Wheelchair Abuse

[mrtoad]

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!!

Thanks for the information. She seems to experience the pain mostly at night and after an active day. Inactivity seems to help as is the opposite of what you are saying. I had problems when I was a kid as well where I would wake up at night with massive pain in my legs and would go from mom to dad to mom to dad to rub them all night. The doctors said it was "growing pains" and I am not sure if that is really possible or not. I am now 37 and this was when I was a small child up and stopped sometime in grammer school.

 

[LUV4Goofy]

My WDW trip last month ended me up in the ER during my stay, therefore, having to use a wheelchair and/or scooter....not by choice though. I slipped outside of Cap'n Jacks and dislocated my knee and knee cap (my knee cap ended up in my calf--OUCH). Anyway, after the ER popped everything back into place, they put my leg in a FULL brace, gave me crutches and told me to stay OFF of my leg which is hard to do, being on vacation and all. Anyway, being that I waited 12 months for this trip, I wasn't even going to let this little injury make me have to fly back to Chicago. No way....No how!! So, with that said, I had no choice but to rent a wheelchair or scooter while I was in the parks. I wasn't about to hobble around with crutches throughout the parks and ruin my time or my family's this entire trip. The following day after my accident, we went to MK and had to go to City Hall to obtain a pass to let us access the "handicapped" entrances to the rides. In order to get this pass, I had to prove that I was injured (although the pretty black & blue marks starting to sprout on my entire left leg didn't give her any doubt that I hurt myself). I had to show her the ER paperwork that I received the night before. I guess it depends on the CM that is working that day but I know that I had to show proof that I needed a wheelchair/scooter and that I needed that Pass. I understand how many have abused this wheelchair thing but my reason for getting a wheelchair was legitimate and that's that!!! I used my crutches and stood as long as I could but mainly I used the scooter. I got dirty looks but oh well. Also I noticed while being temporarily "Out of Order" how RUDE others are around people who have the chairs or the scooter. So many people walked right into me or stopped dead in their tracks right in front of me, only to get rammed in the ankles by the wheelchair or scooter. No manners or understanding. I didn't like using the help because people look at you like you're a leper. Anyway, my knee is almost 100% better and did NOT have to have surgery! Yeah!

 

[Jenna]

no probs i jus luked up a site that mite have useful info for u....

http://www.stillsdisease.org/

 

[mrtoad]

no probs i jus luked up a site that mite have useful info for u....

http://www.stillsdisease.org/

Thank-you. I will look that over tonight. I really appreciate the help.

Mike

 

[DisneyChik17]

Anyway, my knee is almost 100% better and did have to have surgery! Yeah!

That's is ver y luck, I dislocated my knee cap at soccer and had surgery. I have almost no caltlidge left under there, but I'm ok. I had to do the scooter thing at Wally World, my only social experiances for about 2 weeks. One lady looked at me as if I should go run laps around the store while my mom shopped. I didn't even enjoy the scooter and I thought I kinda would. It's no picnic when you hurt, even when it's temporary.

 

[mrtoad]

my knee cap ended up in my calf--OUCH

:hurl:

 

[LUV4Goofy]

That's is ver y luck, I dislocated my knee cap at soccer and had surgery. I have almost no caltlidge left under there, but I'm ok. I had to do the scooter thing at Wally World, my only social experiances for about 2 weeks. One lady looked at me as if I should go run laps around the store while my mom shopped. I didn't even enjoy the scooter and I thought I kinda would. It's no picnic when you hurt, even when it's temporary.

I was very lucky!!!! The orthopedic surgeon did the whole nine yards on me....xrays, MRI, ultrasound. There was damage but not enough to have to operate!!! Anyway, that's my Disney wheelchair story.....hopefully nothing like that happens again because other's treat you awfully.

 

[shoppingnut]

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).

I don't know if you are aware, but there are companion bathrooms that your mother could use throughout the parks. This way you don't have to go into the ladies room and it is a separate single bathroom and you could wait right outside the door, this way you don't need to worry about her falling or anything. The two that I know of is the one by POTC and Hester & Jester's dinorama. I'm sure there are others.

 

[momto3grr8tkids]

It is true that exercise helps to keep JRA under control but there is a huge difference in normal exercise and the stress on joints from walking all day like at Disney. If my daughter is not even in a flare of the disease all of the walking at Disney gives her a great deal of pain that night at the hotel.

You may want to check out ArthritisFoundation.org They have a section on JRA. I would read it over and see what you think. JRA is one of those tricky conditions that can present very differently from child to child. Some have a great deal of swelling, my child does, some have fever in the joints, my child does not. DIfferent children respond differently, however there is a series of bloodwork that can be done. They will check her rheumatoid factor, ana +/-, SED rate is a biggie, and also I know with my daughter during a flare her WBC runs really high.

WHile the incidents of JRA is a large number, it is still a relatively rare childhood illness, many Ped. lack the experience with it to diagnose it. We were very lucky that our Ped. admitted to not knowing and referred us out rather quickly.

Good luck to you.

 

[mrtoad]

It is true that exercise helps to keep JRA under control but there is a huge difference in normal exercise and the stress on joints from walking all day like at Disney. If my daughter is not even in a flare of the disease all of the walking at Disney gives her a great deal of pain that night at the hotel.

You may want to check out ArthritisFoundation.org They have a section on JRA. I would read it over and see what you think. JRA is one of those tricky conditions that can present very differently from child to child. Some have a great deal of swelling, my child does, some have fever in the joints, my child does not. DIfferent children respond differently, however there is a series of bloodwork that can be done. They will check her rheumatoid factor, ana +/-, SED rate is a biggie, and also I know with my daughter during a flare her WBC runs really high.

WHile the incidents of JRA is a large number, it is still a relatively rare childhood illness, many Ped. lack the experience with it to diagnose it. We were very lucky that our Ped. admitted to not knowing and referred us out rather quickly.

Good luck to you.

Thank-you for the information. I will be looking at all of this to bring up to her pediatrician.

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[Scooter]

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.

There's no need to get NASTY about it.
There are kids that read this forum. :lookaroun
Surely you can get your point across w/o cursing.

 

[barnum42]

I don't know if you are aware, but there are companion bathrooms that your mother could use throughout the parks. This way you don't have to go into the ladies room and it is a separate single bathroom and you could wait right outside the door, this way you don't need to worry about her falling or anything. The two that I know of is the one by POTC and Hester & Jester's dinorama. I'm sure there are others.

Thanks for that - we are aware of them, but the convenience of the locations of others, combined with the fact that regular people can block the companion bathrooms and more than once we found them with paper thrown all over the place and in a right mess. I know the custodians regularly check, but they can't be there every minute of every day. The sort of yob who feels a need to do this, is not going to do it in front of witnesses, so chooses the companion rooms.

Fortunately, Mother is steady on the flat, she just has a limited range, but it's enough to get to the bathroom.

 

[barnum42]

There's no need to get NASTY about it.
There are kids that read this forum. :lookaroun
Surely you can get your point across w/o cursing.

OK - time for a thread drift then.

I could get my point across with out that word, but not as well as I can with it.

"There is no such thing as bad language - just bad use of good language"

People will use the words "kill", "maim", "stab", "murder" and "strangle" yet get funny of a word that describes a backside. One one of these words does not describe a despicable act yet people who would not raise an eyebrow at the others would complain of it's usage.

So, I'm sorry if you find it offensive and that you think it makes me nasty. But the word stays.

 

[Craig & Lisa]

I slipped outside of Cap'n Jacks and dislocated my knee and knee cap (my knee cap ended up in my calf--OUCH).

Wow!!! what did you slip on? and how fast did they get help?

 

[Wendymom65]

Had to give me 2 cents worth!

1st, if you have had a relative with a disability people are pretty heartless...they say things like "get out of that chair so I could sit awhile" or they would pat her on the head like she was a 2 year old (I lost my mother 8 years ago...most of my 32 years she was with crutches or in a wheelchair)...Yes she was overweight because she couldn't exercise....Now my father is in a wheelchair because of heart/lung problem....yes I have seen young, young people with handicapped stickers and hangtags...I don't judge because there are tons of medical conditions that warrant special treatment. My lousy sister in law got a dr. to write her a prescript. for a hangtag when she hurt her ankle which she still is using years after the injury.....Lets do this folks....stop worrying about the other people and enjoy your own time in WDW and stop passing so much judgement....Is there abuse of the system, yep!! is it annoying, yep...but for me and mine we are goin to enjoy our time at WDW. Oh and by the way, Silver Dollar City (near us) limits the # of people a wheelchair person can have with them (on rides and in the shows)...Disney could do that, but really....just get over it!

 

[Thelazer]

Personally. I'd suggest that Disney immedtly create a "Fast Pass" system for Wheelchairs. If your in a wheelchair, you must go get a ticket. This ticket has a time on it, it's equal to the current wait time. You must then wait for that time to enter. Once the time comes, you then can be rolled right onto the ride.

Very plan and simple, and it sloves the problem of wheelchair abuse right in it's tracks. It's also rather easy to setup, as it could use the exisiting "fast pass" system with little modifcation.

I'd also like to add the following. I've visited WDW every year, 2-3 times a year for the last 25 yeras. If I think back, 10 years I did not see so many "Big" people in scooters. We can all try to be politicly correct and beat around the bush. Bottem line, many of these folks would do themselves good by getting up an walking, rather than scooting around, pushing people with there scooters, running over peoples ankles etc.

 

[tracyandalex]

i agree. it always makes me mad when i see people cheating with the wheelchairs. about 2 years ago my mom had hip surgery and is therefore unable to walk for long periods of time. when we went to disney, my dad let her walk until she couldn't anymore and then amid protest got her a wheelchair. even though my mom really did need the chair, we all felt kinda guilty for cutting everyone. the thing that gets me is that most people who really do need wheelchairs would wait in line, like my mom wanted to be wheeled around, but get up and stand in line. i wish there was something disney could do about cheaters, but i think there will always be those who are not very considerate of others

tracy

 

[homer424]

Chances are, if you are in need of a wheel chair due to a health issue or disability, then you will bring your own to the parks!! I doubt anybody who seriously needs one would casually leave it at home and take the risk of hiking all the way from the TTC to the MK and hoping they have one for rent.

I have to comment on this-my grandmother has severe arthritis in her knees and a degenerative bone disease but refuses, absolutely REFUSES to use a walker or a wheelchair on a daily basis-she doesn't even own one. She will only use canes because she feels if she succumbs to a walker or wheelchair that is it for her and she will die shortly therafter. She can not walk long distances without stopping to rest and often she will use my DD's stroller or a shopping cart to help her along if she is in pain. She just recently let her doctor talk her into getting handicapped placards.

She and I are planning a quick trip to Disney with my 5 y/o dd at the end of the summer and she may have to rent a wheelchair. She doesn't like it since she feels week and defeated actually having to be in one, but she knows if she needs it, she needs it. We decided we would just rent a stroller for DD the first day and if it is too much for her-even with frequent rests-she will let me get a wheelchair. our last trip she was fine until our last day and she needed one. She used it, begrudgingly, but it was a great help to her and helped her enjoy the park more (she also teases that it helped me lose a good 20 lbs pushing her around-LOL)

So please do not assume that just because they don't own a wheelchair that they don't need it-some people just may not want to use one (even though they do need it) so they don't personally own one.

As for abuse, I try not to judge people-my mom had a temporary handicapped placard when she was 35 because she was going through very intense chemo and was very weak all the time. you wouldn't BELIEVE the looks they gave her. I mean she was BALD , skinny and sickly looking but because she was "young" she must have been abusing the system.

Of course, I did see 2 trips ago a small group of young adults had a wheelchair and when they got off the same ride we did, they fought on who would get to ride in it next.

 

[DisneyFreak529]

If I think back, 10 years I did not see so many "Big" people in scooters. We can all try to be politicly correct and beat around the bush. Bottem line, many of these folks would do themselves good by getting up an walking, rather than scooting around, pushing people with there scooters, running over peoples ankles

Just because they are big doesn't mean they are in chair because they don't want to walk!

I agree that there health problems may be due to there weight.
I also think that they might not have the engry to walk the whole park.


*** Note: I'm not passing judgment, I'm a little cubby my self. I have never rented a chair. I always walk the park, I love to walk! I just get mad when people put down "big people". ***

 

[barnum42]

It's been a few pages since I posted the following, but as new readers are harping on about what a disgrace it is for people faking wheelchair use and jumping the lines:

Disney does not let wheelchair users jump the queue at most attractions.

Anyone who wants to blindly continue to moan the the above still happens, I can't help. Those who want to know what it's likes to tour the parks with a wheelchair read this: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=42507