[blparent] Disney World

Fri Sep 2 04:37:10 UTC 2011

Hi.  I've stayed out of this discussion because I've never been to Disney 
World.  But for my work, I proofread the braille guides to Disneyland, which 
also has FastPass.  I think it's important to note that along with disabled 
people, in whatever form their disabilities may or may not take, other 
Disney visitors can get FastPass if they pay for it.  So then really, it 
becomes the financially priviliged who get to skip the lines, and those on 
modest budgets who have to stand in them.  That scenario raises its own set 
of issues, but how would anybody know that a blind person, or a family with 
a blind person in it, hadn't paid the extra money for FastPass.  And is 
anyone really paying that much attention anyway?  I think that truthfully, 
most people are, and should be, preoccupied with their own lives, their own 
kids, their own vacations, and they're not worried about what the blind 
chick ahead of them is doing for more than a moment of curiosity.  Sometimes 
we try so hard to make a point, and all the time, we're flattering ourselves 
to think that anyone is even watching.

Jo Elizabeth

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, 
unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into 
advance."--Franklin D. Roosevelt

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Erin Rumer" <erinrumer at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 9:18 PM
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Disney World

> Bridget,
>
> Blindness is a physical disability in itself whether some like to admit 
> that
> fact or not.  My face is heeling right now from running into a display at 
> a
> store that had hooks sticking out at face level, so if blindness doesn't
> affect us physically then why am I sporting a black eye?  The last time I
> checked with my doctor my eye condition was due to a retinal deformity and
> wasn't something in my head.  Blindness comes with its own true challenges
> and I don't think that someone who is "just" blind should feel bad to take
> the fast pass lane, (which by the way is not a cutting technique but 
> rather
> a special separate line to make it faster).  I've known folks who are such
> blind Nazis about "being like the rest" that they make things more 
> difficult
> on the sighted people around them causing people in front of them to 
> endure
> cane beatings for 90 plus minutes just so they can be in the line too. 
> Most
> of my friends are sighted and they feel comfortable enough in telling me 
> the
> truth in how they perceive people that act this way and trust me when I 
> say
> that sometimes those who are trying to prove a point so much are actually
> standing out and creating a stereotype more than anyone.  My husband made 
> a
> great point the other night when we were talking about this very thing 
> when
> he said, "People aren't going to think anything negative about people who
> are blind taking the fast pass lane, but rather just wish that they were
> part of their family." SMILING
>
> Like you said Bridget, people just need to do what they're comfortable 
> with
> because that's what works for them.  I have friends in wheelchairs that
> would be highly offended to hear that some think the fast pass lane is for
> their type because as one of my dear friends says, "I'm the only one with 
> a
> chair to sit in for these long lines so it's everyone else standing who I
> feel sorry for".  Now that particular friend has a manual chair and is 
> very
> physically strong while another friend of mine might use a shorter line
> since she's in an electric chair and doesn't want to drain her entire
> battery for one silly ride.  By the way, the fast pass lane at DW is used 
> by
> tons of "able bodied people" because many pay more to get a permanent fast
> pass in order to use such lines so us blind would stand out no more than 
> the
> sighted, beautifully sculpted football player also standing in line. GRIN
>
> Food for thought,
>
> Erin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Bridgit Pollpeter
> Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 7:29 PM
> To: blparent at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [blparent] Disney World
>
> Erin,
>
> We all have to make choices that work for us as individuals and that we're
> comfortable with.  The comments Mary Jo and others have made about
> perceptions and taking preferential treatment need to be viewed in 
> context.
>
> Blindness itself is a sensory disability and does not affect our physical
> being.  Cutting through a line at a theme park is intended for those with
> mobility issues or other concerns that may make standing for long periods
> difficult.  Again, blindness in no way creates a reason we can't stand.
> However, if blindness is compounded by a condition, such as back pain, 
> that
> causes you to have difficulty standing, I think we would all agree this is 
> a
> perfectly acceptable reason to use the special line.
>
> These comments were meant to be addressed to the issue of blindness and 
> not
> other conditions or disabilities.  Mary Jo's comments were not directed to
> anyone who may have true physical concerns.  Obviously cutting to the
> beginning of a line so you did not have to contend with pain or 
> instability,
> would be a reason why such a thing was created.
> For those who do not have conditions making physical movement a problem,
> though, they should consider how their actions affect the rest of us.
> Yes we live our lives, and no, we shouldn't always have to make a point, 
> but
> in a world where blindness is still considered one of the worse
> disabilities, perhaps we, who happen to be blind, should be more cognizant
> of what we do and say and how this may be perceived.
>
> Perhaps people won't think much if we cut to the beginning of a line, but
> when cutting is not necessary, why take the chance of perpetuating
> stereotypes and negative perceptions just to receive a perk?  We claim we
> want equal treatment and to be normal, but then we take preferential
> treatment- it's an oxymoron.
>
> Sincerely,
> Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Read my blog for Live Well Nebraska.com at
> http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:22:16 -0700
> From: "Erin Rumer" <erinrumer at gmail.com>
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: "'Hartle, Jesse'" <JHartle at nfb.org>
> Subject: Re: [blparent] [blaring] Disney World
> Message-ID: <002601cc682c$71d97c30$558c7490$@gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Everyone has their own opinions about things like the fast pass lanes but
> for me, since I'm paying the same price that everyone else is and missing
> out on a ton of visual entertainment, the fast pass evens it out for me.
> Talk about saving time too!  A lot of popular rides can take up to 90
> minutes or longer and the fast pass lane takes long enough as it is 
> usually
> cutting 30 minutes or so off of that.  I guess it's not such a huge deal 
> if
> you get to go to DW every year since you have an ample opportunity to see
> all the attractions, but when you have to save for years to have a limited
> amount of time to see as many attractions as you can, you have to try and
> make the most of your time.  I don't feel entitled to get this perk, but I
> definitely don't feel guilty using it since there are so many visual 
> things
> I'm missing out on so it's making my experience more enjoyable to make up
> for that.  I'm not insecure about my disability at all and know that 
> others
> aren't thinking of me any differently for going through this kind of line
> and if some do, who cares!  Those types are going to think things anyways 
> so
> I might as well get onto a ride in a reasonable amount of time.  In short,
> people who are blind or visually impaired should just do what they
> personally feel comfortable doing and try and be understanding and
> non-judgmental about the different choice someone else makes.  Something
> else is that I have chronic back pain that allows me to still do most
> everything but if I had to stand in lines all day just to get onto a few
> rides I would be torn up by the end of the day which would diminish my fun
> tremendously.
> Sometimes we can really spoil our own fun just to try and prove a point.
> My vote is to just have fun, take the few perks when they come because
> they're rare, and relax and enjoy yourself.
>
> Food for thought,
>
> Erin
>
>
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