Just back and kinda shocked

[HARVEYSGIRL]

We just completed a trip to WDW with my autistic DS 8 and my disabled mom. It was a great trip overall! I just want to comment on one thing I noticed though. My mother is in a ECV and we had our DS in a stroller. I never realized how inconsiderate people can be. I was shocked. I guess I have always gone all out to accomidate people. People do not do that anymore. They act as if it is an inconvenience. My mother would say excuse me and people would ignore her. They were always cutting her off and would just look at her if she bumped them. And the comments...I felt really bad for her because she has always been so polite. Rest assured that my family will NEVER act that way and I am sorry if anyone acted this way toward any Dis members!

My son did great! I even got him to be in some pictures. He even helped drive the jungle cruise boat. He turned the wrong direction the whole time but he seemed happy We had our moments but nothing we couldn't handle. We did have a few comments but they were mostly because he cannot speak plainly and likes to touch things that don't belong to him.

I just wanted to mention this because as much as it hurts my feelings I can only imagine how handicapped people feel. We should all put ourselves in their shoes for a while and we would have much better attitudes.

 

[bookwormde]

Glad things went well with your DS, about the time a get annoyed by inconsiderate people a guest or CM does something nice and considerate and I just forget all about the “uncivilized people”

bookwormde

 

[Grateful11]

We saw quite a bit of that 8 years ago when my son was 10, he has Muscular Dystrophy and is able to walk like 100-200 ft. but has to stop and rest for long time and it just zaps all his energy out. People see someone in a wheelchair and then they get up and walk a short distance they just don't understand. We have tried to figure out every way possible to get his Invcare TDX SP Powerchair down there but just can't come up with a simple solution, we have a large SUV, that it will fit in, but there's no practical way to get in the back and receiver hitch lifts are extremely expensive. He just had his case reviewed with the County Vocational Rehab for his college funding and they mentioned that they could probably help with purchasing of a lift.

OT: Sending him off to college last fall was about the hardest thing we've ever done but he did fine and will be returning to Pfeiffer Univ. for his second year in a few weeks. We have two sons at Pfeiffer and they have been great help accommodating him including putting a power door opener on the outside of his dorm building. He and his brother made the Summer 2009 Pfeiffer Alumni newsletter recently, they're on the back page of the newsletter available here, but you have to download it as a .pdf file.

http://www.pfeiffer.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=109&Itemid=1470

 

[donaldtutter]

Never underestimate the rudeness of people.

 

[HARVEYSGIRL]

Congrats on your sons and college. I have been told by a gazillion doctors that my son is mentally around a 2 year year old but I have faith in him. The doctors keep pointing out that "they have homes for people like him". I tell them that he has a home and is just fine. He is 8 and a half now and this was his first trip to WDW. I think that he enjoyed himself! I hope so because I am gonna drag him back as often as I can!

 

[SueM in MN]

It's sad to hear about people's inconsiderate behavior.
It does happen though and I agree, it seems to be getting worse. Sometimes, it seems like people think we are trying to personally inconvenience them just for fun. And, all we are doing is pushing DD's wheelchair in the regular line and waiting with everyone else.

But, usually just when you are feeling really down, someone will come along and do something nice. It might be small, like holding a door open. But, even a little thing helps you cope with all the general rudeness.

 

[dyna]

Yes ppl can be very rude an inconsiderate of others not just with those in chairs but those of us who walk too. I agree the problem is gettin worse all the time.

Remember when ppl naturally walked on the right side of walkway? It not that way no more anywhere.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

We just completed a trip to WDW with my autistic DS 8 and my disabled mom. It was a great trip overall! I just want to comment on one thing I noticed though. My mother is in a ECV and we had our DS in a stroller. I never realized how inconsiderate people can be. I was shocked. I guess I have always gone all out to accomidate people. People do not do that anymore. They act as if it is an inconvenience. My mother would say excuse me and people would ignore her. They were always cutting her off and would just look at her if she bumped them. And the comments...I felt really bad for her because she has always been so polite. Rest assured that my family will NEVER act that way and I am sorry if anyone acted this way toward any Dis members!

My son did great! I even got him to be in some pictures. He even helped drive the jungle cruise boat. He turned the wrong direction the whole time but he seemed happy We had our moments but nothing we couldn't handle. We did have a few comments but they were mostly because he cannot speak plainly and likes to touch things that don't belong to him.

I just wanted to mention this because as much as it hurts my feelings I can only imagine how handicapped people feel. We should all put ourselves in their shoes for a while and we would have much better attitudes.

Huge hugs to you all, and sorry to hear that you met with the 'less pleasant' (to put it mildly) end of society. I'm glad you had a good trip over-all, and that the idiots didn't spoil the magic for you all. All of us here are firm believers in the magic of Disney on those of us with disabilities, and I'm so glad you three got to enjoy that magic !

My fella and I are fairly used to people drifting in front of my chair now, and we even have a point scoring system for idiots -

1-2 points for the slightly annoying, but not too inconvenient drift in front
3 points for someone who means we have to slow down or change direction fairly quickly
4 points for the completely unthinking
5 points for those who look straight at you (or should I say 'through you'?), then deliberately walk in your way anyway

I am very careful not to hit people, but sometimes I do get a little close, to let them realise quite how dangerous their actions would have been, if I weren't used to driving my chair.

I always think that when you're out in a wheelchair, or with other disabilities, you get to see both the best and the worst of humanity. You do, unfortunately see the prats who think the world was made just for them; but for everyone one of those idiots you meet, you'll find at least 10 caring and helpful people who will do something, even just a little something, to make you smile again

I have been told by a gazillion doctors that my son is mentally around a 2 year year old but I have faith in him. The doctors keep pointing out that "they have homes for people like him". I tell them that he has a home and is just fine. He is 8 and a half now and this was his first trip to WDW. I think that he enjoyed himself! I hope so because I am gonna drag him back as often as I can!

They actually said that to you?! I don't know how you managed to stop yourself from slapping them ! It sounds to me like he has the best home he could ever have, right where he is .

OT: Sending him off to college last fall was about the hardest thing we've ever done but he did fine and will be returning to Pfeiffer Univ. for his second year in a few weeks. We have two sons at Pfeiffer and they have been great help accommodating him including putting a power door opener on the outside of his dorm building. He and his brother made the Summer 2009 Pfeiffer Alumni newsletter recently, they're on the back page of the newsletter available here, but you have to download it as a .pdf file.

http://www.pfeiffer.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=109&Itemid=1470

Huge congratulations to your boys!

 

[HARVEYSGIRL]

Yes they actually said that to me. As of matter of fact I have had 3 doctors this year tell me that. It makes me mad. All I want to do is help him and they act like he is a burden on me. He is a blessing not a burden! He's my baby.

 

[ckdsnynt]

When I was there in May with my ecv, I was amazed at the people that would stand and wait for people to pass by and then step right out in front of me with my scooter! Do they not realize that scooters do not come with brakes? I was so tempted to hit the gas and hit them! "Sorry, my foot slipped!" Well, i am certainly not going to do that but i sure got tired of trying to avoid people that thought it was okay to step in front of me and make me try and avoid hitting them! They would look right at you and go ahead and step in front of you as if you did not matter at all! They would do the same thing to strollers! Go figure!

 

[Bearshouse]

we even have a point scoring system for idiots -

1-2 points for the slightly annoying, but not too inconvenient drift in front
3 points for someone who means we have to slow down or change direction fairly quickly
4 points for the completely unthinking
5 points for those who look straight at you (or should I say 'through you'?), then deliberately walk in your way anyway



We are going for the first time in December and DS is in a power chair. While non-verbal he will love this point system and laugh each time we give out points. Thanks for the fun idea.

 

[bidnow5]

I have been fighting the crowds for a few years you learn to judge people before it's a problem I can see when people are walking slightly sideways and react to be sure they don't walk into the side of my scooter.

The ones that just stand there and ignore you when you are trying to pass will move when you say coming through and give it the gas

I had one last year that still makes my blood boil there was a construction barrier and it got very narrow as I was going past the narrowest point a guy picked his kid up by one arm and swung him in front of me. I hit the barrier to avoid a sold collision with a 5 year old. To top it off the parents started yelling at me for almost hitting the 5 year old.

Unfortunately there are more stupid people then not

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Yes they actually said that to me. As of matter of fact I have had 3 doctors this year tell me that. It makes me mad. All I want to do is help him and they act like he is a burden on me. He is a blessing not a burden! He's my baby.

I didn't think anyone had these kind of views any more, especially not people in the medical profession! I know that the opinion used to be that all of us disabled people should be locked away out of sight, but I thought those days were gone!

My mother spent her Gap Year before uni helping out at a school for disabled kids. There was apparently one deaf child who's parents had been told "If you can only communicate with him by flapping your hands around, you should just not talk to him"!!!! Thankfully his parents, like you, ignored the ignorant &*$% and brought him up signing.

Thank goodness your wonderful little boy was brought into a family that would appriciate the blessing he is

we even have a point scoring system for idiots -

1-2 points for the slightly annoying, but not too inconvenient drift in front
3 points for someone who means we have to slow down or change direction fairly quickly
4 points for the completely unthinking
5 points for those who look straight at you (or should I say 'through you'?), then deliberately walk in your way anyway

We are going for the first time in December and DS is in a power chair. While non-verbal he will love this point system and laugh each time we give out points. Thanks for the fun idea.

Hehe, glad you like it! We came up with it one day when we'd had a lot of people wander in front of me, and it certainly helps keep our stress levels down a bit . It also confuses the heck out of people, when you start loudly asking each other "now, was that three points, or four?" when they cut you up . You can even keep a tally going, if you want to - you'd get a huge score at Disney, especially around Christmas!

We've even had one that went off the scale to 6 points! I was pushing up a hill, and they were walking towards me. We were on a pedestrianised road, so there was loads of room for them to move in to, but they didn't; they just carried on walking straight towards me, looking at me the whole time. Now this hill is steep enough that I don't want to have to put in the effort to stop or steer around them, and, seeing as they were more manouverable than me (no walking aids, no obvious trouble walking, and plenty of room to step into), I just carried on straight. I think the point at which they finally stopped playing chicken with me, was when my footplate was about 6" from their feet. Of course, by this point, they had to leap to get out of my way, but I wasn't stopping!

The other option we sometimes go for is to sing "Under the Boardwalk" loudly when people drift in front of me (that song is by The Drifters, get it? ).

I had one last year that still makes my blood boil there was a construction barrier and it got very narrow as I was going past the narrowest point a guy picked his kid up by one arm and swung him in front of me. I hit the barrier to avoid a sold collision with a 5 year old. To top it off the parents started yelling at me for almost hitting the 5 year old.

At that point, I would have started yelling back, but I get a bit bolshy sometimes! I've had so many parents drag their small children in front of me, practically under my wheels, without even looking or thinking twice. Most of the time, the kids have noticed me, even if their parents haven't, and look terrified that they'll be run over


For these kind of situations, I will often tell people that I'm an evil wheelchair user, and won't think twice about running over their toes - that gets them out of my way quite quickly!

The other option of course, is to make yourself as visible as possible, so they can't claim they didn't see you. I've found people tend to move if I sit in the chair, waving my arms about frantically as I go


Ooh, that's a long post even by my standards!

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

Congrats on your sons and college. I have been told by a gazillion doctors that my son is mentally around a 2 year year old but I have faith in him. The doctors keep pointing out that "they have homes for people like him". I tell them that he has a home and is just fine. He is 8 and a half now and this was his first trip to WDW. I think that he enjoyed himself! I hope so because I am gonna drag him back as often as I can!

Oh, my. I know your heart breaks when a doctor will say that to you. I ache for you!! And, would the doctor have him go to a home where nobody loves him? I am glad your son enjoyed WDW, go and have fun with him as many times as you can!! Would be nice if you could switch doctors!!

 

[Bete]

joining us for her first, scooter experience at Disney World. My husband uses a scooter, too, but he's use to it all there. Fortunately, we've not had an accident, but I see the day will come where this will be a huge issue at Disney with liability factors. I really wish there was a separate path for wheelchairs and scooters through the parks.

The worse we ran across was a father grabbing two kids by hand and darting in front of my hubby's scooter rented from Disney at the time. It looked like he did it intentionally. He had no concern for safety from what I could tell and it was a close call.

We are investing in a scooter this year for hubby. We will drive down and it will be in our trunk. I will be manning it with a loud horn. I'll hope the horn never gets used, but I'll report back what happens.

I'm so happy that Disney allows mechanical vehicles, but I see the day this will become an issue. Heaven forbid the day that comes when someone has scooter rage. It won't be us, but I can see it happening.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

joining us for her first, scooter experience at Disney World. My husband uses a scooter, too, but he's use to it all there. Fortunately, we've not had an accident, but I see the day will come where this will be a huge issue at Disney with liability factors. I really wish there was a separate path for wheelchairs and scooters through the parks.

The worse we ran across was a father grabbing two kids by hand and darting in front of my hubby's scooter rented from Disney at the time. It looked like he did it intentionally. He had no concern for safety from what I could tell and it was a close call.

We are investing in a scooter this year for hubby. We will drive down and it will be in our trunk. I will be manning it with a loud horn. I'll hope the horn never gets used, but I'll report back what happens.

I'm so happy that Disney allows mechanical vehicles, but I see the day this will become an issue. Heaven forbid the day that comes when someone has scooter rage. It won't be us, but I can see it happening.

Unfortunately, there are far, far too many people who think that, because there are no cars about, they can walk around without paying any attention to where they're going . I know that some of the other boards on the Dis get regular posts about people who 'shouldn't be allowed to use ECVs', but I think there are an awful lot more who shouldn't be allowed to use their feet !

If you decorate your chair / scooter up, it can help you become a bit more noticable. Now, this isn't to say you won't get the idiots - you will! - but at least it makes it harder for them to claim they didn't see you. I'm planning to put fairy lights on my chair for our trip, so I'm more visible at night (and because it will look cool!). You could always go the whole hog, and put a set of speakers on the scooter, blasting out music as you go along. I'm also planning to make covers for the back of my chair, with various signs hinting at my evil intentions to run over anyone who gets in my way .

When I went a few years back, I put feathered pom-pom things on my wheels. Now I only did this for decoration, but I found it served a second, very useful, purpose. You know those people who step backwards in shops without looking, and almost end up sitting in your lap? Well I found that the pom-poms stopped this, because they felt something tickling their legs when I passed, and stepped forwards, instead! It was so funny seeing the looks on some people's faces; they must have thought one of the furry beasties from AK had escaped or something

 

[alizesmom]

This didn't happen at WDW but I have now found that there is a hierarchy with wheeled "vehicles". Apparently strollers have priority over wheelchairs. While shopping I had to move my 4yr old's chair for a parent pushing a stroller. Fun listening to him complain about US taking too much room. Karen

 

[TriMom]

I'm planning to put fairy lights on my chair for our trip, so I'm more visible at night (and because it will look cool!).


When I went a few years back, I put feathered pom-pom things on my wheels. Now I only did this for decoration, but I found it served a second, very useful, purpose. You know those people who step backwards in shops without looking, and almost end up sitting in your lap? Well I found that the pom-poms stopped this, because they felt something tickling their legs when I passed, and stepped forwards, instead! It was so funny seeing the looks on some people's faces; they must have thought one of the furry beasties from AK had escaped or something

Totally off topic, but I love how you Brits call them Fairy Lights - the whole world should adopt that term.!!!!!

Do you have a picture of the pom poms? I can't quite picture it in my mind and it sounds like a very useful addition to a scooter!

 

[OneLittleSpark]

This didn't happen at WDW but I have now found that there is a hierarchy with wheeled "vehicles". Apparently strollers have priority over wheelchairs. While shopping I had to move my 4yr old's chair for a parent pushing a stroller. Fun listening to him complain about US taking too much room. Karen

We tend to work on what we like to call "The Law Of 'Ow' ". In other words, the person who would get hurt most by a collision, gets right of way . To enforce this, we just keep going straight, and let them decide whether they're stubborn enough to risk their ankles .

With that person in the shop, I would have just pretended I didn't see them, until they actually asked me to move. If they don't have the curtesy to acknowledge my existance, I don't see why I should there's.

I was waiting to get off a train once, and this woman stood in front of the doors to get on. I don't like pulling back from the door to let other people on, in case they shut before I can pull forwards again, and the train leaves with me ! So my partner explained that she might want to try another door. She just blanked him completely, then tried to walk on to the train. However, I was holding on to the grab rails either side of the door. I didn't let go, when she walked in to my arm. But hey, if she is rude enough to pretend that I don't exist, rather then just asking if she could come past, I'm not going to move for her! I know, I'm evil!

Or you could just give them a withering look and say - "I'm so sorry that my son's disability is such a burden on you".

Totally off topic, but I love how you Brits call them Fairy Lights - the whole world should adopt that term.!!!!!

Do you have a picture of the pom poms? I can't quite picture it in my mind and it sounds like a very useful addition to a scooter!

So what do you guys call them? I like 'fairy lights'

 

[TriMom]

So what do you guys call them? I like 'fairy lights'

I call them fairy lights now - of course. LOL In my neck of the woods, they are referred to as twinkle lights, or the ever creative Christmas tree lights.