regular wheelchairs and people who look healthy?

[Earstou]

I used a wheelchair in May for the first time and was nervous about "comments" since I look young and healthy. I only used it for 2 days, and my DH always carried it onto the buses, after waiting in line, so I have limited experience.
I was nervous after reading posts before I left, but was pleasantly surprised that no negative comments or looks were directed my way. So my short experience was a very good one!

I did have one thing happen that bothered me, and that was a CM that loudly commented "It's a miracle! She can walk!" when we stopped outside a restroom and I left the chair.
But I also had another CM who went out of his way to make sure I was okay, after he saw me standing beside my chair, wincing in pain as I stretched my muscles. So that far outweighed the first experience!
We only got on one ride immediately, which we didn't expect, since we usually had to wait longer for most of the rides. It also took longer to get around the parks, as people step right in front of you, not even thinking about how it might feel to have a wheelchair crash into them. I guess people think there are brakes on manual wheelchairs!

 

[clkelley]

My hubby has a really bad knee and first trip to WDW he went without using any type of chair, just pain meds and a cortizone shot before the trip.

That was a really miserable trip for us and almost stopped us from ever going to WDW again. With the combination of feeling like we had to spend the entire trip together, and hubby tiring out too quick and me and the boys wanting to spend every minute in the parks just made for a really bad time.

About two years later, I convinced hubby to try WDW again, the first day was once again not much fun. The next day I INSISTED very loudly that he was going to rent an ECV and from then on, my hubby discovered that WDW was a wondrous place to visit and spend time in since he wasn't in pain.

We now have our own ECV that we inherited from my grandmother and the only time we really use it is for trips to WDW and other large places like Turner Field.

We have also realized that we don't have to spend every minute together at WDW. So if hubby wants to stay in bed till noon, then I let him, and get myself out of bed and head for early entry and enjoy the morning!!!

 

[SueM in MN]

I can't tell you how many times in my 9 times visiting WDW, that I've seen people abuse wheelchair use in order to get to the front of the line or get better sitting. Seeing people do this annoys me so much. I've always been tempted to say something to the person who was wheeled to an attraction and then once inside runs around and gets ready for a better viewing spot.

In most of the shows the wheelchair viewing area is in the very last row, so anyone who thinks they will get a better spot will find out pretty quickly that there is no advantage. There are a few shows where some of the handicapped viewing is in the very front row, but this means looking up at an angle toward the stage. The handicapped seating for parades and Illuminations are often crowded and you need to get there ahead of time to get a spot. If it's busy, the CMs do limit it to the person with a disability plus one member of their party.
I think there are very few people who rent a wheelchair without need because
#1 It's an additional expense of at least $11 a day for a wheelchair (plus sometimes a hold on credit card). ECVs are $30+ per day.
#2 It's not easy to push a wheelchair around all day. Those rental wheelchairs weigh approximatly 50 pounds when they are empty.
#3 There is little "advantage" to using a wheelchair if you don't need it for mobility. In most cases, wheelchair users are waiting in line with everyone else and the seating for shows often is one of those "the grass looks greener on the other side of the street" things.

 

[vhoffman]

this is for grinning ghost--

What a beautiful cat! Is it male or female? I read somewhere that all-white, female cats with blue eyes are deaf? Is this true? Hope Not!

Of course,she could just be "faking it" like us wheelchair users. I have rheumatoid arthritis and sometimes use a wheelchair depending on how I feel. I, too, have been accused of faking it. Especially when people see me fine one day and in a wheelchair the next. Well, that's the way it goes. I have also resisted using a wheelchair when I should because of peoples' reactions. In addition to being accused of faking it, I have also had the pleasure of being treated like I'm mentally deficient when in a wheelchair. Especially frustrating when I have 4 college degrees--2 bachelors, a MBA and MLIS. And I'm being treated like that by people who probably were lucky to make it to high-school dropout status.

To the person who questioned why a disabled person's party could accompany him for preferred seating on the bus, well, what's his party supposed to do--run along side the bus? Why do people begrudge me my wheelchair--I don't begrudge them their legs!

As to those who rent a wheelchair when not needed so they can jump line (and, yes, I realize there are people out there like that), reminds me of an Afred Hitchcock episode I saw once. To make it brief, it was about a man who had an accident and was temporarialy paralyzed. When he regained the use of his legs he realized he wouldn't sbe able to collect insurance proceeds due to the accident. Therefore, he continued to use the wheelchair until he got his money. Then, he went to a shrine (somewhere in Mexico) and had a "miracle" happen- he could walk! Nice trick, the insurance co. certainly couldn't take back the money for an Act of God. However, God wasn't in the mood to be mocked that day. After he pretended to be cured, he was actually stricken and rendered paralyzed. What's the moral here? Don't mock God? I would never advise it. However, I think the point of this story is more for those who fake disabilities. If they give so many wonderful perks, why not just be disabled all the time? That's great living--NOT!

 

[vhoffman]

A question for Daisimaie,

Did security at WDW actually question you about your meds? Or was this at the airport security? I've never been questioned about the pain pills I always carry. As long as they're in the original, labeled containers I don't see what the problem is. Do you carry a letter from your Dr just in case? One piece of advice--only carry what you need for the day. It would really ruin your trip to lose all your pain meds. Especially since getting refills at a pharmacy that doesn't know you can be next to impossible. I always get a hotel with an in-room safe and leave the bulk of my meds there. Don't leave them anywhere in the hotel room--I've had pain meds stolen from hotel rooms. Especially if you have a disabled access room. Housekeeping quickly figures out that if you have a disability you might take pain meds and they know all the hiding places in the rooms. On occassions when there's been no safe in the room, I lock up my meds in the hotel safe. Usually ther's not a charge, but if so it would be worth it.

I just wonder why people "faking it" would need pain meds? Or maybe they're fake pain meds??? In which case, why bother to steal them? The world's getting too confusing!!!!

 

[snuggles]

I think we have exhausted this topic. Time to close it.