[Nfbf-l] Walt Disney World Provides Accessibility for Blind Guests

[Alan Dicey]

Walt Disney World Provides Accessibility for Blind Guests
by Deborah Kendrick
The first time I visited Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, my immediate 
reaction was that it was a kind of accommodations paradise. At that time, my 
impression wasn't rooted so much in disability issues as in baby concerns! 
My daughter was six months old, and we were ecstatic to discover that each 
Disney theme park included a baby center--a facility filled with rocking 
chairs and changing tables, and supplies like diapers, baby food, and 
bottled juice.
When a staff member (Disney refers to them as Cast Members) pulled my family 
out of one long, hot line to bring us to the exit for quicker access because 
he didn't want my guide dog to melt in the heat, well, I thought it just 
couldn't get any better.
This was 20 years ago -- before the Internet and GPS devices, so the fact 
that Disney made available a Braille guidebook was equally astonishing and 
wonderful. The book outlined the various attractions and provided a written 
description of park layout.
Over the years, the Disney parks have enhanced accessibility provisions for 
people with all disabilities. Disney has also made strides toward using 
technology to enhance theme park accessibility to people with sensory 
disabilities. Specifically, captioning, assistive listening devices, tactile 
maps, and audio description have been incorporated into many Disney World 
attractions.
During a recent impromptu visit to Disney World with a visually impaired 
friend, I recognized a perfect opportunity to explore exactly how these new 
accessibility features offered to guests who are blind or visually impaired 
measure up.
Entering Epcot
For readers who have not had the Disney World experience, a few words of 
explanation are in order. Florida's Disney World actually consists of four 
theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Hollywood Studios, and Animal 
Kingdom. Each is packed with experiences and can easily occupy a full day. 
Having only one day, we chose to spend it in Epcot Center. En route to 
Disney World, we checked the website and phone line and learned that in each 
park's guest relations center, items that enhance accessibility for people 
who are blind can be obtained. When we entered Epcot Center, we went 
directly to Guest Relations for these items.
We were offered three options: A Braille guidebook containing description of 
attractions and services; a book of tactile maps of the various areas of the 
park; and an audio device for listening to description at those sites where 
it was available. Each item requires a $25 deposit. Wanting to leave no 
avenue to access neglected, we deposited $100 and took away one guidebook, 
one book of maps, and two audio devices.
It warrants mentioning here that, unfortunately, the Cast Member working the 
counter in Guest Relations was only marginally informed. She could name the 
available items, fetch them for us, and run the credit card, but she was 
unable to answer many questions. Somewhat dismayed that the guidebook was so 
large, for example (11 by 11-inch pages held together with a plastic comb 
binding), I asked why it was double-spaced throughout and so much larger 
than the book the park offered a decade ago. Because my friend had low 
vision, we were all eventually able to conclude that the reason seemed to 
lie in the fact that Braille and print were on every page.
When given the audio devices, I asked about the controls and was told we 
didn't need to touch anything.
"We plan to be here all day," I told her. "Is there a power button we should 
press to turn the units off for saving battery power?'
The batteries, she assured us, would last the day. For a sweet demeanor and 
general willingness to help, she would get high marks. Her lack of 
familiarity with the devices designed to make the experience richer for us, 
however, falls more than a little short of typical Disney World standards.
After exiting Guest Relations, I took a few minutes to acquaint myself with 
the tools we had been given. By using all three items -- the Braille 
guidebook, the tactile maps, and the audio device -- I was able to glean a 
fair amount of information regarding our surroundings. Although our Cast 
Member had told us only that the device would deliver audio description, it 
turned out to be much more. Again, a less intrepid or experienced user of 
technology may never have realized what this device had to offer.
The (Somewhat) Amazing Audio Device
The device resembled a slightly old-style personal digital assistant, 
weighing probably close to a pound and measuring roughly 3 inches wide by 5 
inches long by 1 inch thick. At the top was a standard headset jack to which 
a one-sided earpiece (that could fit comfortably on either ear) was 
attached. A single piece of molded plastic, the headphone was the type that 
has a curved half circle that goes behind the ear, and a flat disk, about 
the size of a quarter, that rests close to, but not in, the ear. It's 
exactly the right kind of earpiece for listening to a mobile device while 
also catching all ambient sounds.
The lanyard attached to the device was unfortunately not intentionally 
adjustable. As issued, it placed the device itself at about waist level for 
one of us and lower for the other. I say it was "not intentionally" 
adjustable because I did manage, by fiddling judiciously with the various 
velcro bits, to shorten it sufficiently to have the device at chest level, a 
much more manageable position for wearing over a long period of time.
Taking Control
Now, let's talk about the various controls on the device.
With the front of the unit facing you and the lanyard at the top, there is a 
single row of controls across the bottom. As indicated above, we were given 
no instructions, but this turned out to be one of those occasions in which 
having fiddled with countless pieces of electronic gadgets over decaes was a 
definite advantage.
The controls have a rubbery feel and each is distinctly shaped.
First is a diamond shaped button that wakes up the device. Next is a square 
button that delivers any GPS information currently available or repeats the 
most recent announcement. In the center is a circle of four arrow-shaped 
buttons around a center control, and finally, to the right of this circle of 
five controls are a pair of triangular-shaped left and right arrow keys that 
increase or decrease volume.
I soon discovered that pressing the center button launched a menu of eight 
items that could be navigated by pressing the up/down or left/right arrows 
around the center and then pressing the center control to make a selection. 
Consistently, these menus included:
area description
attractions
rest room locations
food and beverage available
entertainment
service animal relief areas
exit menu
Pressing the center of the scrolling circle announces the beginning of the 
current menu with "1. Area Description." By using either up/down or 
left/right arrow keys, you can move through the menus. When you hear the 
menu you want, pressing the center button again selects the choice and 
prompts that particular recording to play.
Maintaining the Magic
If there is a single quality that permeates all four theme parks at Disney 
World, it is undoubtedly magic. Not dark magic and not even the magic of 
magic tricks, but the connotation of that word that indicates some 
other-worldliness, better-than-ordinary, unmarred delight.
So does the access device for blind and visually impaired guests live up to 
the high standard for magical experiences the compay sets for itself in 
every realm?
It is clear that such a level was certainly the intention. The reality of 
that attempt is, well, a bit less magical.
The access device has three primary functions: 1) to provide audio 
information regarding immediate surroundings in a structured-menu manner, 2) 
to provide general GPS information, and 3) to sync with and play available 
pre-recorded audio description for several attractions.
As we approached the Spaceship Earth attraction in the Future World section 
of Epcot, the unit vibrated and announced "Near Spaceship Earth."
This particular attraction is an entertaining journey through history, with 
a focus on technology and communication. A professionally narrated 
descriptive track has been synchronized with the sights and sounds of the 
attraction itself, so that I heard a constant commentary describing words 
and images throughout the experience. Although the description sometimes 
lags behind or leaps ahead of the actual image appearing, it was thrilling 
to have the visual description so readily available.
Upon exiting the attraction, the device remains silent until either the 
information menus are activated (to seek information regarding nearby food, 
entertainment, etc.) or until the unit's GPS detects that you are 
approaching another landmarked point. In the latter case, when it works, the 
device will vibrate and announce "Land Pavilion" or "Near Soarin" (as it did 
the entire 105 minutes that we stood in the line for this particular 
attraction) or some other point of interest, repeating it only if the square 
button is pressed for this purpose.
As we entered another entertainment venue, the "Circle of Life" film 
starring Timon and Pumba from Disney's "The Lion King," the device 
automatically began playing the pre-recorded descriptive track which was 
smoothly synchronized with the production.
Missing the Mark
I spent a few minutes with my braille guidebook, tactile maps, and audio 
access device to acquaint myself with the topography of Epcot Center in 
general and the immediately surrounding envionment of Future World in 
particular. For me, having the combination of tools was essential, although 
some guests with visual impairment might find the braille alone or audio 
alone to be sufficient.
When that first audio description automatically began playing to describe 
the scenes of Spaceship Earth, it was a genuine moment of accommodation 
exhilaration. Unfortunately, the rest of the experience was something of a 
downhill ride.
When you take a break in one area, the device will not allow you to access 
or review the information in another area. Say, for instance, you're taking 
a snack break in Future World and you want to plan ahead for World Showcase. 
Electronically, you "can't get there from here." The device only makes 
available the information for the area in which you are currently situated.
When we needed guidance information most--navigating from Future World to 
World Showcase, for instance--the device announced that we were near Land 
Pavilion long after we'd left it behind and only announced any change when 
we were standing directly in front of Canadian Pavilion (the first country 
attraction encountered when approaching World Showcase from the right.)
When it works--as when the device did indeed confirm that we were at the 
Canadian Pavilion--it is a real equalizer. Once there, I could access the 
menus containing information regarding the attractions, food, entertainment, 
etc. for that particular area. As we moved past Canadian Pavilion, I soon 
heard "United Kingdom Pavilion" announced and its pre-recorded information 
regarding the pub, the shops, and the entertainment became available. There 
are ten countries in the World Showcase and information, presumably, has 
been pre-recorded for each, as well as descriptive audio synchronized with 
attractions there. I say "presumably" because, despite assurances received 
earlier, my friend's device completely died before we left Future World and 
mine lost power just past the United Kingdom. We had picked up the devices 
at 10:30 am, and their batteries were depleted at 1:30 and 3:30 
respectively.
Final Impressions
Developing a single device that contains recorded guidebook information, GPS 
info for navigation, and audio description synchronized with visual 
attractions is a brilliant and commendable approach to providing 
accessibility for blind and visually impaired guests. Staff who distribute 
these devices, however, should be familiar enough with them to provide basic 
demonstrations to guests, and batteries should certainly be able to last a 
full day. With technology advancing as rapidly as it does, current devices 
could undoubtedly be updated to be smaller and lighter and to pinpoint GPS 
location with more accuracy. Since all guests, with and without 
disabilities, are certainly sometimes interested in looking ahead to read 
about attractions around the corner or across the lagoon, the device should 
include the capability to listen to information about attractions beyond 
one's immediate location.
The braille and tactile maps were extremely useful. Combining braille and 
print in one book makes little practical sense, however, and if the two had 
been separated into individual booklets, each could have been done in a 
smaller, more manageable format.
But did we "Have a magical day," as Disney World Cast Members like to say? 
Of course we did. Disney World is still on my list of favorite places and I 
can't wait for the opportunity to test drive the tools for accessibiity in 
the other three theme parks.
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