Anti- Autism Suit Against Disney Update

[Minnie1976]

Not every person can do everything or go everywhere because of disabilities. You have to look at you or your child’s disability and see what is best for them and what they can handle. You shouldn’t have to make people or places change for the disability.

 

[thomas998]

I always thought it was funny to have handicapped parking spots at an amusement park/zoo/etc. Someplace that you are going to be walking a significant amount, but you need to park a few yards closer? Does not make sense. The only thing I can see being a necessity is for wheelchairs to have larger spaces.

My favorite has always been the special parking at skating rinks, ski resorts and Sonic Drive-ins... Places I just can't fathom having a need for handicap parking, especially some of the Sonic Drive-ins where they are designed such that no one ever gets out of their car and the food and drinks are brought to your car, is there really a need for handicapped parking when no one handicapped or not gets out of their car? Those places don't even have public restroom that you can use.

 

[Jon81uk]

Intresting.

You bring up a very good point but perhaps not the way you intend.

What you describe is what most people do with fast passes in general: it’s saving your place in line while riding something else. But the question I have is the pass unlimited? I’ve read through the thread and it appears it is subject to the time of the fastpass line.

Because if so I imagine there will be lots more special needs in the Park should this suit win. The ironic thing (not saying you) will be this will have an unintended consequence of the capacity to meet this need become diminished.

The Disability pass is like an unlimited FastPass, but you can only hold one at a time. So if the line for Big Thunder is two hours, you cannot pick up a DAS return time until the two hours have passed, same as if you waited in the actual line. The system is designed for those who cannot wait in the crowded line environment to go and do other things.

So far there isn't much evidence of the system being abused and everyone using it as unlimited fastpass.

 

[lazyboy97o]

My favorite has always been the special parking at skating rinks, ski resorts and Sonic Drive-ins... Places I just can't fathom having a need for handicap parking, especially some of the Sonic Drive-ins where they are designed such that no one ever gets out of their car and the food and drinks are brought to your car, is there really a need for handicapped parking when no one handicapped or not gets out of their car? Those places don't even have public restroom that you can use.

Are employees not allowed to have disabilities? Are those with disabilities not allowed to watch or participate in other activities?

 

[thomas998]

Are employees not allowed to have disabilities? Are those with disabilities not allowed to watch or participate in other activities?

If it were for employee parking you wouldn't have the ordering boxes set up by an employee parking spot... Not to mention I can't imagine it being possible for a person in a wheelchair to work at a Sonic Drive-in, if you've ever seen on you have servers that sometimes have to roller skate to an cars with their food orders, and the inside kitchens are setup for people standing constantly, not a place someone in a wheelchair would ever be able to work unless they made very significant changes to their facilities and processes.

 

[lazyboy97o]

If it were for employee parking you wouldn't have the ordering boxes set up by an employee parking spot... Not to mention I can't imagine it being possible for a person in a wheelchair to work at a Sonic Drive-in, if you've ever seen on you have servers that sometimes have to roller skate to an cars with their food orders, and the inside kitchens are setup for people standing constantly, not a place someone in a wheelchair would ever be able to work unless they made very significant changes to their facilities and processes.

Accessibility goes well beyond just people in wheelchairs.

 

[Lucky]

My favorite has always been the special parking at skating rinks, ski resorts and Sonic Drive-ins... Places I just can't fathom having a need for handicap parking

True, a disabled parent or grandparent doesn’t really NEED to watch a kid’s hockey game, if it means someone like you might have to park a few feet further away.

 

[lazyboy97o]

True, a disabled parent or grandparent doesn’t really NEED to watch a kid’s hockey game, if it means someone like you might have to park a few feet further away.

And the disabled parent or grandparent definitely doesn't need to watch a kid's sled hockey game.

 

[The Mom]

Because what you generally have with a large percentage of people using the ADA law is not people wanting equality but people wanting special treatment. I'm always baffled by handicapped parking, I can understand having some spaces wider to insure a wheelchair can be moved easily near the car; that makes sense. But if every parking spot in your parking lot were extra wide affording the ability to get a wheelchair in and out easily why require handicap parking at all, that would truly be equal treatment of everyone. I know some people will say but some people can't walk very far... which may be true, but if you can't walk very far why would you be going to places like malls where you are going to have to walk a long way no matter where you parked. Why not allow places to scatter handicapped parking all over the place some places near the entrance some far far away and some in the middle, wouldn't that insure that the person using that special parking place was being treated equally and being given preferential treatment? In the end everyone wants to be treated better than the next guy, and in the US a lot of people have found that the weapon to get that special treatment is the ADA.

It is also for safety - it means that someone in a wheelchair/scooter/walker doesn't have to cross any traffic!

If you've ever spent any time in a wheelchair (I have) you discover that you have suddenly become invisible. I went to check in at the doctor's, and the receptionist kept asking my driver (not a relative) questions, instead of me. The same thing happened in stores, etc. People didn't address me. You're below eye level, so many people don't see you - just like a child.

Not having these spaces would mean that you would always have to have an adult with you to flag cars that don't see you - and there seem to be a lot of them! I know because I was only "disabled" for a few months, and knew I would be back walking again, so didn't get a parking permit. I had to cross a parking lot, but had to have someone with me (also to push my wheelchair) or had to get dropped off at the door and wait while he/she parked the car. Yes, it can be done - but it required having another adult to "help" me. Which defeats one purpose of the ADA - independence. The act is supposed to allow people to be as independent as reasonably possible. Having designated spaces by the entrance (it is a proportion of total spaces, AFAIK) was deemed a reasonable requirement. Having a designated stall in a BR was deemed reasonable - even if you had no handicapped employees or customers at the time. The future might be different.

BTW, most malls, etc have scooters or wheelchairs available. Even WDW has them for rent at the entrance, as there are people who can walk far enough to get to the entrance (albeit very slowly and with difficulty) but cannot walk much further. It isn't always an all or nothing situation.

 

[The Mom]

My favorite has always been the special parking at skating rinks, ski resorts and Sonic Drive-ins... Places I just can't fathom having a need for handicap parking, especially some of the Sonic Drive-ins where they are designed such that no one ever gets out of their car and the food and drinks are brought to your car, is there really a need for handicapped parking when no one handicapped or not gets out of their car? Those places don't even have public restroom that you can use.

You've never seen handicapped skiers? I have. They have to park and then get inside to get into their specific adaptive equipment.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Paralympic+sports+list&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1

I see a couple on the list that take place in a skating rink, and on ski slopes.

 

[DarthVader]

and Sonic Drive-ins.

You do realize that handicap people can and do drive cars.

 

[The Mom]

You do realize that handicap people can and do drive cars.

I think he meant that if it's a drive through, they don't have to get out of the car, so why a special "parking" space. But I suspect that the speaker/touchpad might be positioned differently (or there may even be two) because it would not be as easy for the driver to adjust themselves to reach it. I've never been to a Sonic, but if other drive-thrus are any indication, I sometimes have to open the door, or even stand, to complete the transaction. I have short arms.

It would also alert the employee that if there is a problem the customer can't walk in to resolve it. The employee would have to go to the customer.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Sonic Drive-Ins often have an outdoor seating area. Those need to be available.

 

[Willmark]

The Disability pass is like an unlimited FastPass, but you can only hold one at a time. So if the line for Big Thunder is two hours, you cannot pick up a DAS return time until the two hours have passed, same as if you waited in the actual line. The system is designed for those who cannot wait in the crowded line environment to go and do other things.

So far there isn't much evidence of the system being abused and everyone using it as unlimited fastpass.

Again as noted prior this was just some general thoughts.

As to abuse? We’ll see.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

So my son is two and he has autism few times I’ve been to Disney with the DAS pass it does help cut down wait times but we still have to wait in line a little bit I don’t think the Disney should have to put children with autism or anyone with autism at the front of the line . You should still have to wait a little because in the real world when children grow up with autism they’re not gonna be able to have a Das for life. You still have to wait in the grocery store the bus etc. so I think it’s a great idea to have something to help Families deal with autism and Disney but they shouldn’t Be able to skip the whole line because that’s just not how life works and if you’re going to teach your child that that’s not how the rest of the world is that’s my two cents

 

[WDWBigEd]

We have a child on the Autism spectrum and have use the DAS pass. While I know every person is different I feel like this goes above anything they needed to do anyway.

 

[Raineman]

This is a bit of a slippery slope for WDW. Obviously, they have a system in place for certain types of special needs-but there are many other types of special needs conditions that are rarer than the ones currently covered, and if people with those conditions feel that WDW is not accommodating them, it could get ugly, legally, for Disney. It is ridiculous to think that Disney could even begin to try to accommodate every person that has a certain special needs condition or phobia, but in this entitled, litigious society we live in, some people would demand that their uncommon needs be satisfied. As an example, if some has been diagnosed with zoophobia (fear of animals), should they be accommodated at DAK if they want to visit? How would you even begin to accommodate something like that? I am not, in any way, downplaying any condition that people can have that makes life more difficult for them, but for a percentage of these people to expect that things MUST be changed at all times to accommodate them to the level they think is required, is ridiculous and self serving.

 

[The Mom]

I think it all goes back to what is reasonable accommodation? Many of the things that we take for granted - handicapped parking spaces, entrances, restroom facilities, ramps, etc were hotly debated way back when, with many people calling them unreasonable.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I think it all goes back to what is reasonable accommodation? Many of the things that we take for granted - handicapped parking spaces, entrances, restroom facilities, ramps, etc were hotly debated way back when, with many people calling them unreasonable.

Disney’s big challenge will be demonstrating that the old system was unreasonable. While the plaintiffs have additional desires (notably the guaranteed 15 minute maximum wait) this whole issue came from the change in systems. My understanding is that the written rules of the previous system were not actually for the sort of immediate access that people received but that became the default since it was easier to just let people on the ride. It’s one thing to say something new is unreasonable but it is harder to say something you used to do for your own convenience is now unreasonable.

 

[Hcalvert]

My son is Autistic (Asperger's when it was accepted by psychiatry) and wasn't diagnosed until 2010. He waited in line with everyone else and he played on his phone or an electronic device. He has been going to WDW since 2005. Someone on the bus who saw my husband's tattoo (an ode to Autism) told us about what they had in place for Autistic patrons as his son needed those accommodations. We felt that they were not appropriate for our situation, but could certainly understand that there are some who need them. Eventually, my son did get upset over the crowds and people invading his personal space and has declined the last two trips and chose to stay home instead.