wheelchair info?

[Jeannine in KY]

My 13 yr old son broke his leg Friday and is in a full leg cast. Our trip is planned for early Nov. I am hoping to find a wheelchair that has a leg prop so that he can elevate his foot a good bit of the time to minimize swelling. Do the chairs at the parks have this capability or do we need to rent one some where else? We would really like a scooter (especially since he's 5'6" and weighs about 170 lbs), but I understand they don't rent to anyone under 18 on property (do any of the off-site companies rent to people under 18?). If we could rent a scooter, does anyone know if you could rig up a foot prop (bungee cord??) somehow, for at least intermittent use? We are new to this as we have never really dealt with any thing like this before. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Michigan]

No they don't you will need to rent one if you want to elevate his leg.

There used to be an off site company that rented ECV's to kids because once my daughter met a girl from England that was using a rented ECV and she was 12. There would be no way to elevate the leg.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

None of the off-site companies will rent an ECV for use by anyone under 18. Although it is possible to borrow a wheelchair at your resort for the duration of stay, one may not be available or may not be a good size. The off-site rentals would be your best bet. Also, they can provide a crutch holder if needed.

Another thing to consider is renting from a medical supply company where you live. This would be able to be folded and taken with you if you drive or fly.

Also, have whoever will be removing the cast draw a line on it where it will be cut when removed. Bring along an assortment of "sharpies" and characters will autograph the cast, warning them not to sign directly accross the line. Once the cast is removed he will have a very unusual souvenier of the trip.

 

[dj2]

Also, have whoever will be removing the cast draw a line on it where it will be cut when removed. Bring along an assortment of "sharpies" and characters will autograph the cast, warning them not to sign directly accross the line. Once the cast is removed he will have a very unusual souvenier of the trip.

if this is a fiberglass cast, be VERY CAREFUL with it once it's cut off. we were going to keep dd's wrist cast as a souvie (just regular, not signed at wdw), and found this out the hard way. the little shreads are practically microscopic and sharp! maybe there's some way to seal it--like maybe the dr would put another piece of material over the raw edges.

 

[Mouse's Shadow]

You can call the Disney reservation line and ask to speak with someone in disability services. They will give you the numbers of several rental companies in the area.

 

[SueM in MN]

You can call the Disney reservation line and ask to speak with someone in disability services. They will give you the numbers of several rental companies in the area.

The companies listed in the disABILITIES FAQs thread are some of the same ones the Special Reservations people at WDW will give you (the Special Reservations number is listed in the disABILITIES FAQs thread).
There are links in the disABILITIES thread to the off-site medical equipment rental companies that DIS posters have most often reported good experiences with.

For the OP, most of the off-site companies (and the parks) will not allow ECVs to be rented for use/by someone under the age of 18. I know of a few exceptions that have been made when the child was an experienced ECV user and had an one at home, but did not want to travel by air with it (one was a young teen with arthritis). There would be no way to elevate a leg on an ECV. They steer with a yoke (similar to steering a bike). If you bungie corded a leg to that, it would move every time the ECV was turned.