Official Manual Wheelchair policy for busses?

[clanmcculloch]

Our August trip was our first one with a wheelchair. Our need was only temporary because DD10 had a broken ankle so I'm figuring we likely won't need one again so my question is more out of curiosity than anything else. During our trip, I found that the wheelchair was handled differently by different drivers. I'm wondering if there is an official policy on any of this or not? Here are the different ways it was handled. We were always loaded before the regular line if we arrived before the bus so that's not the issue.

1. Driver hooked up the chair, told her to stay in the chair and strapped a seatbelt over her.
2. Driver hooked up the chair, told her to stay in the chair and nothing else.
3. Driver hooked up the chair, asked if she wanted to stay in the chair or transfer to a seat.
4. Driver hooked up the chair and told her to transfer to a seat if she could.
5. Driver asked if she could transfer and if she could then she should and we had to fold the wheelchair and hold it like a stroller.
6. Driver asked if she wanted to transfer; if she wanted to then we had to fold the wheelchair and hold it like a stroller; if she didn't want to transfer then he hooked up the chair and strapped a seatbelt over her.

I never knew what to expect. Most drivers did either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd things above but we were really surprised not only by the differences in the instructions by the bus drivers but in what seem to be safety protocols.

When we got to the bus stops after the bus had already loaded, the drivers would generally ask if we wanted to hold the chair or have it strapped in. One driver refused to lower the back lift and made me carry the chair up the stairs (a very nice man behind me helped me lift it; DH was still recovering from a hernia surgery and was under doctor's order to help lift; the driver wouldn't do a thing to help; in hindsight we should have just waited for the next bus but DH was in a lot of pain at that point and just wanted to get back to the resort).

When we encountered one of the big charter style busses, the driver loaded the chair under the bus and she hobbled through the bus (thank goodness that was an option for us; for those who can't get around without the chair briefly or climb stairs there was no way to get on the bus at all). We only encountered that kind of bus going to Epcot and I think they limit it to there due to more room at Epcot for bigger busses to navigate.

It's just so confusing when there isn't any consistency. Is there an actual rule about how this is supposed to be done? This can't just be a problem that only I encountered. I'll gladly follow whatever rules are in place without complaint but it's just so hard when things are done differently every time.

 

[cranbiz]

The official policy is either 1 or 6.

She either stays in the chair , is hooked up and a seatbelt is put on or she is asked if she can transfer. If the answer is no, than see 1, if the answer is yes, then she transfers to a seat and you fold and hold the wheelchair. She is NOT required to transfer.

The driver who refused the lift is wrong. If you got the drivers name and bus number, please report the driver. That is NOT company policy.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Thank you cranbiz! If anybody would know, it would be you.

It makes sense that those would be the right way but honesly, most drivers did 2 or 3. In the 9 days we took busses, I think she was strapped in maybe half a dozen times. The few times we walked up to the bus after others had already loaded (like at parks), most drivers did do #6 and we would choose to hold the chair rather than displace people but I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be an option or not because we were only given that option once when we loaded first. It's good to know how it's supposed to work. If we're ever in need of a manual chair again, at least I'll know to either insist in the seatbelt or that we can load in the back and then just hold the chair so we don't take up as much room or take as much time with loading when transfering is possible. I would have preferred to do that more often if I had have known it as a real option.

I was really flustered, surprised and worried about DH's pain that day so I didn't even think of taking note of the driver or bus number. I wish I had. I hope he doesn't put others through that kind of frustration. If it was one of the lower busses it wouldn't have been as bad but it was one of the ones with the elevatory style lift so it had the higher steps I had to get he chair up. It may have been only a 16" chair but that thing's still heavy. At least in the future if I'm in this position again I'll know I can insist that he lower the bus. When I'm not sure, I won't push an issue.

Thanks again!! It's great having a driver in the board.

 

[SueM in MN]

When we encountered one of the big charter style busses, the driver loaded the chair under the bus and she hobbled through the bus (thank goodness that was an option for us; for those who can't get around without the chair briefly or climb stairs there was no way to get on the bus at all). We only encountered that kind of bus going to Epcot and I think they limit it to there due to more room at Epcot for bigger busses to navigate.

In all our trips to WDW, we have never encountered one of the big charter style buses to go to or from any parks from a WDW resort.
I am wondering if you stayed at one of the WDW resorts or one of the Downtown Disney area resorts, or if you were on any special activities where they used one of the charter style buses?

The official policy is either 1 or 6.

She either stays in the chair , is hooked up and a seatbelt is put on or she is asked if she can transfer. If the answer is no, than see 1, if the answer is yes, then she transfers to a seat and you fold and hold the wheelchair. She is NOT required to transfer.

The driver who refused the lift is wrong. If you got the drivers name and bus number, please report the driver. That is NOT company policy.

I want to add that the guest should be asked if they want to use the seatbelt; the guest has the right to refuse.
I usually say we want to use the seatbelt as we get to the end of the tiedown process. Fairly often, the driver says "Of course. I was just going to offer it to you."
Occassionally, we get a driver who says, "She has a seatbelt on her wheelchair. She doesn't need another." At that point, I say that we still want the bus seatbelt because it is safer. We did have one driver recently who was still arguing because he did not want to put it on. We reported him for general rudeness and not doing the hook up correctly for other reasons.

Thank you cranbiz! If anybody would know, it would be you.

It makes sense that those would be the right way but honesly, most drivers did 2 or 3. In the 9 days we took busses, I think she was strapped in maybe half a dozen times. The few times we walked up to the bus after others had already loaded (like at parks), most drivers did do #6 and we would choose to hold the chair rather than displace people but I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be an option or not because we were only given that option once when we loaded first. It's good to know how it's supposed to work. If we're ever in need of a manual chair again, at least I'll know to either insist in the seatbelt or that we can load in the back and then just hold the chair so we don't take up as much room or take as much time with loading when transfering is possible. I would have preferred to do that more often if I had have known it as a real option.

I was really flustered, surprised and worried about DH's pain that day so I didn't even think of taking note of the driver or bus number. I wish I had. I hope he doesn't put others through that kind of frustration. If it was one of the lower busses it wouldn't have been as bad but it was one of the ones with the elevatory style lift so it had the higher steps I had to get he chair up. It may have been only a 16" chair but that thing's still heavy. At least in the future if I'm in this position again I'll know I can insist that he lower the bus. When I'm not sure, I won't push an issue.

Thanks again!! It's great having a driver in the board.

It's possible his lift did not work because we have run into those situations. If that was the case, he should have explained it did not work and suggested waiting for another bus where you could load more easily.
The drivers are not required to help lift wheelchairs, so he was not out of line there. But, knowing how difficult it is to get up the steps, he should have suggested waiting for the next bus.

I honestly think the drivers who are not doing all the steps correctly should have to travel around using a wheelchair or ECV on the buses. Have to carry it up the steps. Have to ride in it without a seatbelt and especially have to ride in it strapped down the way they would normally strap it down themselves. Then, have a good driver like cranbiz show them how it should be done.

And, for instructions on how to report a bus problem, there is information in the post about buses on the disABILITIES FAQs thread (near the top of this board or click on the link in my signature).

 

[peemagg]

Just to add to Sue's suggestion, They should also have a driver that is quick to accelerate, hard on the brakes and take corners, full speed on 2 wheels in a wheelchair the way they hook others in.

That should give them a change of heart after they go and change their pants.

 

[clanmcculloch]

In all our trips to WDW, we have never encountered one of the big charter style buses to go to or from any parks from a WDW resort.
I am wondering if you stayed at one of the WDW resorts or one of the Downtown Disney area resorts, or if you were on any special activities where they used one of the charter style buses?

This was at POFQ heading to Epcot for a regular opening. The same bus happened to be there when we were leaving as well and the driver remembered us. The bus was nearly empty going back so we sat right up front and he chatted with us the whole way back. He was really nice. When we stayed at Pop in June, we saw one of these heading to Epcot as well.

It's possible his lift did not work because we have run into those situations. If that was the case, he should have explained it did not work and suggested waiting for another bus where you could load more easily.
The drivers are not required to help lift wheelchairs, so he was not out of line there. But, knowing how difficult it is to get up the steps, he should have suggested waiting for the next bus.

I do understand that he was not obligated to help me lift it. I think it was just one of many frustrating parts of the situation. He was very curt and almost sounded angry to me, but again I may just be remembering it that way because I was frustrated.

I'm trying to remember if he let us out using the lift when we got to our resort. I honestly can't remember. I don't remember taking the chair down the stairs but I can't remember if he put down the lift or not. As I said, I don't remember ever having to take the chair down some stairs on a bus so it must have been working for him to let us off.

I honestly think the drivers who are not doing all the steps correctly should have to travel around using a wheelchair or ECV on the buses. Have to carry it up the steps. Have to ride in it without a seatbelt and especially have to ride in it strapped down the way they would normally strap it down themselves. Then, have a good driver like cranbiz show them how it should be done.

And, for instructions on how to report a bus problem, there is information in the post about buses on the disABILITIES FAQs thread (near the top of this board or click on the link in my signature).

I certainly do have a new respect for travelling with a wheelchair after this trip. I think I had a pretty decent understanding from reading this board but I'm amazed at all the little things I didn't consider. There were certainly a lot of times where we felt invisible though I'm grateful that the only times I had to deal with being cut off and stepped over was my own DH (gotta love him and his cluelessness at times). I do think I missed out on looking around a lot of times because I was so focussed on keeping space around her feet so I wouldn't hit anybody or anything.

I'll take a look at the instructions for reporting a bus problem.

Thanks everybody!!

 

[retired and happy]

We usually have three wheelchairs in our party and have always had great service from the bus drivers. On a couple of occasions when we rode the two chair busses, our son transferred to a seat and we were allowed to hold his chair, even though it would not fold. We were just asked to set it in a part of the aisle so as to minimize intrusion into the aisle. Other passengers were also most accommodating. In many cases we turn down the seat belt because our chairs have seat belts, but sometimes the drivers insist on them and of course we allow them. We try to get to the bus stop at the parks before the bus gets there and line up in front of the queue area so the driver can see us as "he" approaches. We very much appreciate the load first-unload last policy and don't try to load if regular passenger loading has already begun. We are on vacation and our time is not so valuable that waiting 20 minutes or so for another bus will ruin our day....and no sense in aggitating a driver or other passengers by trying for special privileges. I believe WDW is very accommodating to special needs and we try to reciprocate the effort.

 

[Bete]

I have experienced all the ways you have described.

I'll remember policy now for future trips.

 

[maroo]

In all our trips to WDW, we have never encountered one of the big charter style buses to go to or from any parks from a WDW resort.
I am wondering if you stayed at one of the WDW resorts or one of the Downtown Disney area resorts, or if you were on any special activities where they used one of the charter style buses?

This bus...

came to pick us up from the POP bus stop to go to DHS on the morning of October 3rd. I waited at the bus stop from 8:10 to 8:25, when this bus came.

I was using a power chair, so I could not board this bus. I did call Transportation because I was trying to get to DHS fast to get towards the front of the Toy Story crowds...(being at the front or the back of those crowds made a huge difference in my day)...but the next bus (that did have a lift) came in about 5 minutes. So it wasn't too bad of a wait.

No special things going on at the POP that I know of.

I was shocked to see that bus...seems like they could have had it pull up to any of the other stops since there were no other wheelchairs waiting?? Can't they see that on their screens?? Not sure?

 

[cranbiz]

Charter buses are hired on days where we don't have enough buses available or when guest attendance is projected to be high. They don't have Disney computer screens on them.

They will also usually be dedicated to a particular resort, running a circle route to a particular park only. POP, ALL Stars, CBR and POR are regular assignees of charter buses.

On the seat belt, yes you can refuse it, I wish you would not though. We have to report all seat belt refusals to management before moving the bus and report when we have dropped you off.

I will just automatically put the seat belt on you as my last step. You will almost get a comment like "this is to keep you from coming up and telling me how to drive" or something like that in an attempt to have fun or to try to make you feel a little more comfortable.

 

[SueM in MN]

We usually have three wheelchairs in our party and have always had great service from the bus drivers. On a couple of occasions when we rode the two chair busses, our son transferred to a seat and we were allowed to hold his chair, even though it would not fold. We were just asked to set it in a part of the aisle so as to minimize intrusion into the aisle. Other passengers were also most accommodating. In many cases we turn down the seat belt because our chairs have seat belts, but sometimes the drivers insist on them and of course we allow them. We try to get to the bus stop at the parks before the bus gets there and line up in front of the queue area so the driver can see us as "he" approaches. We very much appreciate the load first-unload last policy and don't try to load if regular passenger loading has already begun. We are on vacation and our time is not so valuable that waiting 20 minutes or so for another bus will ruin our day....and no sense in aggitating a driver or other passengers by trying for special privileges. I believe WDW is very accommodating to special needs and we try to reciprocate the effort.

The seat belts on your wheelchair are holding you onto the wheelchair, but the ones on the bus are actually helping to hold both you and the wheelchair down to the bus.
We have a ramp van to transport our DD's wheelchair and the instructions with it advise never to ride in the wheelchair without using the van seatbelt. So, it really is safer to use it.

Charter buses are hired on days where we don't have enough buses available or when guest attendance is projected to be high. They don't have Disney computer screens on them.

They will also usually be dedicated to a particular resort, running a circle route to a particular park only. POP, ALL Stars, CBR and POR are regular assignees of charter buses.

On the seat belt, yes you can refuse it, I wish you would not though. We have to report all seat belt refusals to management before moving the bus and report when we have dropped you off.

I will just automatically put the seat belt on you as my last step. You will almost get a comment like "this is to keep you from coming up and telling me how to drive" or something like that in an attempt to have fun or to try to make you feel a little more comfortable.

That makes sense for those resorts because those buses can hold lots of people.
I had just never seen any of those buses at the parks dropping off or at the resorts when I have been at any of the resorts. We stay at OKW or SSR mostly, but do go to CBR and POR to visit most trips.

That's interesting about seat belts. If they are supposed to report 'non-use' I am surprised that any drivers give us a hassle when they see she has a seatbelt and we say we want the belt anyway.

 

[Ashtyn]

On the seat belt, yes you can refuse it, I wish you would not though. We have to report all seat belt refusals to management before moving the bus and report when we have dropped you off.

I will just automatically put the seat belt on you as my last step. You will almost get a comment like "this is to keep you from coming up and telling me how to drive" or something like that in an attempt to have fun or to try to make you feel a little more comfortable.

I hope that when I am at the parks next week with my mother that we are lucky enough to have you as our driver. We will be at the All Star waiting out by the curb