If you have a child with autism and visited Disneyland or Disneyworld then you probably heard of guest assistance card (GAC). Children and adults with autism can and do have many various issues including not being able to tolerate long lines, crowds, new places, new people or new things.
And, what the GAC did was allow a child/adult with autism be able to enjoy the happiest place on earth – Disney without being over-whelmed or over stimulated. Unfortunately, many without disability and just plain selfish have abused this accommodation whereby Disney had to take an action and change its policy.
The question now is how will the new policy of not making reasonable accommodation for a person based on their disability work with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance policy.
Their new policy will start in Oct of 2013 and it is basically stupid. Here is why and my take;
You go to a ride that your child might like, then a staff person tells you – he can’t ride now and we can’t make any reasonable accommodation, but if you come back in couple of hours – we will.
Now what now? so this defeats the purpose of these children don’t wait well, don’t tolerate crowds well, oh and might not be able to come back in two hours. If they could do all of this – then why in the world would they need any accommodation. They wouldn’t right – I mean that is the logic for any logical person to think.
Not Disney or their autism adviser Autism Speaks who apparently told them it is OK for children with autism and sensory issues to wait and come back for hours later and be happy in the happiest place in the world.
I can see Disney being called by autism families the unhappiest place in the world for people with autism and other disabilities.
Now, there have been thousands of calls and emails sent to them to not do this really stupid, out of touch and plain wrong policy. Why not just have the person bring a card with their medical diagnoses of say autism, etc from their doctor.
When I called them they said – well that is a violation of the patients privacy act. Not really, because If the patient has to tell you orally what their medical condition is, how is it any violation if they give you a card from their doctor that has their medical condition.
Besides what is a violation is not making reasonable accommodation and not following the ADA laws.
At any rate, if you are interested – you can contact Disney and give them your opinion or comments. Below are some stories of why they decided to change their current policy and when this new one will start which is sometime in Oct of 2013.
I for one am disappointed that a company that gets thousands of “children” daily and those are their main customers would take a move that is totally against the happiness of children.
Thanks.
Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Minority Advocate