IASW Introducing Dolls in Wheelchairs

[Angel Ariel]

Sure they do…they represent ALL handicapped children…do the leprechauns represent ALL people of Irish decent?

So what your saying is that if Disney can’t represent EVERY disability, they shouldn’t add the children in wheelchairs? I’m gonna let you in on a little secret…not every country in the world is represented on iasw…OH, THE HORROR!!! Let’s shut the whole ride down

The largest increase of disabilities now is autism…many autistic children show no physical disabilities…in many cases (not all), it’s psychological or emotional, not necessarily physical…how do we represent that portion of the population? If I misrepresent autistic children and families, PLEASE let me know and I will apologize and take this post down, but I would THINK that any addition to represent disabilities would be welcomed.

I think it’s a great addition to the ride…plain and simple.

My daughter's disabilities are largely invisible. She's thrilled about the inclusion of these dolls. She may not use a wheelchair, but she has classmates who do.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

please reconsider the use of "wheelchair bound" (Why, from a wheelchair user)

Holy crap, that's not what "bound" means.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Messages of world peace have never been about perfection.

It takes a lot more than dancing and singing children in traditional garb to convince me that that equates to perfection/utopia.

If it was a ride about utopia, it would depict a world without Splash Mountain

 

[Disney Analyst]

Disney is doing a good job including wheelchairs. MK today has this display

View attachment 678563

NICE!!

Clearly an initiative going out across the board. Love it.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

NICE!!

Clearly an initiative going out across the board. Love it.

Except this is a display for a t-shirt that makes it harder to see the t-shirt. A wheelchair mannequin makes sense at ground level or eye level, but it makes zero sense for an overhead display.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

Holy crap, that's not what "bound" means.

Tell me you didn't read the article without telling me you didn't read the article. If you bothered to scroll past the (clearly in jest) header photo and first paragraph, you would find the following:

To say someone is “wheelchair-bound” is to perpetuate an unfortunately popular misconception that someone’s wheelchair is the most prominent and important aspect of that person. It’s as if the person who uses the wheelchair is not really a person, but rather some type of machine.

An aversion to the term "wheelchair-bound" is hardly something new. We were taught not to use it as far back as 2007 when I first did diversity and inclusion training for Disney.

 

[Inspired Figment]

What if original/iconic to the attraction is part of the problem? Was the Trader Sam AA “iconic” to Jungle Cruise?

No, please don’t. It’s clear where you’re coming from.

Ah yes, now you’re making false assumptions. You asked what the reasoning was. We gave it. Truth is, you weren’t asking for a genuine explanation or understanding. Stop trying to twist something into something it clearly isn’t. Speaking of which, you ‘do’ realize that Trader Sam was reinvented in a way that’s more positive that doesn’t take them away entirely, right? Not to mention there’s the tiki/Adventureland themed bar.. Yeah, that’s what I thought..

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Tell me you didn't read the article without telling me you didn't read the article. If you bothered to scroll past the (clearly in jest) header photo and first paragraph, you would find the following:



An aversion to the term "wheelchair-bound" is hardly something new. We were taught not to use it as far back as 2007 when I first did diversity and inclusion training for Disney.

As I said, "holy crap, that's not what bound means."

 

[Angel Ariel]

Holy crap, that's not what "bound" means.

Bound does actually mean confined. “Confined to a wheelchair” has been a synonym for “wheelchair bound” for decades.

Regardless, it’s simply respectful to listen to how those with disabilities (and, well, anyone) wish to be addressed.

 

[doctornick]

please reconsider the use of "wheelchair bound" (Why, from a wheelchair user)

I get the sentiment of the article - though I think the author is overly critical of the term and attributing malice that isn’t there - but did I miss any alternative phrase being suggested? If “wheelchair bound” is considered offensive, I’d like to know what is a good alternative.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

As I said, "holy crap, that's not what bound means."

Care to explain what you think is implied in the term "wheelchair-bound," then? What exactly do you think the word "bound" means?

The fact that you're arguing against the opinions and explicit wishes of actual people who use wheelchairs is astounding to me.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I get the sentiment of the article - though I think the author is overly critical of the term and attributing malice that isn’t there - but did I miss any alternative phrase being suggested? If “wheelchair bound” is considered offensive, I’d like to know what is a good alternative.

Wheelchair user is the terminology I’ve seen most frequently. Or, using person first language, I’ve seen person using a wheelchair.

The identity first (wheelchair user) vs person first language is very much a hot topic in the disability community, and generally speaking when talking to a specific individual it’s just an overall good idea to ask them their preference.

 

[Angel Ariel]

The fact that you're arguing against the opinions and explicit wishes of actual people who use wheelchairs is astounding to me.

That is, unfortunately, pretty common in society in general.

 

[Joel]

I stopped after reading “world peace is for all practical purposes synonymous with utopia.” As long as France and England get along, that’ll get rid of diseases, mental health issues, poverty, etc., right?

Please, indeed.

Sorry, I didn't study English as much as you, so my language was less than precise.

I didn't mean that world peace was the only component of an ideal world, but it is (almost always, unless you're straining to argue some bizarre point on an Internet message board, apparently) one of them, no? If you asked a hundred people to describe the perfect world, how many of them do you think would include world peace?

 

[Californian Elitist]

Sorry, I didn't study English as much as you, so my language was less than precise.

I didn't mean that world peace was the only component of an ideal world, but it is (almost always, unless you're straining to argue some bizarre point on an Internet message board, apparently) one of them, no? If you asked a hundred people to describe the perfect world, how many of them do you think would include world peace?

Sure, one could say that world peace is needed for a utopian world. It’s a factor of utopia, but it is not synonymous with utopia.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I get the sentiment of the article - though I think the author is overly critical of the term and attributing malice that isn’t there - but did I miss any alternative phrase being suggested? If “wheelchair bound” is considered offensive, I’d like to know what is a good alternative.

Maybe wheelchair user? Wheelchair dependent?

 

[_caleb]

Maybe wheelchair user? Wheelchair dependent?

Don’t guess just listen

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Wheelchair reliant?

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Don’t guess just listen

Just what I need…an ECV reliant user due to a hideous disease with no cure being educated by a keyboard warrior…thanks, you made my day!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Bound does actually mean confined. “Confined to a wheelchair” has been a synonym for “wheelchair bound” for decades.

Regardless, it’s simply respectful to listen to how those with disabilities (and, well, anyone) wish to be addressed.

One member of a class of people does not speak for the entire class of people.