Blogging Against Disablism Day


In praise of the major theme parks

I'm joining with 11D in blogging about kids with "non-visible disabilities." Goldfish has an organized site for the Day.

I want to tell you that if you go to a Disney or Universal Studios theme park, they do have "non-visible disability" passes. Bless them, they know that not every disability comes with an awkward piece of equipment. Go to Guest Services and explain what you need, and you will get a pass for your whole family -- no splitting up your party and explaining to non-disabled siblings that they are once again getting the short end of the stick. You can then go to the wheelchair entrance or walk into the fast-pass line without making reservations. A serious blessing for a child with poor muscle tone and / or patience, and not a bad deal for the rest of the crew, either.

Yes, you will get some stares from the poor folks waiting in the regular lines when your group walks up to the wheelchair gate and goes inside (it's not so bad if you're using the reserved-time line). And I felt a little embarrassed at first. But when I thought about waiting in line in the Florida heat for an hour for each ride with a child with hypotonia, a tendency to overheat easily, and a neurological disorder that causes him to fret and shout when his low frustration-tolerence level is reached, I wasn't embarrassed for long, just grateful.

Posted: Mon - May 1, 2006 at 09:58 PM   Home         | | View Technorati reactions

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