Wheelchair Abuse

[DisneyFreak529]

Sure you can......it may be rude, insensitive, or whatever, but stuff can be said.....should it be said, that is a personal choice.

What if the person you asked was handy capped, won't you feel a little imbarrased after asking!

 

[speck76]

What if the person you asked was handy capped, won't you feel a little imbarrased after asking!

Why does one need to ask in the first place?

 

[PirateStagehand]

I try to not pass judgement as you really have no clue what could be wrong with them. Sure there has to be some people doing it, but you might be wrong when trying to guess which ones were. I mean you could see someone in one who gets right out and walks on the ride with no problem then get off and walks fine to the chair to get back in. But they could have some sort of issue where if they try walking for long periods they could have some sort of severe pain.

This is the case with my parents. They're in their 70's and can't walk for long periods. They don't own wheelchairs because it's rare they have to walk as much as they do in the parks. But the chairs are what saved our vacation. Dad has bad circulation problems and tried the first day but had to sit after only a few hours and there was no way he would have made all 5 days wthout that chair. People shouldn't abuse the privilage but you have to be careful not to judge too quickly.

 

[DisneyFreak529]

Why does one need to ask in the first place?

HELLO!! That is what I'm saying in the frist place!!

 

[dkrfla]

You know, I have been to Walt Disney World at least 30 times in my life and I never once paid any attention to whether or not the the people in wheelchairs were getting in line ahead of me. The thought never even occurred to me until I read this thread. It amazes me on a daily basis how some peoples ideas of what is really important are so far out of whack. I mean I could be wrong but don't think anyone has ever died because they didn't get on Space Mountain first.

This is just my opinion and by no means provable in a court of law

D~

 

[barnum42]

I saw some kids one year abusing the wheelchair, they went right past us into Alien Encounter.

I don't think they would have - Wheelchair users had to queue the same as anyone else for Alien Encounter. The only difference was that the front row of the preview theatre had priority for wheelchairs - but by that stage everyone is getting into the same performance, so no queue jumping is going on.

Why are so many people determined to find something wrong that is not happening? I'm sure people rent wheelchairs in the mistaken belief they will get to jump queues, but they will be very disapointed when they discover it very rarely happens.

It seems to me folks are just on the look out for something to gripe about.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

As someone who has been formaly trained in Equal Oppertunities, I treat everyone as an individual but have a constant approach.

If your small, large, skeletal, a porker (like me), push chair /wheel chair bound, a slow walker, a scenery gawper, a loud moaner, a silent accepter, a chatter, a picture posser, an over excited cheer leader, a character hogger, a burger chomper, a baloon waver, a pool jumper, a deoderant avoider, a noisy thong wearing Brazillian, a badly dressed former colonial, from Noo Yoik or happen to be wearing a Celtic top, get out of tyhe way, this is my Q my park time and im coming through.















If theres a group Ive missed feel free to add it.

 

[Jekyll Baker]

It seems to me folks are just on the look out for something to gripe about.

Welcome to America

 

[SKYWAY 4 ME]

Its difficult enough pushing a stroller all day , never mind pushing around an adult in a wheelchair . I think if they choose to ride then its more work for them just to cut some shorter time off waits. :veryconfu
Have at it !!!

 

[FatRatGus]

Hey I hear ya! It hasn't always been that way, but in my last 2 visits it has seemed to get pretty crazy. It's like when you go to a mall at Christmas time and circle the parking lot for hours and you someone pull their handicapped hangtag out of their glove compartment and park right in front. Now they could have some handicap that you can't see with the naked eye, but when they walk like there is nothing wrong with them! AAARGH!!! And while your on this rant I'd like to comment about every overweight person riding around in those scooters! It's one thing for an elderly person to but when you have a family of four all riding around and they jump right to the front of the line. Can you say LAZY!

Whoa, there! Slow down! My mother has one of those handicaps that you can't "see." She has an autoimmune disorder in which her body is treating her liver like a rejected transplant organ, destroying it slowly; she is extremely close to finally being placed on the transplant list, after 14 years of living with this debilitating illness. She is overweight, as she is not supposed to exercise because of various other life-threatening side-effects.

You bet your ______ she'll be one of those "overweight persons riding around in those scooters!" She's not elderly, but a day walking around the World could easily kill her.

So, please save your judgements and criticisms. Not all relatively young, overweight, scooter-riders are just plain lazy, and it's really hurtful to those people to just assume that!

 

[DisneyFreak529]

So, please save your judgements and criticisms. Not all relatively young, overweight, scooter-riders are just plain lazy, and it's really hurtful to those people to just assume that! <!-- / message -->

Very well put, sorry to hear about your mother condition.

 

[momto3grr8tkids]

We get alot of ugly looks when we go. My youngest daugther has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. She looks like a normal healthy child so many people give us the ugly looks and snarky comments about how we "make" her ride in the wheelchair. I have no problem waiting through the lines for rides while she sits and waits. In fact we usually go in the off season to make it easier.


However the staff has always been wonderful about letting us skip the lines for transportation to and from the parks, as by that point we have turned in the stroller or highchair. Now THAT is when we really get nasty looks, as 5 healthy looking people skip the line to get on the monorail or ferry. But they can keep looking I don't feel I should have to explain or defend myself to anyone.

YOu really shouldn't be making such judgements about people in wheelchairs or the like. I would venture to say that there are probably many more disabilities that you can't see and aren't obvious than ones that are. No we don't bring our own wheelchair because in everyday life she doesn't require one as she can rest when she needs to, however Disney where there is so much walking is just a different story, and have you ever tried to get a child to wait and rest because you know their knees and ankles are killing them but they are just soooo excited they won't let it stop them?

I just think that some of the people complaining on this thread make me want to puke. NEWSFLASH for ya: I would gladly trade places with you and have my child have to do all of the walking and waiting in line if should could be healthy and NEVER experience another day of the extreme pain this disease can cause. You people, and you know which ones you are, are skum!

 

[MissM]

FatRatGus & momto3grr8tkids - I'm with you on this. My mom is disabled with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease and has (among other things) RA, Lupus, and Raynaud's. I've seen her get dirty looks for parking in handicap spaces. Do you reall think she'd rather be suffering painful auto-immune disorders that are destroying her body from the inside-out just to get a better parking space?

Come on people. You only see her the days she can get out of bed. You don't see the rest. And quite frankly, it's none of your business why someone is in a wheelchair.
-m

 

[Craig & Lisa]

My mother-in-law who has left us at the end of 2002, god bless her, when you look at her it did not look as though she needed a wheelchair. She was diabetic and had poor blood flow to her legs, even though she had surgery to correct it, she still had problems. When she came with us in 2000, we would have to stop for her to rest at lest 2 times before we got to the park, I didn't mind and neither did my sons at the who were 7 and 5 at the time. They were just happy that Grandma was with us, well one time when we were entering HM I overheard an adult say something, which was rude to say the least, not even trying to hide it, my wife said not to let it bother me but aftyer hearing it too much, well this person got elected to hear it. I was polite but to the point, " I hope when you are in this condition that I'm around to let you hear me say the same thing, and if we're ruining your vacation because of my M-I-L I'm sorry, then try not to ruin my sons time here, this may be the only time they will be here together here at WDW, and it was. My wife still feels sad when we go, especially at epcot because she loved the rose gardens so much, she would sit and stare at them for the whole day if we let her. She also did not mind waiting in line, standing she could do, the walking was a problem. Sorry for the rant

 

[barnum42]

When I think on it - I've never had a problem with people staring at my Mother with accusatory looks when she gets out of her wheelchair - either to board rides or when she goes to the bathroom as she finds it a lot easier to walk in using a stick than struggle through doors with the chair (and I'm sure there are laws against me, a man, pushing her into the Ladies bathroom).

Anyway, back to the dirty looks. It's possible we get them but I know the truth and so don't give a rats if someone has a stick up their butt about it. They are welcome to ask - but NOBODY ever has.

Believe me - having been brought up a Catholic (no non-faith) I have a subconscious programming to feel guilty about the slightest thing, but have NEVER felt guilty about Mother using the chair as she needs it and there are minimal perks and enough negatives to weigh the perks out.

 

[Jenna]

i hate to see people abusin serious issues i mean i am a care assistant in a nursing home and deal with disabled people evry day! i would never think to abuse it! god giv me the power of my legs so i wait in line with everyone else and thank god for wot i have!!i was disgusted the other day wen a boy actually pretended to be blind just to take his dog on the bus him and his mate laughed about it for the whole journey and wen they got of the driver was annoyed but they just laffed at him!!!it makes me soooooo mad!

 

[mrtoad]

Personally it is unbelievable that someone ever would give a look. Nobody should ever question why someone is in one. I am sure some people do give looks and super shame on them for it.

My daughter is 4 1/2 and is rather tall and looks funny in a stroller so I am sure we will get some looks when we go down next month as I am sure some think she should get out and walk. But she has a problem with leg pain that the doctors are still trying to figure out. If she is really active durring the day she has pain in her legs and winds up with ice bags and motrin and leg rubs all night.

Basically what I am saying is nobody should care what others are doing. People should mind there own beeswax and go and have a good time. Why ruin your day worrying about others...

When I think on it - I've never had a problem with people staring at my Mother with accusatory looks when she gets out of her wheelchair - either to board rides or when she goes to the bathroom as she finds it a lot easier to walk in using a stick than struggle through doors with the chair (and I'm sure there are laws against me, a man, pushing her into the Ladies bathroom).

Anyway, back to the dirty looks. It's possible we get them but I know the truth and so don't give a rats if someone has a stick up their butt about it. They are welcome to ask - but NOBODY ever has.

Believe me - having been brought up a Catholic (no non-faith) I have a subconscious programming to feel guilty about the slightest thing, but have NEVER felt guilty about Mother using the chair as she needs it and there are minimal perks and enough negatives to weigh the perks out.

 

[momto3grr8tkids]

OT: But MRToad has your daughter ever seen a pediatric rheumatologist??? Sounds alot like some of the symptoms of JRA.

 

[mrtoad]

OT: But MRToad has your daughter ever seen a pediatric rheumatologist??? Sounds alot like some of the symptoms of JRA.

No she has not, she has only seen her Peidiatrician. Would you mind sending me a PM with any info you might have so I can look into it. I would really appreciate it very much.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Jenna]

OT: But MRToad has your daughter ever seen a pediatric rheumatologist??? Sounds alot like some of the symptoms of JRA.

i have jra and i find that exercisin is the best way to fite it it helps to keep ur bones supple wotever is wrong wit my bones is also known as stills disease!!!

hope that ur daughter is ok!!