visual disabilites

[ttintagel]

I meant to mention this before: when I've needed to be guided through the dark before, I've found it's more helpful to walk behind the person who's guiding me, with my hand on his or her shoulder. (Or, as it's worked out a few times, holding on to the hood of her jacket, or the back of her wheelchair.) That way, we don't have to worry about fitting through a tight space, or avoiding things on the other side of me that the guide can't see.

[SueM in MN]

Using the wheelchair accessible boarding areas would allow you to avoid stairs, moving walkways, and also wait in the less crowded handicapped waiting areas that some shows have. This would be shows like Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, Muppets 3D and Mickey's Philharmagic.
Those things (specifically getting to board where the moving walkway can be stopped or slowed) are available to people using the wheelchair boarding areas.

Contrary to what most people think, people with wheelchairs don't have a special entrance or use the exit for most attractions at WDW. That is one of the issues I see people commenting on is that they were not 'allowed' to use the handicapped boarding area when they had a different stamp.
What is really needed is to use the wheelchair accessible areas, not something else.

My suggestion would be that even if your DH doesn't feel ready to do orientation training, it would still be very helpful for YOU to learn effective ways to lead him.
Holding hands while you walk with him is not a very effective way to help him because he has no way of knowing what is coming -and, since he is next to you, what you are coming up to is not the same as what is coming up to you.

In high school ( back in the last century, HA!), I had a volunteer job guiding a young man who was blind from his class to the lunchroom and back to his next class after lunch. He had been blind since birth and was very skilled at getting around, but the time element and large numbers of people were an issue for him getting around by himself.
He taught me the correct way to lead, which gives the blind or partially sighted person the most information and the most control.
This is the gist of it from wiki-how and, even if he does not get training himself, it will be much less frustrating for both of you if you learn how to do it.
When we went last Spring, this was the method we used for assisting my mother, who has good sight, but was weak from chemo.

1. People who are blind are perfectly capable of walking by themselves. However there are times when a sighted guide is required. The technique below is called the "Sighted Guide" technique for that reason. The idea is to allow the blind person to walk with the sighted rather than be pulled or pushed.
   
2. Allow the blind person to grasp the back of your upper left arm, just above the elbow. (NOTE: where it says LEFT, it can be either side, just keep to the same side).
3. Walk at a normal pace as the person walks 1/2 step behind you but to your left.
4. As you approach a door, say which side (left or right) the door opens so that the person can catch the door and help open it and/or close it.
5. As you approach a drop-off or steps, slow down just a bit so that the person has time to feel your elbow go up or down as they judge the step also.
6. Pull your arm slightly behind you when approaching a crowd or a narrow passage. This lets the person know he needs to drop back a step and walk more in line behind you.
7. You can warn the person of overhead obstacles and other distractions but for the most part if he should feel you duck, dodge or step, he will follow your lead.

I have also seen people using a cane in lines - once they have gone thru orientation training, a cane does give a lot of information - for example - a regular pattern of poles that changes gives a cue that the line is turning.
I have also seen people who keep one hand lightly on the sideways bars or chain in line to orient themselves. It keeps them to one side, so others can pass, keeps them from running into poles since the chains or bars are attached to the poles and gives a heads up about turns or elevating changes in the queue since the chain/bar also turns along with the line.

[smidgy]

thanks sue, for the detailed lesson for leading those who are blind or visually impaired. it was very helpful!!

I will talk to hubby about a foldable cane. I will also be checking out lighthouse.

as I stated in my first post, we aren't trying to cut lines. we're willing to wait our turn. just difficult to navigate for us, and was looking for advice from those who also have low vision.

thanks!

[gilesmt]

Thanks sue for explaming the technique, I was afraid I would do it wrong. I also forget so please forgive that DL has different rules than wdw, and I should have mentioned that in DL my accommodation is almost always just front row seating, my dog or cane gives them the rest to accommodate me. At wdw I do get a different stamp because the queues are a problems sometimes and the dog or cane is not enough. I hoped this helped her and others.

[smidgy]

Originally Posted by gilesmt

Thanks sue for explaming the technique, I was afraid I would do it wrong. I also forget so please forgive that DL has different rules than wdw, and I should have mentioned that in DL my accommodation is almost always just front row seating, my dog or cane gives them the rest to accommodate me. At wdw I do get a different stamp because the queues are a problems sometimes and the dog or cane is not enough. I hoped this helped her and others.

bingo. this is what I was referring to without breaking the disboards rules. I'm happy for you that you have adjusted so well to your disabilities. some of us are in just the beginning of the process.

here(on this board) I was only looking for help at WDW, and I know that hubby does need accomodations, and that WDW has them.

thanks to all that helped!!!

[gilesmt]

Originally Posted by smidgy

bingo. this is what I was referring to without breaking the disboards rules. I'm happy for you that you have adjusted so well to your disabilities. some of us are in just the beginning of the process.

here(on this board) I was only looking for help at WDW, and I know that hubby does need accomodations, and that WDW has them.

thanks to all that helped!!!

I'm confused, maybe you know something I don't. They do not have a stamp to help with lines in either park. Disney the self will tell you the cane or the dog or your human partner is the guide, or they have told me that in the past when I asked for that as an accommodation. That was also part of the law suit last year when a case action suit was followed, blind persons asked why not help with lines, the help is your guided companion, so the blind asked why they have to pay full price then, Disney refused to allow your personal guide in free like other places do, but instead told them that they would give 100 free tickets to organizations for the blind. I doubt 100 tickets is going to go far but that is all they get. I assume that is in a lifetime but maybe it is yearly or something. Disneyland and wdw policy for 25 years has always been and I have been told this by them six months ago, that your family is your guide.

The difference I was referring to was two things, first going from light to dark in wdw they accommodate this, in DL they do not since just having my cane or dog usually does and second in DL, since many lines are not handicapped excessible then there is an alternative route, also much more in DL than wdw is turnstiles, when a line has then you being blind can not go through them with a dog, you can with a cane. When I have my dog I will go one way in DL, when I have my cane I will be lead another way. Wait a minute let me correct that, a dog in harness can not go through them, I think other service animals maybe able to, but my dogs harness gets trapped and stuck when we try.

If there is a pass like you are asking for, I have never recieved it, and I have just like those persons in the class action law suit been told by Disney numerous times that my family is to guide me. And I have complained, since if that is the case why are others accommodated so easily, but then I thought in some ways they are not, w/c persons families may complain, but they still don't get Disney to lift their family member in and out. Disney can certainly see that I have a vision problem, I need help even to give them the right pass if I am alone when I enter. I usually stand at gs until I know they are talking to me before I move up, I have either a cane or a dog in harness with me, and I have those awful dark glasses on. Yet in 25 years I have never gotten help in a queue line like you are asking for.

As I said, orientation is the best bet, since there are tons of things that are taught. Like have you ever heard when a light turns green and a tweety bird chirps, do you know that is telling the blind to walk east or west. When a coco bird is heard it is telling a blind person to go north or south. Like I say, tons and tons of information can be found in orientation, even if a person can not bring the self to using a cane yet, it is still very helpful information. Also my thing is and always will be to save the sight I have, so if I know when to close my eyes and let them rest and may have sight for 4 extra years I am going to do so.

[LockShockBarrel]

I haven't travelled with a blind person in a few years now but I'm not sure my experience will help any because it was always with a service animal. If there was need for the dog to be in a particular spot (like on Great Movie Ride, he'd go in a the back row in the spot a wheelchair would typically go) or to bypass a preshow room where it'd be hard with the dog, we would be sent through..shall we call them "particular ways". That was never with a GAC though, as the dog presented a visual cue that there was a disability. But honestly more often than not the dog went through the normal queue right with us. It was a pain, because the dog knew to follow me if he wasn't given a verbal instruction as to where to go, but the person I was with would hesitate. So I get OP's issue but we just had to learn to deal with it. Queues I remember walking all the way through would be like..Star Tours, Soarin, Dinosaur up to a certain point (then we took the elevator for rider swap issues), Nemo, Kilimanjaro Safari... etc. So I guess my point is a lot of times I think you will just have to figure out a way to work through it.

[smidgy]

yeah, lock, shock... I know what you mean,, and I know each queue is different. I think one of the worst is the line for great movie ride. that cattle pen is huge, and there is no one "pattern" to the configuration. (as is changes as the line gets longer.) it's getting to where he hates that line.

it would be nice to have a way to walk to the loading area directly and then wait until it's our turn (ie. if the standby wait is 30 minutes we wait at the loading area 30 minutes) .

yeahm, nemo is another one, and you have to walk through that whole jagged line, whether anyone is waiting or not. they don't have a way tho shorten that one at all when the wait is 5 minutes. well, it's NEVER 5 minutes, as it takes 10 minutes to get through the queue area! (well, double that , in our case)

now, if we use a flashlight through the queue, then his eyes don't adjust to the dark, and he won't see anything on the ride. (event hough there are devices that describe things, he would like to see it anyway)

thanks all. it's nice to "commiserate", if nothing else. we'll see how it all works out.

[disney david]

Originally Posted by smidgy

yeah, lock, shock... I know what you mean,, and I know each queue is different. I think one of the worst is the line for great movie ride. that cattle pen is huge, and there is no one "pattern" to the configuration. (as is changes as the line gets longer.) it's getting to where he hates that line.

it would be nice to have a way to walk to the loading area directly and then wait until it's our turn (ie. if the standby wait is 30 minutes we wait at the loading area 30 minutes) .

yeahm, nemo is another one, and you have to walk through that whole jagged line, whether anyone is waiting or not. they don't have a way tho shorten that one at all when the wait is 5 minutes. well, it's NEVER 5 minutes, as it takes 10 minutes to get through the queue area! (well, double that , in our case)

now, if we use a flashlight through the queue, then his eyes don't adjust to the dark, and he won't see anything on the ride. (event hough there are devices that describe things, he would like to see it anyway)

thanks all. it's nice to "commiserate", if nothing else. we'll see how it all works out.

Soon when fast pass plus comes online at nemo you be able to cut half of the que they built a new entrance and you come out towards the end of the que you still have to go through a little of it but not the whole thing. You come out near the exit of turtle talk it really will shorten the que now I do hope if you don't have a fast pas plus they will let guest with a gac use it.

[nebo]

.

[smidgy]

Originally Posted by disney david

Soon when fast pass plus comes online at nemo you be able to cut half of the que they built a new entrance and you come out towards the end of the que you still have to go through a little of it but not the whole thing. You come out near the exit of turtle talk it really will shorten the que now I do hope if you don't have a fast pas plus they will let guest with a gac use it.

that's good to know! thanks for the info.

[Mickey&JoshNut]

Smidgy, I know exactly where you are coming from and the frustrations. My mother has macular degeneration and it is getting progressively worse. I have experienced the same frustrations as you trying to explain a cue and lead my Mom at the same time. I think Nemo and The Great movie Ride are the worst. What frustrates me the worst is people who are not patient.

My Mom is a senior and gets scared when she is in a situation that she cannot see (especially if the lighting is really poor i.e. Nemo cue)...if I hear people behind getting mad (huffing and puffing), I will step aside and pull my Mom aside and say - I'm sorry my Mom has limited vision and this cue is tough for her to manouver so please, go ahead so we don't delay you and your family. Some times they will run past and other times I have had the people ask if there is anything they can do to help me. I have never asked for a GAC - I didn't realize I could get one for limited vision. I usually just tell the CM at the front of the line that my Mom has limited vision and we need to be near the front, I advise we are willing to wait, etc and it hasn't been a problem.

In December we took our first Disney trip with my Mom using her identification cane from the CNIB. Our trip was to Disneyland and I found that when people saw the cane, they were more accepting so I would suggest to both you and your husband to contact a local agency in your area that can provide training. I also received training on how to "lead" my Mom and it has taught me to slow down and smell the roses (I am used to walking fast to get from point A to point B). Also, I normally I use a backpack in the parks and my Mom will hold onto my backpack and I think we will continue to do this as well as have her use her cane.

[smidgy]

thanks Elaine and/or Dorrie! I really appreciate someone telling me they understand. I feel for your mom. and you.

I was going to ask you what CNIB was, but I remembered a previous poster using that acronym, and see it is in Canada. We live in Illionis. out in the boonies. I'll have to do some research to see where we could get any training and/or a cane.

the bigger hurdle will be broaching the subject with hubby.

[SueM in MN]

Originally Posted by smidgy

thanks Elaine and/or Dorrie! I really appreciate someone telling me they understand. I feel for your mom. and you.

I was going to ask you what CNIB was, but I remembered a previous poster using that acronym, and see it is in Canada. We live in Illionis. out in the boonies. I'll have to do some research to see where we could get any training and/or a cane.

the bigger hurdle will be broaching the subject with hubby.

Here you go, National Federation for the Blind in Illinois:
http://nfbofillinois.org/
That includes a Facebook link, which may be helpful to you.

Local chapters:
http://www.nfbofillinois.org/chapters.htm

Illinois resources:
https://nfb.org/resources-illinois

[smidgy]

thanks sue!!! I will check them out.