Disney Offers Wide Welcome For Guests With Disabilities

By Joan Leotta

Familiar now is the sight, each year, of the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player announcing at the end of that big game, "I'm going to Disney World!" Viewers may imagine that this sports figure's "most valuable" status would earn him special treatment at the theme park. But Disney does not reserve special treatment for Super Bowl MVPs. In a long tradition of service and hospitality, employees (or "cast members," in Disney parlance) of "The Mouse" have worked, since the beginning of the Disney theme parks, to make the park experience enjoyable for every type of guest.

Jay Cardinali, manager of the Walt Disney World® Resort Services for Guests with Disabilities department, says, "[Our] department was established to serve the needs of our guests with disabilities. We are charged with looking at all the services and facilities available for guests with disabilities and determining what types of enhancements we can make to meet, and in most cases exceed, our guests' expectations and to provide our cast members with resources, guidance, and mentoring on how to assist guests with disabilities."

Training and Technology Enhance the Disney Experience

Disney works to accommodate guests with disabilities by training cast members, making the latest technology available for visitors, and constantly reviewing policies and procedures that govern park operations. In addition, visitors with disabilities can plan their Disney outing by reviewing a copy of the resort's Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities. This booklet provides a detailed overview of the services and facilities available at each park for guests with disabilities, including information about parking, restrooms, auxiliary aids, telephones, transportation facilities, and specific attraction entrance and boarding procedures. There are many rides that allow a guest to remain in a wheelchair while experiencing the attraction, for example. Other attractions are transfer accessible. The Guidebook also notes the locations of companion restrooms available in each theme park.

To ensure that guests with disabilities are greeted appropriately, all Disney cast members receive a three-segment disability awareness training. The first is a part of mandatory new-hire classes that teach about Disney heritage, philosophy, and company standards. This segment provides an overview of the services and resources available at the resort for guests with disabilities, establishes the company's service philosophies and guidelines, and teaches disability etiquette concerning interaction and respect for people with disabilities. The second segment establishes the particular policies, resources, and services for guests with disabilities in that cast member's particular business unit. The last segment of the training covers the operating guidelines, services, and procedures specific to that cast member's work location.

Technology available to enhance the park experience for guests with hearing disabilities includes pay phones equipped with amplified handsets and TTYs, video captioning or reflective captioning at many attractions, and assistive listening systems to amplify the audio at various attractions. In addition, the Walt Disney World® Resort has developed an innovative system to provide synchronized captions via wireless technology at popular theme park attractions. This new service, which debuted in December of 2001, uses a handheld receiver to enable guests to read captions while enjoying specific theme park attractions where captioning was previously unattainable.

New rides, shows, and other park features are constantly under review for accessibility. Says Cardinali, "We are continuously evaluating our services and procedures so that all of our guests receive a 'magical' and entertaining experience." As an example, Cardinali cites the new ride at The Magic Kingdom® Park known as The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. "Disney Imagineers created a special 'carpet' with a swing-out side and a drop-down back that provides ramped access inside the vehicle for guests using wheelchairs," Cardinali explains. "This first-of-its-kind ride vehicle also includes a special control pendant so guests can manipulate the height and pitch movement of their carpet from their wheelchair."

Inclusive Philosophy Extends to Employees

Cast members with disabilities have access to a variety of services to help them fulfill their creative capabilities in working for Disney. These include items such as additional wheelchair ramps, designated parking spaces, American Sign Language interpretation, power-assisted door openers, magnifiers for computer screens, screen reader software, and other assistive devices. In addition, the Walt Disney World® Resort has an internal resource group that meets on a monthly basis. This group, called CastABLE (Cast, Appreciating, Supporting, Teaching Ability, Better Living, and Equality), is a Walt Disney World® Diversity Resource Group promoting respect, equality, and appreciation of people with disabilities through awareness, education, and inclusion. Part of their mission statement reads; "Our understanding of the importance of a diverse business environment, coupled with our knowledge of a worldwide population of people with disabilities, will enhance the business diversity of our company."

Awards and Rewards

The Walt Disney World® Resort has been recognized in numerous ways over the past ten years from particular disability support groups, state organizations, universities, and national groups. For example, the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities sent Disney an appreciation letter in 1995. However, one of Disney's most important awards is also a reward for cast members—especially those whose daily work is centered on services for guests with disabilities: The praise from individual guests relating how cast member efforts have improved the quality of their visit to a Disney park.

Cardinali relates the following encounter: "I met an elderly gentleman one day at the Disney-MGM Studios. He is a local resident and visits our parks often. We were talking about his current visit and he shared that he was having a good time, but regretted the fact that he was having a hard time hearing the music at our park shows. He said he tried to sit as close to the stage as possible, but it still wasn't very helpful. I described our assistive listening system and the availability of receivers at Guest Relations. I convinced him to give the system a try and took him to pick up a receiver. I asked him to let me know what he thought." The man called the next day. He thanked Cardinali and told him about the tremendous impact this system had on his enjoyment of the shows.

Planning Your Visit

Disney has a number of planning resources available for guests with disabilities. The website, www.disneyworld.com, offers advance information. You can also use the site to e-mail requests for specific information pertinent to your visit. Telephone requests for general information or to request information about regularly scheduled ASL-interpreted performances may be directed to (407) 824-4321 [voice] or (407) 827-5141 [TTY]. Those who want to write for information may address their queries to Walt Disney World® Resort Guest Communications, PO Box 10,000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830.

Cruising with the Mouse

In addition to providing extra comforts and accommodations at the theme parks, The Disney Cruise Line® has accessible cruise packages available as well. Disney cruise ships have staterooms and suites equipped for guests with disabilities. Staterooms feature ramped bathroom thresholds, open bed frames, extra phones in the bathrooms, bathroom and shower handrails, fold-down shower seats, hand-held showerheads, lowered towel and closet bars, and emergency call buttons. In addition, transfer tiers are provided at one of the on-board feature pools. Wheelchair-accessible restrooms are available in the shipboard common areas. Assistive listening systems are available in the main theaters and show rooms. Closed captioning is available for stateroom televisions and selected onboard video monitors. American Sign Language interpretation is available for live performances on designated cruise dates.

For additional information, call Disney Cruise Line® Special Reservations at (407) 566-3500 [voice] or (407) 566-7455 [TTY].