Accessibility Issue

Z

ZambeziZelda

Member
Original Poster
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting a really nice local couple outside the entrance of Epcot. The circumstances of the meeting, however, were less pleasant. The wife was wheelchair bound, and needed her husband's assistance in the restroom. There is no companion restroom outside the turnstiles.

Not wanting to have to send them all the way back into the park, I ended up clearing out the women's restroom for them- it took about 15 minutes, and was rather inconvenient for them, having to wait for the entire restroom to be empty of guests.

Once they came out, the wife asked to show me something...so, I followed her into the restroom, where she showed me how inconvenient the handicap stall is. She hardly had room to get her wheelchair into it, let alone maneuver herself out of the wheelchair, let ALONE with another person in the stall with her. It was horrible.

I spoke to my managers about the issue, but with something needing such a big change (adding/changing restrooms has got to be expensive...) I don't think anything will happen unless there are guest complaints. Lots of guest complaints.

So, you lovely WDWMagicers, you, if you could possibly complain to Epcot's Guest Relations next time you're at the park, or even send an email, I would be grateful. Because it really is a problem that needs to be solved. Thanks!! :wave:
 
MommytoMJM

MommytoMJM

New Member
We've been emailing them about this issue for a long while, we have 3 WC users in our party, all of which need assistance at one time or another. Thank you so much for saying something Taryn. BTW, we'll be in Epcot Friday any chance of running into you?
 
coastermaster83

coastermaster83

Member
Well is the issue becomes when was the bathroom built. If it was before ADA laws went into effect thats why its small and they dont have the right access. I do agree that they should be changed but its all about money and truthfully its not that hard to remove a part of the stall dividers and enlarge it all but yeah they need to so something about it.
 
mousermerf

mousermerf

Account Suspended
I thought there was a companion one over by the kennel side? I guess maybe i'm confusing it with the really snazzy one that's under the Wand behind guest relations.
 
Z

ZambeziZelda

Member
Original Poster
mousermerf said:
I thought there was a companion one over by the kennel side? I guess maybe i'm confusing it with the really snazzy one that's under the Wand behind guest relations.
Click to expand...

Nope, there isn't one on the Kennel side. That is actually where the drama unfolded.

And yes, the restrooms were built well before the ADA laws...they're the original restrooms from when the park opened.
 
AEfx

AEfx

Well-Known Member
The handicapped bathrooms at WDW are a definate mixed bag.

Some are really not much larger than a regular stall, but they have rails for people to hold on to.

Some are large, room-like affairs where someone can be comfortably assisted in any way possible.

When taking my niece, we always designate the "good" bathrooms on the park map when we find them, so we don't get stuck elsewhere. There are only a couple in each park at the most.

This was the one place we really felt Disney dropped the ball; for instance, the handicapped bathrooms at the MK are overall atrocious. We went to first aid/guest services hoping the bathrooms in there might be better, it turns out they are just as bad if not worse, actually.

With the amount of wheelchair guests at WDW, I'm surprised this hasn't been complained about enough to have it changed.

AEfx
 
seabee1

seabee1

Member
Taryn,

As a family member of a wheelchair bound person I would like to say thank you. A lot of people just don't understand the complications we sometimes have just doing the everyday things. I love listening to you talk about your job and experiences. You are the perfect example of what a CM should be. Thanks again!!
 
K

KrazyKowboy

New Member
As A WDW guest I've witnessed the difficulty that handicapped patrons endure on more than one occasion. Seems that the restroom ordeal should not even exist. Federal laws mandate ADA compliance in areas of public access regardless of construction date. They must be modified to comply with current standards.

WDW's customer relations should provide extra assistance for guest with disabilities. They seem to do an adequate job with guests accesssing attractions and dining, but that should extend to restroom facilities and parking areas as well.

Last year my family and I were leaving Epcot for the day and as we walked across the parking lot I noticed an elderly couple struggling to get the husbands ECV up a ramp and into the back of their mini-van. The gentleman appeared to be having trouble getting it lined up just right and his poor wife seemed a bit to feeble to be of much help. I could'nt pass them by without asking if I might be of assistance. The lady seemed to be relieved to have the help and her husband told me he sure could use a hand if I did'nt mind and had the time. She took him by the hand and stood to the side as I succeeded in getting the ECV into the back of the van and had it secured in place. Only after the fact and having been told by the wife, did I know the husband was totally blind. They offered to buy dinner for my family, and I had to politely decline with a bit of insistance. They really were appreciative and could'nt stop thanking me enough. I told them to consider it just a little bit of Disney Magic spilling into their day.
Afterwards though, you can wonder why Disney could not have attentive help in the parking lots or at the exit gates for guests in a situation like this.
My wife told me later that I was infected with the Magic for slowing down long enough to see the need and helping that day too. I told her it was the best part of my whole day.

And Taryn, WDW is lucky to have you. I'm sure there are many others, but there could never be too many.
 
mousermerf

mousermerf

Account Suspended
You have to draw a line somewhere though Krazy.

Providing proper potties is reasonable - i'm pretty sure we can all agree on that. That needs work.

People in the parking lots though to help you into and out of the car? People need to get around in their own lives. Disney is not responsible for that.

When talking about accomodations there needs to be consideration for staying on the reasonable side of things. For lack of better terminology - America is not a communist state, we are not created completely equal (life would be boring if we were), and people will not have completely equal access to life here. It's just the way things are.

You give people the chance though. You don't build staircases as the only way into the park when people need to enter with wheelchairs and ECV's. You make potties everyone can use. Parking lots are big flat surfaces and you drive your personal car and your personal ECV across it - getting into and out of it and other manuverability issues are your own responsibility, not Disneys.
 
WaltzingMatilda

WaltzingMatilda

Member
Hey Kowboy...

Great post. We recently had trouble with my mom's ECV (she's new to the world of ECV's) and she couldn't figure out how to get it on and off the bus the first day. She was embarrassed and felt like she was causing a scene and holding up all the people in line. A very nice young man jumped to the rescue (the bus driver didn't seem able to help) and got the ECV loaded on, no worries. And everyone in line was patient and helpful, one even going so far as to offer to help when we got to our resort...we should all be so affected by the Magic. It's nice that you were looking out for others.
 
coastermaster83

coastermaster83

Member
KrazyKowboy said:
As A WDW guest I've witnessed the difficulty that handicapped patrons endure on more than one occasion. Seems that the restroom ordeal should not even exist. Federal laws mandate ADA compliance in areas of public access regardless of construction date. They must be modified to comply with current standards....
Click to expand...



Being a person that has to deal with ADA rules for school for my learning disabilities and being and architecture student I deal with all that and I can tell you that According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 all old buildings are grandfathered in and do not have to comply to the rules unless you remodel them. So if disney was to redo a wall in a bathroom they would have to bring it up to code. I have a friend thats working on a church built in the 1970's and they are only having to update the one wall of the building that they are adding onto. So no Disney wouldnt have to or need to update the access till they remodel. Now thats not to say that I dont agree that they should update the RR to be nicer for people with Disabilities. But yeah thats how that stuff goes.:wave:

For those that are interested heres the link to the ada rules.http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/reg3a.html#Anchor-Appendix-52467
 
wedoada

wedoada

New Member
Coastermaster,

You are very close but just one correction....there is no "Grandfather Clause" in the ADA, however buildings built before the effective date of the ADA (January 26 1992) do have a much lower stand that they need to reach. In pre-ADA buildings, called "existing Facilities" in the law, only need to do barrier removal that is "readily achievable" or in very plain language, cheap and easy but they need to do this barrier removal even if no alterations or additions are planned.

I don't mean to contradict you but I am an ADA Compliance Consultant and didn't want people to get the idea that some buildings were grandfathered and did not need to comply.
 
Z

ZambeziZelda

Member
Original Poster
You guys are really sweet, but really, anybody would have done it. It's not like I threw myself into the World Showcase Lagoon to save a blind kitten, I just stood in front of a door for a few minutes. But thank you :)

Also, thanks for the link to the ADA rules, this topic is really interesting and something I never really thought about before.
 
Hakunamatata

Hakunamatata

Le Meh
Premium Member
Taryn said:
You guys are really sweet, but really, anybody would have done it. It's not like I threw myself into the World Showcase Lagoon to save a blind kitten, I just stood in front of a door for a few minutes. But thank you :)

Also, thanks for the link to the ADA rules, this topic is really interesting and something I never really thought about before.
Click to expand...

I didnt think pets were allowed inside the park... :lookaroun :p :lol:
 

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