Visual impairments

[LWQuestie]

Hi!

I have been reading this message board over the past few days, so I just wanted to introduce myself.

I've traveled to WDW a few times over the past couple of years with my mom, who is totally blind, and her guide dog. CMs at the parks have been great, in general, about helping out, and listening to what we have to say about how to get on a ride, or whatever we need.

I just wanted to find out if there's anyone on here with blindness related issues, or questions, or whatever, who I could talk to about our experiences in the parks.

Erin

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome and thanks for offering to help.
We do get people with visual impairments coming to ask questions every once in a while, but haven't had a lot of questions from people with visual impairments.
So, don't feel discouraged if no one replies right now. The need will come up and your help will be much appreciated.

 

[Wheelsie]

WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME!!!!

ALso bear in mind that these boards are only a few weeks old...on our previous board we have had questions...so there will be some... its just that disABILITIES is a slower board than many of the others here on DIS *gazes over to the Community Board*

 

[6_Time_Momma]

Okay, here is one (sort of) since finding out about my son's optic nerve hypoplasia and visual problems (which are becoming more apparent now that I realizes there are probs with his vision and not just the Down Syndrome) I am wondering about being able to get up close with the shows. Do we just tell the people? Are we able even to get closer or are we just OOL? (He had his Special Olympics this week, and one of the things was having to throw a ball at a pencil stuck in the ground. Poor little guy couldn't see what he was throwing at, so he chose to thorw at mom instead!!! )

 

[SueM in MN]

You can get a Guest Assistance Card that will help you out for shows. For rides, all the seats are the same. One thing that helps out on rides though, is the usually whatever it is that you should be looking at during that part is fairly close and the ride directs your attention with lighting and turning the car.
CLICK HERE for a thread about vision disabilities.

 

[IOAfan]

I'm only 18 years old and I'm half blind, due to a form a cancer I had when I was a baby called Retinoblastoma. I've struggled to get the best out of every day, but I get by. The only thing I wish i can experience fully is 3-d effects in rides and attractions. The rest of the time, I enjoy what I can get out of each attraction. I wish I can ride roller coasters and space shot rides, though, but the air pressure may be too great for my prosthesis.

If anyone has a prosthetic eye on here, do you ride every ride you can or are there some that you have to miss out on?



IOAfan

 

[SueM in MN]

I have heard that they sometimes find dentures on the floor under the ride track at Space Mountain, so I don't know what would happen with a prosthetic eye.
You might be able to get an answer (or at least another place to call) by calling WDW RESORTS/SPECIAL RESERVATIONS
(407) 939-7807 [voice]
(407) 939-7670 [TTY]
This is the number listed in the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities for information about accomidations for people with disabilities. If they can't help you, they should be able to find someone who could. Good luck!

 

[6_Time_Momma]

IOA Fan, are you able to remove your prosthesis? If so, could you remove it, and use a patch long enough to do the rides that you really want to do, and then put it back in for the rest of the day?

 

[LWQuestie]

I went down to WDW a few years ago with the American Council of the Blind's annual convention, and I'm sure that some of the people attending must have had false eyes, and I didn't hear anything about problems.

Also, I have a friend at work with vision in only one eye (who might have a false eye) and she rides all the rides. I'll ask her about her eye for sure, and post another message when I'm sure.

 

[IOAfan]

Thanks everyone. I'm thinking of riding Test Track at EPCOT when I go down there next month. How turbulent is this ride and is it a roller coaster? it looks cool and I wanna say that I went on a roller coaster type ride when i come back home. It would be my first time riding one of these rides by myself, so if you can give me any hints on how to lessen the initial fear of riding a roller coaster by myself, I'd appreciate it.

IOAfan

 

[JudithM]

I was reading through the Disabilities Guides that WDW hands out & there is a section on bringing seeing eye dogs into the parks. There is a list for each park of where your dog can take a break. The areas were all backstage.

 

[figment27]

Hi to All,
I am so glad that all of you are responding to the original poster. I wrote asking questions a few months ago but not much response from VIP's (visually impaired persons) back then. I was disappointed at the lack of information available but feel a new avenue has just opened up! I have been significantly impaired snice 1994 due to optic neuritis in both eyes. I will be taking my first trip back to Disney snce the vision loss this coming December and had no idea what special provisions could be obtained.
For the most part, my understanding is accomodations will be made for the shows, which I was especially worried about. I guess I will go to guest servvices upon my arrival to request a guest assistance card. I don't feel I need to provide any medical documentation to PROVE my disability to the Disney staff as I feel this is an imposition to my privacy and somewhat discriminating! I will just explain my impairment and see what is available to me.
If the original poster, orothers, have any other suggestions for enhancing the Disney experience with visual impairments I would very much welcome the feedback. I do have some vision, limited in one eye to seeing large objcets very close up. I am so loooking forward to our Christmas/New Year's week WDW trip and want it to be as special now as it was when I had my full vision!!!
Figment

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm glad you found us, figment27. We need to have people with a variety of disABILITIES represented here so we can help as many people as possible.
For your comment/question about whether you need to prove your disability, there is no need to worry about that. All you need to do is explain what your needs are (in your case, sitting close to the front) and the CM will try to help you. If the GAC they give you doesn't meet your needs, go back later and explain what problems you are encountering.

 

[figment27]

I just wanted to know what your dinig experiences were like? Did you go to any of the buffets and how did you handle that experiecence if you did? We are tentively planning a visit to Chef Mickey's, and have heard it is quite the busy place, I am concerned about interfering with others ability to proceed thru the buffet line because it does generally take me a bit of time to go thru due to the fact my husbance will explain/describe what each dish is so I can choose what I want to eat. As my disability is not obvious to others,no guide dog or cane, it may appear that we are moving deliberately slow. I am concerned that this could possibly interefere with others' dining experience. Some may say "Who cares or Why Care?" but I do!
Thanks for any info/tips you could provide on this subject.
Thanks again,
Figment27

 

[LWQuestie]

Hi Figment27!

I've been to the parks with my mom both with and without the dog. We never got a Guest Assistance Card... Didn't know about them, and even if we did, we still probably wouldn't have used it. Your situation is a little different than hers, because my mom is a total, and you are partially sighted, as you mentioned.

If your only issue is vision loss, I don't really think you'd need a GAC. I would consider getting a cane, as it's pretty much the international symbol of visual impairments, and the CMs will know a little more info to help you out! My mom and I almost always entered attractions through the main queue when she didn't have the dog with her, and quite often a CM would spot the cane, and escort us to the rear entrance, if applicable. The times we went to the rear entrance ourselves were like, if we weren't sure how to load, and didn't want to hang up the works for everyone else.

In regards to dining experiences, we have gone to a couple buffets (Akershus in Norway, and Breakfastasauras at Animal Kingdom). Here's how I ALWAYS handle buffets: I go up myself, and get my plate... take stock of what's there, remember as much as my little mind can, and go back and tell my mom. I also know most of the things that she doesn't like, so if I see something that I'm pretty sure she'll hate, I don't make as much of an effort to remember it. I've never been to Chef Mickey's myself, but if the buffet is particularly huge, I would suggest having your husband fill two plates at the same time, but from a small section of the buffet at a time, and just with a tidbit of everything... you can always go back and get more of whatever you especially liked!

You might want to consider calling WDW and having them send you a copy of the Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities for each of the parks... I really like those books. And remember you can borrow a copy of a cassette or braille guide from the Guest Services location at each park...

Have fun with the characters at the character meal if you end up going.... you may get to "look" at them in a manner completely different than most other Guests!

 

[JudithM]

Figment27, I hope you enjoy your next trip to WDW! Do not worry about a GAC - you do not need a doctor's note to get a GAC. I have a knee condition & have had a GAC on my last two visits - last December & a few weeks ago. On this last trip, I hardly had to show the GAC. Most of the time I rented an ECV, so it was obvious to CMs that I needed some information - like which way do I go with the ECV? or do I need to walk? or whatever? A few times I did not have the ECV & was walking. If I knew there might be a problem/concern like stairs, I just said to the CM at the entrance, "I have a GAC for my knee condition & it would help if ...." I found the CMs very attentive & proactive to guests with needs.

As for the buffet ... eat & be merry! If someone is in a hurry, then they can go around you . You should be able to enjoy the buffet & know what is on it just like the rest of us! You have a good husband!

 

[SueM in MN]

I haven't been to Chef Mickey either. The buffets I have been to at WDW have enough room that if someone feels you are too slow, they can easily go around you. I get two plates at the smae time - one for me and one for youngest DD. If she is in line with me to look at the food, we are very slow since she is in her wheelchair and I have to fill 2 plates. Most people are understanding. When you make PS, you could also ask if there is a less busy time or try to go near the end of the meal. We were toward the end of lunchtime in March at the Crystal palace and it really wasn't very busy.

IOAFan, I see no one answered your question about Test Track. It is a thrill ride, but not exactly a roller coaster. It is like going thru the real testing that they out cars thru when new models come out. you go over bumpy areas, come to a sudden stop to test the brakes, go fast up a hill, go thru some turns to test handling and make a fast run around the outside of the building on a banked track. It's fun and exciting, but not really that scary. I'm sure you will enjoy it.