The Handicap question
 Location: Evans, Georgia
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during closing ceremonies I brought up the subject of handicap access to the elevators. I noted that some of the furs I knew had problems walking due to knee or back injuries, so stairs weren't really an option. I believe Kage responded with such considerations already on the table, but there needing to be checks and balances to make sure people were not abusing the system. I have a few suggestions that might help streamline the process. Only do handicapped elevator access for Pre-Registration only, and with a shorter-cut off date, such as only up to two-months before the con In other words, if you don't need obvious help, such as a wheelchair or walker, you can only qualify during Pre-reg. Proof of injury has to be offered. Things like receipts from the doctors office or hospital indicating visits, surgeries or the like. Providing contact information to the medical facility, allowing convention organizers to contact and verify details of the injury. Off the top of my head I can see this requiring an additional staff member to follow-up on contacting medical personal. However, with a two month or so cut-off date, it should be possible to follow up on various requests for a handicap access to the elevators. I'd also make the suggestion that handicapped visitors MIGHT be better off contacting the other hotels, such as Courtyard by Marriot or Omni for rooms. I do not recall the off hotels having long lines for the elevators. |
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Actually, the Americans with Disabilities Act forbids us from demanding any sort of proof of injury. That is a question of medical confidentiality and we are not allowed to ask for that information.
It would be a logistical nightmare to have to judge just who is "qualified" enough to be given priority elevator access. A knee injury three months ago that may or may not be healed? A person who is overweight, and if so, by how much? Someone who simply does not like standing for more than a few minutes?
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permalinkLocation: Melbourne area, Florida
Is there a potential way around this? Perhaps noting that "special assistance (parking)" will be provided for those with disabled parking stickers/licenses? That would be a blanket way determining disabled/non-disabled without violating the ADA by asking about specific disability proof. Then you could issue special badges or ribbon or something to signify quickly assistance needs.
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Not everyone will drive to the convention, and some attendees do not own a car. It would not be fair.
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I don't recall if there was a sign by the elevators in the lobby this year (I was in the Omni, never took Westin's elevators) but I vaguely recall seeing one explaining elevator policy at previous cons. Perhaps adding to the sign a line in bold that says "If you are in medical distress, please signal a Dorsai to indicate you need priority elevator access." (or if it has a similar line already, making it clearer that you can request priority access from the Dorsai... but they may turn you down)
That covers overheating fursuitors, people who's knee is about to give out, and someone having an asthma attack that just discovered their inhaler was empty and they need to get the spare. Signaling the Dorsai gives security a chance to make a quick call and see who's just trying to jump line and who really is genuinely in distress and needs immediate access.
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This seems to be one of those issues where it's best left to an honor system.
And, even if having 'qualifications' in order to get elevator priority, a lot of people are left out from that, as you've said.
Example: My girlfriend was hit by a car almost ten years ago. As a result, her hip was injured and she has awful arthritis in it. Doctors won't believe her, and nothing comes up on x-rays. And she's been unable to get an MRI. Sometimes, she has to use a cane to relieve some of the weight on her hip. She's willing to walk most distances (even on top of having mild asthma), but when we had to trek up to the ninth floor to see a friend, that wasn't happening. We asked the Dorsai if she could get priority on the elevator on account of her leg.
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permalinkLocation: Somewhere over the rainbow in a land far far away
Well I'll say this I'm disabled cause of my back, hip, feet, knee .. among other things. I could have gone to con ops and go hey I got bad feet and stuff, is there some way I could get something to go hey I need in front of the line (after the suiters of course) but I didn't. Why I'd feel bad without proof .. and even though the ADA says no, you can;t make them have proof, doesn't mean they can't bring and go here.
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permalinkI think it would be nice to have a very visible sign to give out to disabled con-goers who prereg. The con staff does a good job with making sure fursuiters get to the front of lines, so having the same ruleset for people with disabilities shouldn't be a problem I'd imagine.
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We've discussed this. The sad truth is that there is no real way to define "Disability." We would have a thousand people claiming that every little ache and pain qualifies them as "disabled" so that they could get to the front of the elevator line.
Such is human nature, I'm afraid. We are already seeing the beginnings of such behavior.
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Perhaps have a few disability badges available at con ops to be issued on a first come, first served basis. Don't publicize they are available. They will only be offered to people that come to con ops and request specific assistance of some sort due to special needs. If they've come to ask for really specific aid on a specific issue, odds are good they REALLY need it.
So a general request of "I want priority elevator access" won't get you a badge, a specific request of "could I please have someone help carry my gear to X event because I have a bad knee and I am afraid it will give out if I have to stand in line for the elevator that long holding something heavy" might get you an elevator badge.
Obviously we want to accommodate the people who really do need assistance, but you don't want every Tom, dick, and Harry jumping to the front of the line because they are "disabled" due to their deep seated phobia of soap ("oh, the bubbles, they BURN! gimme my elevator pass!").
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That would have made me laugh if it weren't for the number of con attendees that DON'T bathe during the con... however I think the hotel and convention staff would be highly ticked off if somebody were to dump a load of soap into the fire sprinklers water supply and then set the sprinklers off...
Okay, seriously on the topic at hand, it seems that outside of obvious mechanical aid, there aren't any legal ways to prove that one is handicapped. So most of my original suggestions have been torpedoed out of the water.
I think that still leaves open the suggestion of "pushing" those who might be handicapped to the "off" side hotels. It means a bit more walking distance, but much less standing around waiting on an elevator in the Westin.
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The Courtyard would be the better choice than the Omni mostly likely since it is a tad bit closer to programming space. The Omni I know has stairs to get to the elevator at most entrances. There is one way to get in that has a ramp, but its on the far side of the building, adding almost another block of walking.
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permalinkHi Kage!
I am disabled, and from the Dorsai Irregulars, they gave me a "badge" that indicated to ANY Irregular that when I am in the wheelchair at an elevator, I get some attention. There was many times that I had to FIGHT regular people in the two elevators between the Westin and the Convention Center. There were no fursuiters, just irresponsible people who refused to take the stairs. Hey, I though it would be incredible if I "surfed" the stairs in the wheelchair, (WAHOO!) but....
Dineegla
The full rack, antleered Alaskan Moose
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You have seen for yourself the impossible task that faces me. If someone is in a wheelchair, I think in our culture there should be no need for any sort of special pass that allows the person extra courtesy at the elevators.
We won't be able to give out such badges in the future. Human nature being what it is, we could only use those badges once as a temporary solution. Now that word has gotten out, I strongly suspect (and would be willing to lay down a considerable monetary bet) that there will be a long line of people at Ops next year demanding a "special access" ribbon for everything from fallen arches to A.D.D. Anthrocon cannot (and should not be expected to) decide who is "sufficiently handicapped" to warrant additional courtesy at the elevators. We have no choice but to rely on the 98% of our attendees who are good-natured souls. For the other 2%, we can only continue to endure them while secretly hoping that an errant sperm whale should fall out of the sky upon their heads.
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permalinkLocation: Sioux City, IA
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Ah yes, the famous Douglas Adams reference. You win zen cookies for that! So which segment of the population would get the potted petunias?
~Tyrrlin
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ai. I'm almost regretting having brought the topic up...
I'm also thinking the Port Authority would be quite upset if a number of bodies were suddenly be found at the bottom of the river...
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permalinkLocation: Roseville, CA, USA
The whole point of putting the bodies at the bottom of the river is to avoid unnecessarily upsetting anybody...
...And if the Port Authority should happen to find them and become upset, then you obviously aren't doing it right!
There, there - Fortunately we have capable friends to call upon to take care of the matter for us. We just need to remember them in the appropriate way, at the appropriate time.
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permalinkLocation: Erie, PA, USA
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According to the ADA one can not ask for proof of injury or disability. However, it *is* legal to ask if one requires any special accommodations, and if so, to state the nature of the required accommodations. This question could be added to the pre-reg form. Most people probably won't be thinking about the elevators while registering, unless they have an actual need, so few people without a real injury or disability would likely fake it. If anyone answered yes to the question, give them a ribbon for their badge when they arrive. Since this is based on the honor system, some small percentage of people will manage to lie, but I suspect most won't at that point.
I personally have a hidden disability, and need very little in the way of accommodations, so might not even mention it on the form at all. I'm legally blind, which does not prevent me from waiting in line for elevators like everyone else. I had totally different issues come up instead. I could not see the schedule of con events, even with a magnifying lens. That was needlessly too small. Thankfully, a brief version of the schedule was on one of the TV channels in the hotel rooms. The only other issue was when I arrived at the masquerade alone and could not see well enough to find a seat in the crowd because of the motion in the room, however, I was able to see the red shirt helpers near the doors. I asked one if they could help me to find a seat, and they told me no.
At that point, it wasn't a big deal, as I figured someone would run into me to help soon enough, and the door people were busy. Well, a friend was behind me and happened to hear the whole thing. He was sorta mad, even though I wasn't, and pestered me to mention what happened to Uncle Kage. He took me to where Uncle Kage was and I started to mention what happened. Before I'd even finished, he told me to sit right there beside him in the front row! I was more expecting to be passed off to a helper and seated somewhere. I didn't want to get anyone into trouble either, and only went to Uncle Kage at the insistence of a friend who I figured would make a scene if I didn't. In any case, I ended up with one of the best seats in the house. It was the first masquerade where I could actually see what was going on in the entire twelve years I've gone to furry conventions. Thank you Uncle Kage! That made my weekend!
Because of what happened, I think it might be good to reserve a partial row of seats a few rows back for people who couldn't otherwise see the show, and for the door persons to point people in the right direction if an issue of disability or eyesight is brought up to them. It's not too likely that many people would make something like that up in order to beat the system. It could greatly help about a dozen people with truly low vision. Definitely not a high priority, like the elevators are for most people, but still something to keep in mind, amongst everything else. I felt like the luckiest person at the masquerade this year. I think I enjoyed the show too much to even turn red!
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