip (it may also be easier to get you all sitting in the VI section with 2 GACs).

Depending on the size of your party, they might only allow one GAC. If so, get it for the person who will most likely go on something without the other or for the person with the most needs.

 

[Melanie418]

There will be 4 of us in our party - DH, DD, MIL & me. DD and I are visually impaired and DH & MIL are fully sighted. We "should" be doing most things that we would need accomodations for together. DD, DH and MIL will of course ride some of the rides that I cannot since I'm pregnant (due in Aug). I think visually our only real issues will be sitting close for shows/parades/fireworks, but otherwise we should have no problems. I do hope we can get 2 GAC's so that my MIL and DH can stay with us, otherwsie we will have trouble.

As for me bring pregnant I think I will tire easily and this may pose a problem with the long lines, but we will learn the ins and outs of the fast pass system so we can avoid as much of it as possible. We are staying in WDW at the Pop Century resort! We upgraded to the preferred rooms so as hopefully not to have too far to walk to the lobby, etc.

Thanks so much for all of yoru responses! Melanie

 

[SueM in MN]

I think visually our only real issues will be sitting close for shows/parades/fireworks, but otherwise we should have no problems. I do hope we can get 2 GAC's so that my MIL and DH can stay with us, otherwsie we will have trouble.

The GAC is issued to the person with a disability. They will ask how many people are in your party when you request a GAC and make the GAC valid for that number of people. If your party is more than a total of 6, they may not want to give you one for that many, but you can get a GAC for 4 people.

If you haven't already looked at the disABILITIES FAQs thread, there is a part about GACs. It's post #6 on that thread.

For parades and fireworks, there are no 'closer' places for viewing. There are handicapped viewing areas for parades that you should be able to get into with your GAC, but they do try to put all the wheelchairs up at the front of the area and the places that have any benches have them in the rear of the area. The advantage of the areas I can see for you is that you would not have to worry about people jostling you as you are waiting. You won't be any closer than you would be by just finding a spot along the curb.
One of the really good spots we've found for the MK parades is the balcony level of the train station overlooking Main Street. You have to get there early, but the parade is right below you. There are benches that you can pull up to the railing and because of the railing, no one can get in front of you.
There is no handicapped area for fireworks.

 

[NLK]

I have some things to add. My mother has stargarts and has been visually imapaired since the age of 9. We have been to WDW more times than I can count. Here are a few tips that have really helped her and I know she would love me to share them. First, get your GA card. Make sure you get the right stamps on the card. My mother had two stamps. One to sit in the front in the handicapped area and the next to use the fast past entrance. The first cast member refused to give my mother the one about the fast past. She said my mother would be just find doing what the wheelchairs do. My mother said" But I'm not in a wheelchair, I'm blind. How do you know what I can do and how can you tell me I'll be fine doing it." She than told the woman that she keeps hitting children with her cain because she can't see them when the stop in line. The cast member look at her and said "I already said no and I'm sure you'll do just fine" We went and ask another cast member who bent over backwards to help us and was so upset about the actions of the other cast member. Make sure you ask the cast members for help. No matter what you need. If it's to read the price of something or where something is ask them. They go out of their way to help. One cast member spent 1 hour helping her shop for gifts while I waited outside with my sleeping 3 year old DD. It helped her and me. As for the parades they will sit you in the front of the handicapped area. In Epcot we asked a cast member where we could sit, and explained my mothers eyesight. They asked wheelchairs to move so she could sit in the front they sat behind her. At the rides ask if there are any stairs. If there are ask if there is an elevator you can use. Most cast members will just help you down the stairs but use the elevator if you can. I didn't understand why my mom wanted to use the elevator until I saw how hard it was for her to walk down the stairs in a dark ride. Bring your cains and tap them very loudly. People move so nicely when they hear them, it's great. Make sure the caracters see them too. They are very nice when they do. Many times their handlers will walk you right up to them or take them to you. And as for being pregnant make use of the baby room in each park. They will let you rest there. Hope this long post will help. Have fun and think about going with your new baby.

 

[SueM in MN]

The first cast member refused to give my mother the one about the fast past. She said my mother would be just find doing what the wheelchairs do. My mother said" But I'm not in a wheelchair, I'm blind. How do you know what I can do and how can you tell me I'll be fine doing it." She than told the woman that she keeps hitting children with her cain because she can't see them when the stop in line. The cast member look at her and said "I already said no and I'm sure you'll do just fine" We went and ask another cast member who bent over backwards to help us and was so upset about the actions of the other cast member.

If you get a GAC that does not meet your needs, and you don't seem to be getting anywhere with the CM, one thing that works well is to take the GAC they will give you. Try it out for an attraction and then go back to Guest Relations; you will have specific examples of what didn't work. And chances are you will get another CM, who will probably be more agreeable (especially as you tried what they gave you and still had problems).