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?

Lol klad. I used to try & explain (and still will occasionally if someone is looking confused but approachable - just a quick 'sorry he's severely autistic' or 'sorry he's not being rude and ignoring you he can't talk' is enough.)

The ones who don't want to know usually say something like 'well he shouldn't be doing that' so it's pointless addressing the already stroppy. I just roll my eyes at them.

I used to thin i could make people understand - now I know I can't so don't bother trying. There are lots of lovely people out there. I don't feel any need to waste time on the ignorant.

Whatme

Well I see it as this

I can be nice, even in a queue 9and I refer you again to the fact i;ve not yet had to use the system but now ds4 is facing dx nI am likely to require it)

Why would I have lower standards for otehrs than myself or indeed my children? Despite their Sn, I would expect them to at least try and be nice also, and if they were not they would be reprimanded for it.

I have a badge on a bag that says something along the lines of 'I love my autistic son' and ds3 loves that: he's a cute kid, bright academically but with far below the nouse required to understand things like bigotry and intolerance, and certainly not the self awareness to think his autism is an issue for anyone. Generally, as he is hyper-cute and cuddly= all long curly hair, big grins and huge brown eyes- it isn't, not so far, gradually as he gets older I can see people's tolerance levels drop. My best friend since school, ds4's Godmother, said on the phone to me (why? mind she tols me she votes BNP as well- wish she would keep things to herself!) that she ahd a few days cover work in an LD Unit and she was scared she'd be hit, that people like that were worrying. Ta love.

DS1 OTOH is a different kettle of fish. he's almost 12, he ahs an IQ above the average and absolutely gets what people think. He's been ebaten up, called the R word and always stood up for himself- and others. He's no angel, far from, but he's more than able in my mind to choose whether he wants a label pinned to him that marks him out as different: and I know he would not. Indeed with HFA and AS I suspect that act of wearing a public label; making you stand ut woudl work against how about half of the people with the disorder's synmptoms manifest.

Anyone who wants to understand will seee failrly easily that my handsome 11 year old is never out of my sightline even for a second unlike my ten year old, I imagine that would be a clue for most people.

'I have come to the conclusion that no matter what you do, no matter what prrof you give etc it will never satisfy some people, they will always be jealous of disabled people. And I would rather be disabled than like that TBH.
'

I hugely agree Herbie. But how miserable must one's life be if theyc an feel that way? With my boys, who have to attend schools too far away to make local connections, who have massively reduced chances of working or marrying (Ds1 migt but whilst I am optimistic the stats say otherwise; ds3 not a hope), who are going to likely spend their lives in thrall to the vagaries of Government policy?

It's like that old joke about the banker and the biscuits isn;t it?

What me worry posts: "So, the current system doesn't work, and no one likes the visible badge idea, but everyone still wants thousands of grumpy people in long queues to be nice as pie.

What alternatives would all the Anti Visible Badge supporters suggest?"

I suggest those too limited in intelligence to consider there is a good reason they are being allowed to go on first, hidden should wear a badge saying "I have the intelligence of amoeba and a total misery to boot. Aren't you lucky not to know me".

Yep that should do it. Let's not give the disabled another label, let's label the grumpies.

I was thinking about this while I fell asleep last night. In the theme park thread someone brought up how things are different in Sweden. As I now live there I was trying to identify what they do different at the parks. You know what, they don't do anything different. The difference is in in the schools.

When my daughter was diagnosed all of her teachers and school staff attended a meeting at the hospital where they were taught about autism. Afterwards the school organised an autism awareness talk for all the kids in her subject group. Last week she attended a talk about a disability that affects hearing and balance (new girl in class). When she joined her previous school she had one on ADHD (lovely boy in class) and the school before that had one on spina bifida (boy in next class in same year group). There certainly seems to be a determination to promote understanding and acceptance.

People with disabilities are not objects to have things pinned to them, they have feelings too, many are already aware that they are 'different', why should they be made to feel even more different.

The onus is not on them to educate to ill informed. Although i do feel that the scheme should be common knowledge, I was on the same thread and i suggested a sign at the theme park to inform people, not a badge.

I think the wonders that are Merlin (nearly called them Merkin there oops) wouldn't do that because of the sheer numbers that would try it on if they knew about it.

Which means those genuinely able to do it don't know about it.

I don't know what the solution to that is.

In the same thread Dandy worded a sign that could be used

"Polite Notice:
This theme park operates a fast track pass system for people with disabilities and their carers. Such passes need to be obtained beforehand. For further info please contact X
The fast track system will mean that these pass holders will get priority boarding. We kindly request that anyone who objects to this refrains out of courtesy from challenging the pass holders or our staff. Anyone who wishes to make a complaint about any of the theme park's procedures can do so via X"

I don't think it IS always obvious to people who have been waiting 45mins+ in a queue, in the rain, that the person who heads straight to the front might be disabled. I myself would probably imagine them to be some sort of VIPs (friends or relatives of the staff, royalty, pop-stars, etc) who might be unjustifiably treated differently.

I agree with a polite notice informing ALL visitors that the park operates 'XYZ' policy for those with SN/LD.

I agree that if people are not happy, they should have the right to openly complain to customer services/information/meeting point or whatever. The have their own opinions and of course they count.

I agree that SN/LD people should have a different barcode/wrist band/pass or whatever to those who do not, so that the ride operator is made aware.

I think it is up to the parent/carer to decide IF that pass needs to be used, depending on the queue length, how the person in their care is feeling, what the risks of queuing for a long period of time are etc.

I think that in some cases, there needs to be a MASSIVE injection of common sense into these places and indeed, people.

I think it that anyone heard shouting abuse or marking rude remarks should be ejected from that ride or the park. Something that should be made crystal clear on the entrance notice.

After all, if the unhappy riders were stood there shouting racist remarks, sexist remarks, then people would object more, wouldn't they?

Surely that would be deemed are unacceptable behaviour?

And yet eye rolling, tutting and sighing loudly, with the odd retard comment hurled their way, slides by

Not keen on labelling SN kids; much keener on signs/info on tickets etc explaining to the other visitors and informing them that abuse will result in instant ejection. Responsibility shouldn't be on disabled/carers; we've got enough to deal with.

I am still surprised that anyone can pay to que jump
what if every one did that?

Well, until I read the other thread I didn't realise that people with certain disabilities/SN were allowed to 'queue jump'.
I can understand that anyone seeing someone else queue jumping when they themselves have been queuing for ages might get a bit cross about it if they didn't know the reason why that person was allowed to the front of the queue.
I think, rather than badges, perhaps theme parks could make everyone more aware by putting up notices explaining that sometimes people may be allowed to bypass the queue due to their individual circumstances or SN and that this has been agreed with the park managers (or whoever) beforehand.
I think with badges or passes, you'd still get people saying "why has he/she got a pass and we can't get one?"

Honestly.... there's a child or teenager there behaving markedly differently from their peers and you think they're a pop star?

Heard it all now....

Well I've only been to Disneyland Paris and Alton towers - so if this us not how it works in other places feel free to tell me so, but...

If you don't have any passes, you queue where the signs etc tell you to, there are very clearly marked seperate entrances for a seperate queue marked either fastrack and or disabled access depending on whether or not that ride has a fasttrack facility.

When you get to the front if the queue, there is some sort of barrier and staff, next to that a seperate barrier - they let the people behind the other barrier in before you, unless it's particularly busy and there's more than one or two groups if people there and then they alternate a bit.

If it was a dual fasttrack and disabled access queue, you're aware that you could have paid for that service too, you just chose not to - that service is very well advertised. If it's purely a disabled access one, well it's obvious that someone has a disability.

You can't turn up and tell the staff at the ride that someone has a disability, they won't let you on, you have to have the pass/band from customer services already, if it's not an immediately visible disability they won't hand put the pass/band until they have proof - official diagnosis letter or what have you.

So basically it comes down to people in a queue being fully aware that it's a queue for disabled access and looking over and deciding that they don't look disabled enough...

Why should anyone have to prove thevlevel of their or their child's disability to random members if the public?

Claw that is wonderfully worded.

At babygym today a mother and father were whining about the nursery home visit being just to identify Sn kids who would get all the help and why shouldn;t ehir child get as much help, he needed it too....

I stayed away but my eyes did water a little as I was watching ds4 spectacularly stand out at his first session, retreasting into passivity to teh extrent tehy ahd to lift him to persuade him to move (he picked up once it got to the equipment stuff, he likes the order of that but the 'fun' imaginary stuff of warm up etc overwhelms him: he is not going on a bear hunt for anyone it would seem).

Then I realised two things:

that the other woman in the room, genreally known in my house as Queen Bee, had come over to chat and didn't run away when I mentioned the reasons for ds4's difference (she asked f he were a late July baby), not only that buty she did not blink when I chatted to her baby (happens a lot, don;t know if people think it's infectious or that bettelheim was right) and she even trustingly placed her Louis Vuitton bag next to us on the table (bit naive given ds4 was drinking blackcurrant juice- scary moment there LMAO).....

she did not think I was a child abuser, cruel, infectious, a benefit-claiming-priveledge-stealing- thief....

and blimey did that make a difference! I didn't even get my book out or retreat to a corner in the end.

mazing what small actions can mean.

Smalla ctions like assuming somene has the priotity ticket becuase they deserve it.

If someone did get in by unfair means- is it worth upsetting a disabled person or carer by taking the risk of challenging? Is the benefit worth the cost?

One charity I now gives passes to famillies (not ride passes, just day tickets) to a park if the child is known to have been disadvanataged. Would you be prepared to be told, on challenging someone that their child does not look Sn, that no theya re not but their dad died in a fire last eyar and they watched it; that child is indeed fine but Mum has cancer; that child has a fatal condition you can;t see, thanks for mentioning it....

Sometimes even when tehre's a risk of recieving less we should STFU becuas eo f the harm we can cause. the distress.

peachy

Thanks for your offer (Monday 17:09). I have not experienced this situation, it was more for general interest than a specific enquiry. I had not heard of disability awareness badges either.

I understand the reasoning now and agree with others that it would be very useful for any venue that operates such a policy to explain very clearly at the ride entrance and (and possibly on the tickets) why some might be given priority.

No probs Pendeen