To ask what you think RE 'disability awareness badges'

[BahHumPug]

On the recent theme park thread, some posters suggested that children, or adults, with 'invisible disabilities' - for example, autism, GDD, S&L delay, ADHD etc should be issued with visible badges or passes to alert other theme park users that they may behave erratically or to explain why they are given queue jump privileges. This was suggested to avoid abuse and shouting that these children were being given preferential treatment for no 'obvious' reason.

Other posters compared this to a Nazi-type regime, and others agreed. As someone who works in both a special school and a children's hospice, I am torn. For one, it shouldn't have to come to this - people should not be abusive to those who are different, without the need for a visual prompt to alert them to an issue. But on the other hand, the world will sadly probably never be like this. I know many parents who have children with Autism Awareness badges and bracelets, and it can save a lot of bother and criticism. Personally, I give not a flying fuck if someone wants to stare at me when I'm out with the children I look after - that's their small-minded problem. But I imagine it's different for parents, and I've never experience abuse.

So, thoughts?

Definitely improves with age although I assume some people are just stupid as the looks and comments about bad child/parent I used to get whilst frogmarching DS aged 9/10 out of shops was mortifying.I have grown a thick skin since though.

Yes, I'd never judge others for using the tshirts silverfrog, just can't do it myself, even though it might help

At a theme park, where people are definitely not at their best, IMO it's unreasonable to both want other people to not grumble and to understand that your DC has SN and is thus not "queue jumping" when it is not immedietely apparent by looking at them, and also not to want to display that status in some way.

For the life of me I can't see the problem with some form of a visible wristband, lanyard or whatever, they are common in so many types of events.

Wristband is simple: some hypersensitive people with ASD cannot tolerate them.

I would allow the boys to wear a clippable label (not a lanyard, ds4 would choke himself and ds3 chew it to bits)- something subtle and appropriate: but I am not going to ahve the boys labelled in big letters given the amount of abuse and genuine scary times I have ahd when some fecker ahs thought that my kids having Sn threatens some aspect of their precios dc's life (eg teh wankers who started a petition against ds1 being in MS education when he was 4, or teh parents who organised a rota to hand their dcs over to ds4's (ds3 then non verbal) statemnt funded TA on teh basis that their taxes apid for ehr so they should get equal access.

I am absolutely willing to explain to people at tehme parks etc and show evidence of eg statements or DLA awards but I don;t want them visibly labelled so that Mr Wota Tossera dn his family can point and scream the R word.

I am sure most people in Mn land do not behave like this but in RL some people do. Theya ssume so mcuh about people from a label- that we amde it up, that we don't work, that we got the car paid for or goodness knows what- all untrue (though even if it were hard luck, none of us would choose the help over a cure).

Something subtle; a card for a wallet, a VIp style apss on a clip.

And I think if that happne sit needs to be a trade off: if XY park requires the boys to wear these then they promise to immediately evict every person who hurls abuse at us or pushes the boys aside etc (still fuming at the idiot who was laughing and calling ds3 dim on saturday- he's neither).

For me I would never put a badge or t shirt on either of my two children with autism because I would see it as a huge invasion of their right to privacy.
When ds was younger and it wasn't as obvious that he had difficulties then I was probably more tolerant of the stares and comments whilst out and about although still had my cutting responses for those who particularly annoyed me on a bad day. Nowadays he's 16 and in the most part can't speak makes noises and has odd gestures and tics so it's pretty obvious he has a disability (we have a blue badge and a mobility car) so stares and comments are generally met with a tongue lashing I'm afraid.

I like the idea of a VIP pass on some sort of belt/pocket clip peachy

I'm a HUGE no for a t-shirt broadcasting the fact that Nemo has SN/LD. Mind you, the feeding tube in the middle of his face usually gives it away!

peachy: merlin parks have had good training on this. every time we go we are asked if dd1 will tolerate wearing a wristband (she can). otherwise yuo re allowed ot attach the band to your buggy, or you as a parent can wear it. it does not have to be visible permanently, you just need ot be able to show it to the ride attendant so they can let you on the ride.

lanyards/clip on passes wouldn't work (I suppose the VIP-style pass could be date stamped, but that means it would need checking each time which would slow up everything considerably. and then there are the people who would try it on, with a "rain-smeared" pass etc) as they are too easy to keep and pass on to someone who is not entitled to use it (you wouldn't, and I woudln't. but some would). the paper wristbands work well - they are immediately visible when necessary, and cannot be removed without being destroyed.

imo, if you want ot take advantage of a scheme like an exit pass scheme, then you do have to accept that you will need to be labelled in some way that is easy to administer and police.

How about colour coded cards on clips saying VIP, and then at aplces around the aprk signs showing teh deciphered code with reassurances that people with ti have been 'passed'?

So a blue card = club VIP; green = member if they run that; yellow competiton winner; orange = SN with evidence of need seen by park?

less embrassment for the individual child and still something.

Not in fairness that i think we owe people anything and with respect whatme I think the basic answer is that manners should rpeclude any sort of nastiness anyway: i;ve yet to use a pass scheme and would not question people. I think if I was rendered manner free by such visits then maybe I should avoid such places.

SF yes I can see that but OTOH ds1 simply won't even let us pay SN admission prices in his earshot now, and at 11 it is hard to enforce, and sadly hard to teach an ASD kid about reciprocity!

but how do yuo get around people not keeping the cards? and passing them on to other family members etc?

unless you have a deposit scheme for the card, and you need to return it at the end of the dya, but then that is a recipe for huge queues and massive meltdowns...

the parks need a scheme whereby they:

check SN info and issue a marker of some sort
said marker needs to be clear and visible, but potentially hideable if people want
marker needs to be temporary, and not transferable

I suppose you could do it with permamnet credit card style cards with photo id on (like an annual merlin pass, but with colour coding). but then I don't feel lanyards are wise, on the whole - going on rollercoasters etc and dangling upside down etc - and clip on ones would get fiddled with in this household...

Surely you just count the cards in and out and check off numbers on them each day?

Some park code would cover it- sets foc ards in different colour borders used at random, workers would know and fraudstaers would have a high chance of being caught

You know, DH tells me an easy way would be barcode technology: a 2 second scan would tell park if a genine card or not, I bet that would make the queuing crowds feel better as well, watching a scan trake palce, checking validation.

For me I would never put a badge or t shirt on either of my two children with autism because I would see it as a huge invasion of their right to privacy

But so many events have some form of marking for people to be allowed access to special enclosures etc, its hardly a diabolical anti-privacy scheme designed to out you.

I think taking the position that says that you want every one of thousands of frustrated, irritated people to treat you with perfect consideration when they see no visible reason why you are "Queue jumping" is VU TBH.

Bar code stamps on hands, altering daily? I bet the visibility of the scan combined with 'this aprk operates a scan to check system' would work wonderfully: I don;t think people really need reasons, just to feel that they are not being taken for a ride IYSWIM.

Whatme when DH gets a Glastonbury wristband it says he is a worker not that he has SN and therefore is a potential target of all teh bigots attending.

Something that amrks them as verified for a pass yes, details of their SN no.

a lot more cost to administer, though. and the scanners would be forever not working, or the card would be betn and creased form being in a pocket etc, which would just add to the wait for people on both sides of the queue.

I don't know. I'm waffling. But I've never had any problems using the exits/fastpass entrance either - we walk up and flash wristbands/hand stamps and that's it. the only time we've ever been asked/had a comment it was by the mum of a little girl with profound needs who didn't know the scheme existed, and hotfooted it off to customer services after talking to us

we honeslt yhaven't had any huge issues using the scheme (there are always tutters and eyerollers, so maybe I am just gettign good at ignoring them?) and we use it a LOT - used ot live 5 mins form Chessington, so was there every week. we go about once a month to one or other of the MErlin attractions, I owuld say - mostly legoland or Chessington, but also the London Eye/London Aquarium a lot too.

we have problems with handstamps - dd1 rubs it off. so at legoland we ask at customer services for one of us (dh or I) to get the red stamp as well as the black one. it happens a lot - loads of parents have the red stamp as their dc rubs off the stamp overt he course of the day.

and they ideally want the relevant person to have the marker (whether stamp or wristband) wherever possible as then it is obviosu who should be getting prioroty for rides. eg dh and I can't rock up at the biggest flashiest ride and expect to get on, as dd1 is not riding. with an easily transferable card, families could easily take the piss on things like that.

Hand stamps are fine TBH, but I got the impression people wanted far more visible signs- so that they, the paying (er so do we) customer could know they are not getting Ripped Off.

Barcode technology is fairly simple these days though isn't it? I suspect long term it'll be the way to go with a great many things.

I would very happily have dd1's annual pass ina different coluor, and flash that at ride operators each time. but then most people don't have those, so doesn't take into account day trippers etc.

how about.....
not putting a badge or label on the disabled person.
why should they have to be labeled to please the twunts

Whether the disability is visible or not is really irrelevant. Mine is obvious as I have to use a walking frame but I still get abuse. As I've said before, I've even been thrown out of a visitor attraction because they felt that me being disabled spoilt others enjoyment of the place.

Whatmeworry you ask why it's any different to marking people with access to special enclosures. It's different because this thread is asking whether people should not have their access identified, but their disability. Would you want private information in your medical records displayed to all sundry?

Kladdkaka I agree
for instance, what a bout a child who is dying, but might not know this, they would have a to do the not queuing, but do they have to have a sorry I am que jumping cos I am dying badge?

'I think taking the position that says that you want every one of thousands of frustrated, irritated people to treat you with perfect consideration when they see no visible reason why you are "Queue jumping" is VU TBH.'

Or we could try educating people about invisible disabilities. Unless you'd like people to label their children all the time. So those people don't abuse them for using disabled parking spaces etc. Gosh, issuing all those badges would take some money and effort. It might almost seems easier for people to wind their necks in and try engaging their brains before their mouths.

Whatme the situation wouldn't occur at a theme park because ds wouldn't be able to cope so I wouldn't expose him to the situation. I was speaking more about situations out and about where people feel that it's acceptable to stare, tut and comment like our recent trip to M&S (and yes he was in the queue) or in the library (he was silent just flapping) or the local cafe.

Gosh, issuing all those badges would take some money and effort. It might almost seems easier for people to wind their necks in and try engaging their brains before their mouths.

Well said Narky If only it were that easy.

Peachy it is kind of like a baby on board sign but instead says "autistic children on board"