Wheelchair Fakers

[Princess Susi]

I look pretty able bodied myself, but have a really bad back. I look like I can walk, run, jump, whatever, but I can't. I cannot walk more than a couple hours at a time and am on heavy, heavy pain meds. I would need a wheelchair by the end of the day, if we did not take rest breaks every couple hours. It puts a crimp in the way we go through the Parks, but, I would rather go and do two hour stints and rest a couple hours than not go at all. My husband is what they call legally disabled, he gets the federal check every month. You might never know he is disabled. The only way to tell is to listen to him talk, sometimes he speaks very slowly. And he has a barely noticable limp. He had a horrendous motorcycle accident 20 yrs ago which caused his brain to knock around in his head, called a contra coup. He lived in a hospital for 2 and a half yrs and died 4 times, has had over 65 surgeries. He had to relearn EVERYTHING and the doctors predicted he would NOT make it! He showed them! He looks so able bodied now that you would never tell he had a brain injury, and he gets around better than most people who are not even disabled. This is a man who refuses pain meds, but has pain 24/7. He is grateful to be alive and feel every pain, because it tells him he IS alive! The doctors say it is truly a miracle he is alive. We have the Disabled placard and you should see the looks we get when we park in those spots.
It IS very difficult to *See* all disabilities.
I know there are jags who are getting the chairs just so they can get preferred entre to certain attractions and it galls me they get away with it. What is worse is that they are taking a neccessary medical device away from someone who actually needs it to enjoy the Park. Anyone who would do that has no conscience.
There is a really long thread on another board about the Segway issue. They will NEVER be allowed in the Parks for the disabled, because they are not licensed as a medical device, anyone can get one and you could not show favoritism in the Parks as to who gets to use them. If the Segway maker EVER changes the licensing on the Segway to be a PRIMARY disabled device, then ONLY disabled will be able to use them. You would have to have a doctors orders to get one! AND, the Segway company would lose a shitload of money. So it ain't. gonna. happen. I would never want to be run over by one of those things. There are already enough things on wheels in the Park with strollers, chairs, ECVs and ODV carts (these folks are have amazing radar and know how to avoid the peeps, it's the SGs that run into them!)
There is really no way to know who is really in need of a chair at the Parks. It is frustrating to know that there are those using them who do NOT need them. God help them should they ever be the position to REALLY need one. It takes a real LOT of pain or disability to NEED a chair. Most of us would give our right____,
(ARM, people, get your mind out of the gutter!) to NEVER have to use one of those things. I know I wish I could do the things I used to. I cry at night about it because I HAVE to ask for help now to do things and because it HURTS so bad. I was the kind of person who used to work 12 hour days and then go out and party for hours at night. I could lift 100 lbs easily! Really, guys, I could! :D: I can't even lift a kitchen chair now. Hell ,I can't even bend over! Stop thinking that right now! LOL! ;)
Anyway, I wish I did not have to use one of those things, but I would be grateful to have one when the pain got excruciatingly unbearable and I would be mad if there was not one available because some jag who did not need one had taken one! :mad:
end of diatribe...THIS is one of those issues I have more than a HUGE opinion about. Obviously.
soooooooze

[Princess Susi]

If I was healthy I rather run up the steps and hop the train to a station and get of and waddle over to a ride. I rather take the trolley to the other side of Main Street or race walk there and be on rides in a minute or two.

I am SO with you on this one! Man to be able to *run* would be heaven! I used to jog everyday. I can't anymore and I miss it so much! I have had my back problems for three years, and I cannot even imagine THE REST OF MY LIFE like this! I have been through the gamut of treatments and tests and my HMO just does not want to deal with it. One interesting facet of the pain? We live at altitude in the Rockies and it hurts constantly here. When we go to WDW or DL, the pain lessens. I believe the air pressure at altitude has a LOT to do with the pain. It has happened every time we go to a lower elevation. Interesting, huh? That is why our house is for sale....
Churchy, I would LOVE to see you when we come to DL in December. Maybe we can get together! :D: Even outside of the Park!
soooooooze

[mechurchlady]

I did permanent damage to my knee at DL and never went to a doctor because I have had one too many doctors say I am ok when I am not. They never diagnosed food allergies, celiac or depression so I fear that another doctor will say I can breathe, run and be happy when I cannot.

I would love to be 40 again and waddle, not run but just waddle. I want to slap them folks who think medical aides are toys. It is not funny when you are stuck standing on a chair and cannot get down. It is not funny when you have to depend on medical aides.

I would love to meet you all someday but doubt it will happen.

[Princess Susi]

I did permanent damage to my knee at DL and never went to a doctor because I have had one too many doctors say I am ok when I am not. They never diagnosed food allergies, celiac or depression so I fear that another doctor will say I can breathe, run and be happy when I cannot.

I would love to be 40 again and waddle, not run but just waddle. I want to slap them folks who think medical aides are toys. It is not funny when you are stuck standing on a chair and cannot get down. It is not funny when you have to depend on medical aides.

I would love to meet you all someday but doubt it will happen.

Totally agree with the first part of your post, doctors are not always on it. I hate that chair thing. I hate depending on others or medical contraptions for help, being such an independent cuss, myself.
But...but...I hope we can meet someday...(sniff) :(
sooooozie-Q

[Big Wallaby]

Hunh. I thought I had responded to something in this thread, but I guess I hadn't. Can't remember what it was, so I guess it wasn't important.

You guys would have the reaction I want to have when I see a family standing in a loadzone like the other night, grandma up on her feet leaning against the post, and her grandson sitting in her scooter while they wait for the bus. You just want to go into a fit of rage and explode all over them for doing that, proving that neither must need the chair.

The other one that really upset me was on Tuesday, going through the Soarin' queue with my wife. We were behind this kid who had to be ten at the oldest, he was heavy enough that he wasn't walking normally but fully and deliberately transferring his weight from one leg to the other with each and every step. I tried that once, and at the end of ten minutes my legs were really tired. But this kid was in line leaning on everything he could after fifteen minutes, switching from Mom to the wall to Grandma to finally sitting down, complaining that he just couldn't stand any longer. I finally had to just turn around, which sorta weirded out the people behind me, but I couldn't watch it, because I knew I was looking at a kid that in a couple years would be heavier than me (and while I have lost almost 60 lbs, I am still one big marsupial), and it was going to be mom's fault. All at once, I was feeling sorry for the kid, angry at the mom, and wanted to take the kid outside, grab a Segway and chase him around for a while because I knew I would tire out before it would do him any good. None of that happened, and I wouldn't want to have to explain it anyway, but at ten years old, you shouldn't be trying to find stuff (read: anything you possibly can) to lean on after just a few minutes.

I joke about my weight, because I know and acknowledge that I did it to myself (that's not to say that everyone else did too... most, but not all. I know there are medical conditions including depression that make you gain weight like crazy... I know that was one of my factors... when you're depressed, food somehow becomes a wonderful escape). If I could go back knowing what I know now, I would go back to the time when it was easy to run for miles and still have energy, and today I would be about 130 lbs lighter than I am now... my final goal for my current weight loss. For now, I am doing it by going out when I get a chance, just going into the parks and walking, walking, walking, walking and occasionally going on an attraction to cool down for a minute. I like the parks because they give me a place to go, they capture my interest as I walk, and I don't think about the walking until I get into my car after a full day and realize just how much my feet hurt. I need that diversion, and then I get great exercise.

Sailing is the other thing that brings me home exhausted at the end of the day. One of these days, maybe Wednesday, I'm going over to the Grand Floridian to check out and conquer the sailboat/catamaran that once conquered me. Of course, this time I am going to make sure and go when there's enough wind... so I don't have to tow the boat back to shore...

As far as depression, I have come to the conclusion that much of it was from the weather. In Oregon, Washington and other places that have a constant cloud cover, there is actually a named condition, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and I am convinced I had it. So glad I found a solution. I don't see myself ever moving back to somplace that is perpetually overcast.

[hobie16]

Sailing is the other thing that brings me home exhausted at the end of the day. One of these days, maybe Wednesday, I'm going over to the Grand Floridian to check out and conquer the sailboat/catamaran that once conquered me. Of course, this time I am going to make sure and go when there's enough wind... so I don't have to tow the boat back to shore...

Dude!! If you're into cats, check out catsailor.com. There's a huge cat community in Florida if you're looking for other people to sail with. Crew positions are always available too. If you ever find yourself in Hawaii I'll take you out on my Hobie 20.

[dizneeluvr]

just returned from a trip to WDW and Universal. we get a wheelchair for my daughter. we tried for one day a universal w/o the chair and due to the heat, she got clammy sweating, flushed and was cold. she threw up. we then made sure she is always in the chair. when we were in WDW one day and got the chair, we rec'd a comment from the CM with a not so nice tone, whats the matter? are your little legs tired? and i just said, no, she has a heart condition.
now i know there are many fakers, but please there are also many invisible disabilities, so please keep the comments to yourself, unless you know for 100% sure that the person is faking.

[SRT_GB]

just returned from a trip to WDW and Universal. we get a wheelchair for my daughter. we tried for one day a universal w/o the chair and due to the heat, she got clammy sweating, flushed and was cold. she threw up. we then made sure she is always in the chair. when we were in WDW one day and got the chair, we rec'd a comment from the CM with a not so nice tone, whats the matter? are your little legs tired? and i just said, no, she has a heart condition.
now i know there are many fakers, but please there are also many invisible disabilities, so please keep the comments to yourself, unless you know for 100% sure that the person is faking.

At DLR Strollers, even if we were 100% positive the person did not need a wheelchair, we were 100% not allowed to accuse them or do what the CM in your case did. I think this CM should be reprimanded. If you can remember when/where this happened and the CM's name/physical description, you can and should send a written complaint.

[Big Wallaby]

Geez. You know, last night, I met a kid who looked completely normal but was in a wheel chair at the Rainforest Cafe, come to find out his name was Dustin. He is here with MaW, and just for coming out of the blue and giving him some attention, you could tell it made his whole family's night.

Can you imagine if I had said something like that? There would have been, starting at that moment, an extra warm corner of Hell waiting for me when my time comes.

I pray that person you mentioned never, ever encounters a MaW family without their pins, like Dustin and his family had chonsen last night.

[Cheshire Figment]

Whenever I have someone come through my gate with a wheelchair, no matter the age, I will tell them, in a semi-serious tone: "Racing is not permitted here". I enjoy saying this to people who appear older than me (and I'm 67). Usually they will appear shocked. Often they will tell me they are being pushed, and have no say in the matter. I will then deadpan to them: "You are responsible for your chauffer's actions".

At this point, usually the person in the chair and their whole party will realize I have been kidding around and will laugh.

Of course, for people with an ECV I will tell them: "No drag racing allowed".

(For the record, I use an ECV myself when I am in the parks.)