Thank you

[cynzilla]

Thanks so much for having a board ike this for people with disabilities.....I get such support from reading stories of "you guys" making light or giving words of encouragment to others in the same situation.

I have Syringomyelia (with a syrinx {a blockage} from C2-C5 blocking 82% of the width of my cord) by the grace of God and lots of steroids drugs, I am nuero "OK". I can get up and walk and talk and use my extremities....I can't feel my right leg in a portion or my left arm in a portion, I have extreem twitches and tremors in my legs, I have issues of control anything from the waist down and I get awful headaches and burning and ripping in my neck and back if I stand longer than a 1/2 hour......... but I am functioning. I have had two surgeries (one a bogus Tethered Cord Surgery by the genuises at TCI in NY) without any relief.

When I go to Disney I cannot tell you how many dirty looks I get for getting out of my scooter to let my hubby load it onto the bus because I cant really turn to look at where I am aiming that scooter onto the ramp. Cant tell you how many times I hear teenagers call me a "line cutter" if I decide to leave my scooter outside a ride and walk in. Cant tell you how many hums and complaints I hear when people have been waiting for a bus for a long time after the fireworks and we get have to load the scooter while they are standing there.

EVERYTIME I read a simliar story, or one of support for you guys to each other, I feel so much better. I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. I would trade the energy and the ability to walk or feel my leg and be able to stand up for 5 hours on a bus line than have to travel in the D**N SCOOTER!

Thanks again for being so supportive, I always keep it in the back of my mind when I hear those heartless people and their comments!

 

[jmartinez1895]

You are defenatly not the only one. Some of you reading may have already seen me post this story, but I found it funny so I'm doing it again. While we where is line to ride Dumbo a ver yrude man looked over at our family and another family that had a child in a wheel chair and said " It must be nice to have a kid that can get you out of waiting in line" Little did he know, but I think we had waited longer that he had, but the mom of teh other family with our blinking told him that "It must be nice to have a kid that can wait in line" I think that almost all of use who use some form of accomidation at Disney will run across a rude person. I'm happy taht you have found teh board to be up lifting. I have too. I LOVE it here.

 

[SueM in MN]

That's why most of us are here.

In 1999, I found the DIS Boards (much smaller then) and saw many posts where someone was worried about a WDW trip because they had a broken leg. Most of the replies would be along the lines of "You are so lucky you broke your leg. Now you will go to the front of the lines for everything."

Having already made a lot of "Purple Wheelchair Tours" of WDW by 1999, I tried to point out that the only place having a wheelchair got you was a different place to wait if the 'regular' line was not accessible.
Since I was posting on every thread that had anything to do with disabilities anyway, when this board was begun, I was asked to be one of the Moderators.

Eleven years after coming to the DIS, I'm still having to post some of the same truth to counteract some of the same myths, but I am not alone doing it any more. THere is a nice little community of people on this board with a variety of viewpoints and disabilities who step in to use their experience to help others.

So, welcome to disABILITIES

 

[OneLittleSpark]

That's one of the many things that I love about this board too - everbody here really 'gets it'.

Sorry you get comments too, they're no fun. I'm a healthy-looking 20-something who can get up out of her wheelchair to transfer to ride cars, so obviously I'm just faking it . I've been tutted at by people, because I was having too much fun in my chair (and obviously genuinely disabled people never have any fun, so I must have been faking); I've got the dirty looks; I've had the people telling me how 'lucky' I am for having a wheelchair / 'getting to sit down all day' / using the diabled viewing areas / 'skipping the lines' / getting to ride Thunder Mountain twice to get back to my chair, etc etc. Really, these people are all idiots, and could never manage even one day with the challanges each of us (disabled people and carers alike), so I just feel sorry for them (once I've finished muttering about them under my breath )

 

[cynzilla]

Because of my disability and use of scooter I haven't seen the front of the Haunted Mansion since 1979! They always make me use "the back door entrance" and last time it was over an hour wait for us!!!

I can't access Tom Sawyer Island cause I cannot walk that long without diving into the pain killers!

I cant tell you how many times I have had my poor daughter get pushed or shoved while trying to be a good girl and hold my hand walking next to me after the fireworks!

People think that is FUN? They think we are lucky? I would pay millions of dollars to be able to run with my daughter again, or take a nature walk with her without peeing myself. I would LOVE To be able to go food shopping or be able to stand in a bank line without my legs twitching painfully!

I get such anxiety waiting on the bus lines or the ride lines when I have to get out of my chair and hear such snarky comments! THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT. Hopefully I wont break out in sweats and get all nervous this May when I do it allll over again!

 

[PJB71]

Hi All

I also have a disibility and cant walk any distance at all even with the aid of 2walking sticks so my ECV is a necessity for me.

I have been traveling to Florida every year for the past 17 years and can honestly say I have had some of the best and worst experiences of my life whilst visiting the parks.

Most of the time its good but there is always some stupid, thoughless idiot who has to spoil it.

I would love to see them in our condition for the day then ask them to re-think there actions?????

 

[cm8]

this group is really helpful in more ways than some would know. I am too glad that I've found it!! Sue in MN, I had no Idea that you founded this. I commend you on such great success, may this be forever part of the legacy that you leave behind for others to benefit from!

 

[SueM in MN]

this group is really helpful in more ways than some would know. I am too glad that I've found it!! Sue in MN, I had no Idea that you founded this. I commend you on such great success, may this be forever part of the legacy that you leave behind for others to benefit from!

I was part of a group who asked for this board, so can't exactly say I founded it, but I have been here from the start.

I have to thank Pete and the Webmasters of the site for allowing this Board ( the disABILITIES Community Board too ). As long as we follow the DIS general posting guidelines, I have been given free rein to do things. No one has ever told me I need to do something one way or that I can't do something I feel would be helpful.
So I am very helpful for the supportof the wdwinfo site and for all the wonderful posting and suggestions posters make on these boards. It would kit exist without the readers and posters.

 

[cm8]

I was part of a group who asked for this board, so can't exactly say I founded it, but I have been here from the start.

I have to thank Pete and the Webmasters of the site for allowing this Board ( the disABILITIES Community Board too ). As long as we follow the DIS general posting guidelines, I have been given free rein to do things. No one has ever told me I need to do something one way or that I can't do something I feel would be helpful.
So I am very helpful for the supportof the wdwinfo site and for all the wonderful posting and suggestions posters make on these boards. It would kit exist without the readers and posters.

Well, Good Job all of you, Pete, and the webmasters and all the other people who asked for this board!!!