Rude Remarks

[peemagg]

I do feel for people who get their knickers in a twist over people in wheelchairs or ECV's....life has a way of coming around and biting you in the rear... so hopefully people who have shown ugly behavior will be treated with kindness.[/QUOTE]

The only problem with that is that they will be the ones who give those of us who wait our turn a bad name. They will be the ones demanding that they load first and get on rides first and all of that. They may be humbled for only a short time, but then revert back to their nasty self.

I have an aunt who is like that kind of. She went to DL once and they had a bunch of rehabs going on. Well she is mad that "half of the rides aren't working and we didn't pay for half a park". She got free tickets out of Disney and brags about it. She is also my aunt who thought we should buy a scooter for my Dad so she could use it. She didn't need it at the time, but would take one anywhere that she could, whether it be a grocery store or elsewhere. She will never change.

[Roland]

Hi, interesting subject because I've been to WDW as a 'normal' (I laugh at this remark!) and a disabled person.

I became disabled back in 12/02 so I know the difference from both sides of the fence.

For the greatest part, most people have been rather kind to me and Disney on the whole, has been terrific and I've no complaints! Well, WDW charging me $45 a day is my only complaint....

The Amercian Disabilities Act grants equal not special access. WDW has a method where both are quite satisfactory to me. I cannot walk without a cane and I always need an ECV or I just plain could not go. Wheelchairs are out of the question as my wife is not always with me.

On the whole, driving an ECV is a responsibility of the operator. It may be annoying that some people walk in front of you and stop but driving an ECV is like driving your car through a crowd.

I was at DL just a few years ago with my wife. I did not even look for any handicap entrances and we stood in line like everyone else. Well, don't you know the CM's would pull me out of line! hahahahahaha and here I was trying to act 'normal'!!!

The 'normal' walking people just need to know that those ECV's don't stop on a dime. Some stop very quick and some can roll quite a distance.

Let's just watch out for each other, okay?

[LibertyTreeGal]

Oh my gosh these stories are just RUDE! Yikes!

My Andy has spina bifida and so a lot of people know now about the folic acid link. So I will be talking with someone and it gets mentioned that Andy has SB and they will say, "well I guess you should have been taking those supplements" in a rather scolding and demenaing way. I respond, "It isn't even remotely my fault he has spina bifida!"

They will then launch into a tirade while I sit (internally with a smug little grin inside my head) as they "educate me" about it and how, since I am older I should have been more careful and when they have gone far enough that they can't dig any deeper I say,

"We adopted Andy."

I just love the look on their faces as I say, "You know, we are rarely gifted with the proper amount of information to judge people the way you have just judged me. I'll bet that happens to you alot and you don't even know it."

[Guapo]

I just love the look on their faces...

Awesome!

God Bless You.

[pilk]

We have been to WDW three times over the past few years. My DW has some muscluar problems. She can walk and move for normal day to day activities but the first time we went to WDW she required a wheelchair. The second time we went she didn't need one, then when we went the third time she needed one again. We were just talking about it and realized that the first and third time she wasn't taking a specific prescription. The second time she had been on the prescription and was ok.

We never really experienced the rude comments, mostly lack of common sense by people. For example, watching parades and people standing infront of us even though we are at the edge of the barrier.

In order to save space and time on the bus she would walk onto the bus instead of the CM driver having to load her and the chair. During one trip the driver "ordered" (in a nice way) her to stay in the chair. He said "You are on vacation and this is what we get paid to do. So, next time stay in your chair and let us help you."

[kwhitt3202]

I have two in my family in wheelchairs. We get stais and rude comits on my stepbrothers looks (he is verry much special needs) We simply reply by telling people he wont bite. LOL My father is a heart teransplant patient and looks totally fine till he walks to much and turns blue. On daily basis we get commets on both not just at disney so we are used to it.
My favorite two things at disney are when people walk right infornt of a stroller or wheelchair and stop then get mad because you hit them. I simply tell them thats a crazy woman driver for you. That uasually stops things.
on our last trip though we had a lady with a child in full leg cast said she couldnt fold up the stroller ( a regular beby stroller not a special needs stroller) because her child had to stay in it this was ok with people in the line as well as the driver. When every one else was let on I looked and the stroller was empty and the child was in the regular seat. There were people needind seats and couldnt have them because the stroller was in the wheelchair place when it could have been folded up.

[13tink13]

As many people have already stated, some people are just fools!! I am a special education teacher and see it all the time (even though most of my students are learning disabled and not physically or mentally challenged). What I like to say to "those fools" is this..."some of the kindest, sweetest and most polite people I have ever met are those with challenges--

oh, I do make a point of adding "unlike YOU "!

[Tinkerbellrulz]

My son is autistic so he doesnt need a wheel chair but we have encountered some rude people because he doe have a guest assistance pass .... i had one woman tell her 2 little girls that my son was lucky .... that comment i couldnt let go and politely reminded her that most people with guest assistance cards had some kind of disabilities or disease and rather be healthy than lucky to get on a ride 20 minutes sooner

[LibertyTreeGal]

My son is autistic so he doesnt need a wheel chair but we have encountered some rude people because he doe have a guest assistance pass .... i had one woman tell her 2 little girls that my son was lucky .... that comment i couldnt let go and politely reminded her that most people with guest assistance cards had some kind of disabilities or disease and rather be healthy than lucky to get on a ride 20 minutes sooner

Or how about, "Gee girls, when your mom is recovering from her HEART TRANSPLANT you can get a pass too. But better make it soon, looks like she really needs it."

[Stitchahula]

I haven't heard anything at disney but I have heard a couple that have made my head spin. The first time was when we were at camp sunshine (a camp for children with life threatening illness's and their families) we were at the next camp that was having a carnival to raise money for camp. Well this man said to his child that they don't have to pay to go to camp they get to go for free. The next time was in a grocery store when the woman was complaining she didn't get a present from a family member because that year the person donated the money to make a wish in everyones name instead. So she didn't get a present so some family can go on a free vacation. I was so mad that I explained that those families would rather not qualify for make a wish. That the price you pay to qualify for a wish is really high. That we would much rather have our children be healthy then be able to go on a "free" vacation. She was rather embrassed when she said I guess I never thought of it like that. Still makes me steamed to think that is how some people think.

[Babyvett]

Oh my gosh these stories are just RUDE! Yikes!

My Andy has spina bifida and so a lot of people know now about the folic acid link. So I will be talking with someone and it gets mentioned that Andy has SB and they will say, "well I guess you should have been taking those supplements" in a rather scolding and demenaing way. I respond, "It isn't even remotely my fault he has spina bifida!"

They will then launch into a tirade while I sit (internally with a smug little grin inside my head) as they "educate me" about it and how, since I am older I should have been more careful and when they have gone far enough that they can't dig any deeper I say,

"We adopted Andy."

I just love the look on their faces as I say, "You know, we are rarely gifted with the proper amount of information to judge people the way you have just judged me. I'll bet that happens to you alot and you don't even know it."

I can understand exactly how you feel on this one. My son has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (AKA Brittle Bone Disease) which is a genetic problem. His body doesn't make collagen of good quality which is what makes up the outside support system of the bones. Everyone ASSUMES that its because I did not drink milk while I was pregnant with him. Just the opposite, I forced myself to drink it constantly.. But its not a calcium problem regardless - its a genetic problem.. I just hate when people think they have to "inform" you of how you "screwed up"

[BedknobsandBroomsticks]

Like someone else said... this is so true. Look past to the next bright horizon. We used a wheelchair for my mom on our last trip and we had only good experiences but I have many an act of cruelty at Disney and elsewhere. Mom didn't want to use a chair but at 71 she couldn't have done the parks without it. She was flabbergasted when the offered to let her go to fastpass entrance and tried to say no. We told her not to be so stubborn. She eventually learned to take the disney hospitality. Children learn what they see every day and are taught by their parent. Once while waiting for the parade on Mainstreet a woman pushing another woman in chair came behind us. The lady in the chair had some sort of skin disorder and looked like she had been burned but I don't think is was burns. Anyway, as is human nature my children started looking and even said she scared them. I immediately took the opportunity to tell them that she looked very nice to me and what a lovely smile she had. She must have an illness and aren't we thankful that we have our health. After we moved over a bit and scrunched up, she moved in next to us to watch the parade and by the end my dd's were talking to her. We can only change the world one kind act at time and pay it forward. Everytime I encounter cruelty I try to remember, thank God I'm not with or married to that guy/gal. Go Go Go wherever you want and ignore all the jerks!

[Meteora]

Just the opposite, I forced myself to drink it constantly.. But its not a calcium problem regardless - its a genetic problem.. I just hate when people think they have to "inform" you of how you "screwed up"

People would much rather assign blame than accept that sad things happen and it's no one's fault. People are much more comfortable when they can tell themselves that you brought it on yourself rather than thinking that something like this could happen to them or someone they love just as easily. You just have to ignore them and their inability to tolerate the fact that many sad things in life do not have a cause-effect relationship.