visual disabilites

[gilesmt]

I can't go back and quote it but I read about a flashlight above, that is another solution on the lines like HM. I have to get to HM when I go to wdw this year, I am so use to dlr HM I can not seem to get in my head what people are talking about because the two rides are different. But I have heard before that some people carry those pen lights or cell phones and turn them on (pointed down I hope), that might help, it would not help me, I actually am the opposite, I can see almost 20/20 when it is pitch black, I can actually read a book when pitch black, I havehad at least 50 doctors ask me to do this because it goes against everything they have ever been told. My vision problem is a head injury, there is nothing wrong with my eyes, my brain was damaged in a fall and it can not read the messages correctly. My dd has cerebral palsy and I try to explan to others it is the same thing almost, her muscles work but her brain does not tell them the right message, my eyes work but my brain can not tell them the right message. Try a flashlight if you think that could work.

[smidgy]

good advice. except if he uses a flashlight, his eyes won't adjust to the dark, and then he won't see anything on the ride itself. he can see things in the ride at night, if his eyes have adjusted to the dark. thanks.

[buffettgirl]

Originally Posted by smidgy

good advice. except if he uses a flashlight, his eyes won't adjust to the dark, and then he won't see anything on the ride itself. he can see things in the ride at night, if his eyes have adjusted to the dark. thanks.

so really the best thing is going to be to just slowly make your way through the line. Slowly. Very slowly. Just taking your time will give him the time needed to not get bumped up, and give his eyes time to adjust to the darkness.

Though, we do find that a small flashlight doesn't really cause trouble and helps ease the difference between light and dark.

[smidgy]

Originally Posted by buffettgirl

so really the best thing is going to be to just slowly make your way through the line. Slowly. Very slowly. Just taking your time will give him the time needed to not get bumped up, and give his eyes time to adjust to the darkness.

Though, we do find that a small flashlight doesn't really cause trouble and helps ease the difference between light and dark.

thanks for your help! everyone is helpful, and I appreciate all the advice.

[buffettgirl]

I was just thinking what other things you could possibly ask about. I wonder if you could ask for a spot to wait before actually doing the line that was dark enough that your husband's eyes became adjusted, making it a bit easier to manage the queue and then allowing him to be able to see the ride?? Or maybe enter a queue and just stand for a short while letting people pass.

[ttintagel]

Originally Posted by buffettgirl

I was just thinking what other things you could possibly ask about. I wonder if you could ask for a spot to wait before actually doing the line that was dark enough that your husband's eyes became adjusted, making it a bit easier to manage the queue and then allowing him to be able to see the ride??

I've asked for that several times, and have always been told no.

[cmbpanda]

Hi, just jumping in! Sometimes I wish I didn't read these boards as I get panicked about our upcoming holiday when I read threads like this we are travelling from the Uk in 4 weeks time for our first (and probably only ) trip to The World. My DH has no sight at all and I have very little vision and we also have 2 visually impaired children, one of whom is also on the autism spectrum! We have been advised to ask for GACs but get a bit worried reading things like this. What is the issue with HM? We like doing rides but I cannot navigate complicated queues whilst guiding my DH and supervising my children and I certainly can't do it in the dark and/ or with uneven or moving surfaces. Should we not ride HM? And are there any other rides like this? The Nemo ride at Epcot was mentioned. This is one my kids will love, but I'm now worried that we won't be able to do the queue if it is dark with lots of turns and if me and DH are slow and hold others up my DS will start to panick. Oh we'll, we're committed now, so please recognise our needs cms!

On another note, I laughed at the dangerous use of a cane comment. My DH uses a cane all the time, but he probably won't so much at wdw. He will carry it, but not use it properly. He travels through the rush hour every day through the crowds on the London Underground (subway). And although he is great at using it and has super mobility (orientation) skills he has had several occasions where other people have tripped over his cane because they have been rushing through the crowd. He has also had people break his cane, deliberately and accidentally, which is why I could really relate to these comments.

I will have to go and look up OP's DH's trip reports

[buffettgirl]

Don't worry much about Nemo. Of all the line queues you'll encounter you'll almost certainly have no one in line with you. LOL..

[smidgy]

Originally Posted by cmbpanda

Hi, just jumping in! Sometimes I wish I didn't read these boards as I get panicked about our upcoming holiday when I read threads like this we are travelling from the Uk in 4 weeks time for our first (and probably only ) trip to The World. My DH has no sight at all and I have very little vision and we also have 2 visually impaired children, one of whom is also on the autism spectrum! We have been advised to ask for GACs but get a bit worried reading things like this. What is the issue with HM? We like doing rides but I cannot navigate complicated queues whilst guiding my DH and supervising my children and I certainly can't do it in the dark and/ or with uneven or moving surfaces. Should we not ride HM? And are there any other rides like this? The Nemo ride at Epcot was mentioned. This is one my kids will love, but I'm now worried that we won't be able to do the queue if it is dark with lots of turns and if me and DH are slow and hold others up my DS will start to panick. Oh we'll, we're committed now, so please recognise our needs cms!

On another note, I laughed at the dangerous use of a cane comment. My DH uses a cane all the time, but he probably won't so much at wdw. He will carry it, but not use it properly. He travels through the rush hour every day through the crowds on the London Underground (subway). And although he is great at using it and has super mobility (orientation) skills he has had several occasions where other people have tripped over his cane because they have been rushing through the crowd. He has also had people break his cane, deliberately and accidentally, which is why I could really relate to these comments.

I will have to go and look up OP's DH's trip reports

just so you know, his trip reports are mostly comical. not much help about GAC or disabilities, as his vision has only gotten much worse recently. we have used a GAC only once. hence my thread.. we are trying to learn the ins and outs of these things ourselves.

but i hope the reports wil give you some laughs!

[gilesmt]

Originally Posted by cmbpanda

Hi, just jumping in! Sometimes I wish I didn't read these boards as I get panicked about our upcoming holiday when I read threads like this we are travelling from the Uk in 4 weeks time for our first (and probably only ) trip to The World. My DH has no sight at all and I have very little vision and we also have 2 visually impaired children, one of whom is also on the autism spectrum! We have been advised to ask for GACs but get a bit worried reading things like this. What is the issue with HM? We like doing rides but I cannot navigate complicated queues whilst guiding my DH and supervising my children and I certainly can't do it in the dark and/ or with uneven or moving surfaces. Should we not ride HM? And are there any other rides like this? The Nemo ride at Epcot was mentioned. This is one my kids will love, but I'm now worried that we won't be able to do the queue if it is dark with lots of turns and if me and DH are slow and hold others up my DS will start to panick. Oh we'll, we're committed now, so please recognise our needs cms!

On another note, I laughed at the dangerous use of a cane comment. My DH uses a cane all the time, but he probably won't so much at wdw. He will carry it, but not use it properly. He travels through the rush hour every day through the crowds on the London Underground (subway). And although he is great at using it and has super mobility (orientation) skills he has had several occasions where other people have tripped over his cane because they have been rushing through the crowd. He has also had people break his cane, deliberately and accidentally, which is why I could really relate to these comments.

I will have to go and look up OP's DH's trip reports

Don't get discourage, take your time and you will be fine. If he uses a cane, even just hold it he will get CM help, maybe a little but he will be recognized. You will also get a GAC for your ds with autism, which will help some for visual.

It is sad, and we come and laugh but visual impairments just have not caught up with the rest of the disabilities. Lets face it, I am legally blind and need accommodations in most things, what has the world done for me, they sopposedly give me large print menus, but I can't see them, they randomly put the numbers in Braille on an elevator, although it is so random I don't know if the button is on the left or right or in between to elevators, oh well it does not matter there is four grades of Braille and I use grade 4 and they are writing in grade 2, so even if I did find it I could not read it. They do very nicely at putting Braille on the drive up bank windows, that will help immensely when they give me a drivers license, I've been trying for one for 35 years now.

Okay seriously, there are some nice things Disney does. They do have a very nice device you can rent, actually it is free you put a deposit down and get it back when you return it. It does help with shows and travel. I can not say it is perfect, it is okay for travel if you have a partner who can see, but it is great for shows and gives you at least in Disney some close up views of shows because for the device to work you have to be in special areas, usually hence front row. I have not used it at wdw, but I loved it at Disney and plan to use it at wdw this time in may.

With a cane you will get CM attention in line and where able you will get help, but it can be random from staff member to staff member, so sometimes you need to say, last time a CM let me do this and many times the CM will allow you to do that. This is why I suggested so much to have a cane. I don't use a cane so often but the dog works the same also.it is just that you need a way to say, hay look I have a problem, like a w/c does to people who walk slow, or can not go up stairs. I think it is like Disney thinks that if you have a vision problem you they should be able to tell by looking at you, so you get more with a cane than without. The same way they look at other disabilities, if you have a heart condition sit in a w/c and we will help other wise how do we know. So even if you do not use a cane, have one out.

If you use a trekker or something they do work great at Disney, I can get within a step or to of what I want when I punch in the coordinates. Again did not use it at wdw, but in dlr, when I punch in the gate to the never land pool, I got within 1/2 step of the gate. When I punched in front desk, I got about two steps away. When I punched in hall where coffee was in lobby of wonder tower I was literally an inch from the coffee cup. And I walked the ponds every morning with my coffee and my dog, never getting lost, found all the stores in dtd, it was great.

Another thing the cane did or dog, was to help tell bus drivers I had a problem, they would help me sit in front and get off where need be.

I don't know if I can say this, but if stairs are a problem tell them, they see to understand that one.

And if you need some light carry a pen light I know lots who do use it.

But sadly, Disney is like the rest of the world, I still can not get my visa bill in large print, not that it would help. Or a queue that just goes straight, but I make do. I think Disney needs help from the banks, maybe they can put walk up Braille kiosk that will print us out queue line maps, then all we have to do is find the kiosk, LOL.

[ttintagel]

Originally Posted by gilesmt

Okay seriously, there are some nice things Disney does.

Absolutely - we discuss the difficulties here, but even so, Disney is streets ahead of so many other places.

[StitchesGr8Fan]

My dad is legally blind in one eye and almost blind in the other. My brother is handicapped and has mobility issues, which have been made worse as he ages and his vision degenerates (his insurance won't cover the surgery he needs to fix this, but that is a rant for another day. So both of them have a hard time with dark areas. What I found worked best for us in crowded, narrow queues was for me to stand behind them with my arms locked, hands on their shoulders. I watched over their shoulder at the crowd and upcoming obstacles and turns. Being behind them kept me from going to fast for them. I could prevent them from running into the person in front of them and I took the impact if we stopped short and someone behind me ran in to me. If I needed them to turn or stop, I used pressure on their shoulders. The only downside to this is if you can't see clearly in front of the person you are guiding, to see poles and ramps, etc.

Moving walkways are a whole other animal. My dad just does it, but my brother is afraid. I finally just picked him up (he weighs as much as me) and put him on the darn walkway. It is one of those moments of strength that I couldn't do in real life, but I was desperate to get on the ride.