Let the hate begin - Wheelchair only buses?

[jakeman]

If you have a bus with no seats, then where will the family of the wheelchair guest sit?

Am I missing something?

On the handlebars of the wheelchair...duh...

 

[Lord_Vader]

I use to wonder that until I was on a bus where the driver messed up and did not load a ECV first.

Cluster f is the only word to describe it.

It has happened to us, we got to sit at the stop another half hour because guests who arrived after us wouldn't move.

 

[Lord_Vader]

On the handlebars of the wheelchair...duh...

We would stand like we normally do.

 

[mitch-fishguard]

First off, yes, I travel with a person in a wheelchair and am 100% the rights of the disabled
Second, when in school we petitioned and wrote to all of our politicians to have the Curb Cut Requirement Act of 1976 to be passed

So here goes, we normally travel every year to WDW for 15 days and my partner has had 3 back surgeries and 2 discs removed so by the second or third day he is wheelchair bound
We are only a party of two and use the wheelchair option when boarding the buses back and forth, often putting up with the stares and comments about wheelchair abusers

I have also been on the other end, standing in line for what feels like hours waiting for the bus and then a family of 50 comes along with one wheelchair and they fill half of the bus

Come one, we have all had this same feeling of people abusing the wheelchair system

Why not have a wheelchair only bus? Have one designated bus without any seats that can pick up the chairs and families all at once without delaying bus loading of other passengers?
The buses can have the floor locks like the buses here in NYC to hold the wheels in place.

As a wheelchair family I would more than welcome this, any else agree?

If you think its a good idea,(being in a disabled family) then its a good idea. People without disabled family members are going to agree anyway. My caveat? One wheelchair or disabled person, Two family members accompanying, to enable other disabled members to use the same bus

 

[ToInfinityAndBeyond]

Perhaps instead of laughing you might jump right up there and show them how to do it faster, because based on what you are saying, you know a better way.

Woah there, cowboy. If you've used public transportation in a major city in the past few years, you might understand why I find it amusing. I don't expect Disney to put any more money into their bus fleet in the foreseeable future, but when it comes time to upgrade, I believe we will see a very sharp decline in wait time and an increase in ease and safety for all involved (bus driver and passengers included). In the meantime, I'll keep laughing to myself.

 

[Figaro928]

About the only way I ever seeing this problem being resolved is when a bus can be designed with a loading system that would allow EVCs and wheelchairs in the same way they board walking passengers.

An interactive queue with a pager system? like dumbo.....

 

[thomas998]

That would beg the question of legally being allowed to have buses without wheelchair service which due to the Americans with Disabilities Act (commonly referred to as ADA) is not going to happen. Disney is required to provide wheelchair service on all of its buses. What your asking for are additional service routes with unique equipment which is contrary to ADA's goals of providing equal access to the common haulage. Seperate but equal doesn't fly.

This... which is just another reason why the ADA is a good example of a bad idea gone wrong, it removes the ability of a company to comply with the spirit of the ADA which is simply having equal access by mandating that it must be wheelchair lifts on all buses. I seriously doubt anyone in a wheelchair would care what system was used if on average it got them from point A to point B in the same amount of time as the person not in the wheelchair... but because of the ADA there will be no ability to craft a better mousetrap.

 

[networkpro]

This... which is just another reason why the ADA is a good example of a bad idea gone wrong, it removes the ability of a company to comply with the spirit of the ADA which is simply having equal access by mandating that it must be wheelchair lifts on all buses. I seriously doubt anyone in a wheelchair would care what system was used if on average it got them from point A to point B in the same amount of time as the person not in the wheelchair... but because of the ADA there will be no ability to craft a better mousetrap.

Unfortunately, unless each law is crafted with specific itemized points instead of general language it is always subject to interpretation.. even then people attempt to split hairs in the court system over little things like punctuation. Legally there is no legal foundation for "spirit of" or "they really meant".

 

[LuvtheGoof]

LuvtheGoof said: ↑
Perhaps instead of laughing you might jump right up there and show them how to do it faster, because based on what you are saying, you know a better way.

Woah there, cowboy. If you've used public transportation in a major city in the past few years, you might understand why I find it amusing. I don't expect Disney to put any more money into their bus fleet in the foreseeable future, but when it comes time to upgrade, I believe we will see a very sharp decline in wait time and an increase in ease and safety for all involved (bus driver and passengers included). In the meantime, I'll keep laughing to myself.

I don't know why you have me quoted here, as I didn't say that. You quoted Goofeyrnmost but somehow my name ended up in your quote. I didn't say what you quoted. Please check carefully before you post to ensure that you are quoting who you think you are.

 

[Killnme]

My wife has to use a wheelchair and we rarely use the WDW Buses b/c by the time we are done in a park I am in NO mood to wait in line for a bus. 90% of the time I can get her and my daughter to our SUV loaded up and her wheelchair broken down before a bus gets there. Plus staying on property you don't have to pay for parking, so why not take your own car, that way you are in one less line.

I do agree that Disney really needs to start enforcing the max number of people that can load with a handicap person.

 

[Lord_Vader]

My wife has to use a wheelchair and we rarely use the WDW Buses b/c by the time we are done in a park I am in NO mood to wait in line for a bus. 90% of the time I can get her and my daughter to our SUV loaded up and her wheelchair broken down before a bus gets there. Plus staying on property you don't have to pay for parking, so why not take your own car, that way you are in one less line.

I do agree that Disney really needs to start enforcing the max number of people that can load with a handicap person.

I wholeheartedly agree with the decision of the driver to allow only a small number of passengers with an ECV/Wheelchair party but because I believe many would take up virtually every seat they would have based on the fact that I have watched guests that have loaded with the disabled party load and spread out sitting in two seats each to "save a spot" for the rest of their family.

 

[flynnibus]

I seriously doubt anyone in a wheelchair would care what system was used if on average it got them from point A to point B in the same amount of time as the person not in the wheelchair... but because of the ADA there will be no ability to craft a better mousetrap.

What if we had buses for white people.. and separate, but equal buses for all non-white people? Do you think anyone would care as long as 'on average it got them from point A to point B in the same amount of time''? Because function is all that mattered???

The ADA is about avoiding discrimination and exclusion. That is done by mandating INCLUSION and forbidding discriminatory practices... even if they are equal in function. Just like we banned segregated bathrooms, water coolers, etc.

Same thing here, and why people seem to forget the purpose is not just accessibility, but stopping discrimination as well.

It's a very fine line one must dance when offering services to the disabled that are not fully integrated with everything else.

Many districts offer special HC buses offering services beyond what their normal buses offer for those needing more assistance, etc. But that doesn't absolve them from making their normal buses accessible, etc.

 

[kelknight84]

What if we had buses for white people.. and separate, but equal buses for all non-white people? Do you think anyone would care as long as 'on average it got them from point A to point B in the same amount of time''? Because function is all that mattered???

The ADA is about avoiding discrimination and exclusion. That is done by mandating INCLUSION and forbidding discriminatory practices... even if they are equal in function. Just like we banned segregated bathrooms, water coolers, etc.

Same thing here, and why people seem to forget the purpose is not just accessibility, but stopping discrimination as well.

It's a very fine line one must dance when offering services to the disabled that are not fully integrated with everything else.

Many districts offer special HC buses offering services beyond what their normal buses offer for those needing more assistance, etc. But that doesn't absolve them from making their normal buses accessible, etc.

I'm not sure of my opinion on this whole topic but your example doesn't correlate in the least bit.

A. Non-white people don't skip the line of people waiting.
B. Non-white people don't take up a minimum of 3 spaces (often more because they park their scooter and then walk to a regular seat!

 

[NormC]

Why not just toss a rope out the back of the bus and have them all grab on? [/SARCASM] I'M KIDDING!! Really!

 

[Figaro928]

What if we had buses for white people.. and separate, but equal buses for all non-white people? Do you think anyone would care as long as 'on average it got them from point A to point B in the same amount of time''? Because function is all that mattered???

.

So close to Godwin's Law...we're almost there people!!!!

 

[Magenta Panther]

First off, yes, I travel with a person in a wheelchair and am 100% the rights of the disabled
Second, when in school we petitioned and wrote to all of our politicians to have the Curb Cut Requirement Act of 1976 to be passed

So here goes, we normally travel every year to WDW for 15 days and my partner has had 3 back surgeries and 2 discs removed so by the second or third day he is wheelchair bound
We are only a party of two and use the wheelchair option when boarding the buses back and forth, often putting up with the stares and comments about wheelchair abusers

I have also been on the other end, standing in line for what feels like hours waiting for the bus and then a family of 50 comes along with one wheelchair and they fill half of the bus

Come one, we have all had this same feeling of people abusing the wheelchair system

Why not have a wheelchair only bus? Have one designated bus without any seats that can pick up the chairs and families all at once without delaying bus loading of other passengers?
The buses can have the floor locks like the buses here in NYC to hold the wheels in place.

As a wheelchair family I would more than welcome this, any else agree?

I doubt Iger's Disney would spring for this, but I think it would be great.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

I'm not sure of my opinion on this whole topic but your example doesn't correlate in the least bit.

A. Non-white people don't skip the line of people waiting.
B. Non-white people don't take up a minimum of 3 spaces (often more because they park their scooter and then walk to a regular seat!

I think that is the main gripe of people while there. There can be 100 people already waiting for a bus, but this person comes up in a scooter and gets to go to the front of the line with no waiting. So @flynnibus, exactly how is that NOT reverse discrimination??? How is that equal treatment? Why shouldn't that person be made to wait like everyone else for their turn in line? Please explain.

 

[flynnibus]

I'm not sure of my opinion on this whole topic but your example doesn't correlate in the least bit.

A. Non-white people don't skip the line of people waiting.
B. Non-white people don't take up a minimum of 3 spaces (often more because they park their scooter and then walk to a regular seat!

Sorry, your points only JUSTIFY discriminating... not countering if its discrimination. The reason you shouldn't ship them off to only other buses is the same reason we shouldn't treat people a way purely based on their skin, religion, age, etc. It's all discrimination - a concept that is frowned upon in modern society and backed up with laws to try to squash it.

 

[lunchbox1175]

I don't see them adding enough buses to run between each resort and park every 20 minutes.

 

[lunchbox1175]

Well they are supposed to only load the wheelchair/ecv person and up to 3 people. The rest of the party is supposed to go to the end of the line and meet up with their party. IDK why Disney does not enforce this especially with how many more people are using these things now. Plus it would be nice if they only loaded 1 ecv on a bus but I can see how this would separate some couples that are both users.

I have seen this enforced many times, i have actually never seen what the OP stated about mass numbers of people running in the back......maybe i am fortunate.