July 3rd, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Expert Interviews
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If you or your friends or family have a disability, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a vacation at Disney World. This post is a continuation of my interview with Bob Minnick, the Technical Director of Global Accessibility and Facility Safety at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He explained to me how Disney theme parks are committed to providing access to guests with disabilities. I’ve captured some highlights from our discussion here, and then summarized the services offered to guests with disabilities.
Dr. Val: Why is Disney so committed to universal access?
Minnick: Walt was all about guest service – he wanted the place to work for everybody, even guests who have unique needs. Our mantra is “guest service,” not “compliance.” We do things because it’s the right thing to do. For example, we were building wheelchair-accessible rides long before the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) became law. Also, we won’t patent a ride vehicle design because there are only so many ways to make rides accessible. If we invented a great idea and patented it, then nobody else could use it. Since we’re about creating access for everybody, we don’t mind if people use the idea or approach to improve the world we live in for people with disabilities.
Dr. Val: This must cost a lot – what’s the business case for it?
Minnick: I’m truly blessed to work for a company that “gets it.” We want to bring our guest service amenities to everybody. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s the Disney brand. For us, it’s worth the investment to give everyone the opportunity to experience the joy and magic of Disney parks. All the senses are stimulated at Disney – scents, sights, sounds, and touch and we want to enable as much of the sensory experience as we can for all our guests.
Dr. Val: Do any of your competitors go out of their way like you do to accommodate guests with disabilities?
Minnick: Many in the industry are doing a great job accommodating their Guests with disabilities. We have some unique services that many of them don’t offer. For example, the reason why we provide hearing and visual aids is that our rides are designed to tell a story. You can build an iron roller coaster to create a “motion” experience of being turned upside down and thrown about. But we tell a story with our rides and we want to bring that story to life for everybody.
Services for Guests with hearing disabilities
Sign language interpretation is provided at many shows, 2 days a week at all of the parks (except Animal Kingdom).
Assistive listening service (ALS): amplified audio and captioning technologies are bundled into a Blackberry-sized device that is free of charge and may be carried throughout the parks.
Services for Guests with visual disabilities
Audio Description: Visually impaired individuals can listen to a description of what’s happening on stage or in the shows in between the audio narrations. It is also equipped with a GPS module so that as the guest walks around the park, it offers a way of finding information and tells you where you are.
Braille is available on most park maps. There are Braille guide books available as well.
Services for the Guests with mobility disabilities
Seated parade viewing – special roadside sections exist for guests in wheelchairs so that they get a clear view of Disney parades without other guests standing in front of them.
Zero grade entrance to pools. Gentle slopes (rather than stairs) lead in to all water attractions. This facilitates wheelchair entry and is safe for young children.
Aquatic wheelchairs are provided as needed.
Accessible golf carts are available. They are designed to allow the seated rider to be raised up to standing level so they can swing a club more easily.
Special design features of rides. Many rides are designed so you can’t tell if a guest is in a wheelchair (this normalizes the experience, especially for kids). A special “spur track” feature takes the coaster car offline so that the guests with disabilities can take as long as they need to get in. Then the car rejoins the next line of coasters and enters the ride stream. Toy Story Mania is an innovative ride that provides an optional, closed-captioning service with a shooting mechanism designed for people who can push a button but can’t pull a trigger.
Practice vehicles are available just outside the entrance to various rides. Guests can practice transfers, and getting in and out of the ride vehicle before getting on the actual ride. They can even have pictures taken in the model vehicle.
General Services
Guest Assistance Cards are available to customize services to the needs of individual guests. Customized cards include requests for shade while waiting to enter a ride, the ability for parents to use strollers in lieu of wheelchairs for young children with disabilities, a front row seat pass, a pass to enter attractions via special entrances, and a green light pass for the Make-A-Wish Foundation participants.
Alternate entrances are available for all attractions so that guests with special needs may be ushered in discretely as needed. This design feature is particularly useful for guests with cognitive disabilities who cannot tolerate waiting in lines.
Dietary accommodations are made by Disney chefs trained to prepare food to accommodate special dietary needs.
Make-A-Wish Foundation is a partner of Disney’s. Children with terminal illnesses whose last wish is to go to Disney World are offered special accommodations and service, free of charge.
Emergency medical services are available at all theme parks in case a guest has an immediate medical need. EMS staff arrive within minutes of any distress call.
Bob Minnick summarizes it this way: “Walt Disney World is a place where everybody gets to be a kid. It levels the playing field for children with disabilities – even 60 year olds wear Goofy hats. Everyone’s having fun and acting funny, so it really normalizes the experience for guests with disabilities – because no one stands out or feels different from others.”
*For more information, visit the Disney guests with disabilities website.*This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
July 2nd, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Celebrity Interviews, Expert Interviews
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Would you know what to do if someone in your office collapsed in front of you and became unresponsive? Having a defibrillator handy could save their life – and it’s important for you to know how to use one. I interviewed Dr. Jon LaPook, Medical Correspondent for CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, to get his take. [Interesting factoid: Jon became passionate about cardiac defibrillators after a friend of his died while exercising at a gym in NYC. The health club did not have a defibrillator on site – which could have saved his friend’s life.]
*Listen to the podcast*
Dr. Val: What is a defibrillator?
Dr. LaPook: It’s a machine that can convert a life threatening heart rhythm (like ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation) back into a normal beating pattern. It uses a pulse of electricity to do this. These machines are potentially life-saving.
Dr. Val: Why is it important for offices to have them on hand?
Dr. LaPook: About 1.2 million people in the United States have a heart attack every year and 300,000 of those have “sudden death.” The reason why these people die is not because of the heart attack, but because of the irregular heart rhythm that accompanies it. When the heart isn’t beating in a coordinated fashion, it can’t pump blood effectively and people pass out and ultimately die if there’s no intervention.
If a defibrillator is used to administer a shock to the chest during one of these life threatening heart rhythms, there’s a much higer chance that the person’s life will be saved. For every minute of delay (from the time a person collapses) to receiving a shock to the chest, their chance of survival decreases by 7-10%. So it’s very important for people to get defibrillation quickly.
Dr. Val: How do you use a defibrillator?
Dr. LaPook: When you first see someone collapse and become unresponsive, all you have to do is get the defibrillator and press the “on” switch. It will talk you through the next steps. Remember that the first step is always to have someone call 911 so that EMS will be on its way while you continue CPR. Then you expose the victim’s chest so that you can apply two sticky pads, and the defibrillator will tell you where to put the pads. Then it will analyze the victim’s heart rhythm and decide if it requires a shock to get it beating in a coordinated way. If a shock is recommended, the machine will announce that and ask you to step away from the person. Once the shock has been received, it will then give you instructions for CPR (which includes chest compressions and rescue breaths) until EMS arrives or a pulse is able to be felt. If a person doesn’t require a shock, the machine will not give one – so there’s no risk of harm to the victim.
It’s important for people not to be intimidated about defibrillation because it’s really very simple and can save a life.
Dr. Val: What are a person’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest?
Dr. LaPook: Nationally, your chances of survival (without intervention) are about 4-6%. If you receive CPR, your chances increase to 15% but with a defibrillator – especially if it’s used quickly – the chances are 40% or higher.
Dr. Val: What do you think about the new research suggesting that rescue breaths may not be as important for CPR as initially thought?
Dr. LaPook: I spoke to Dr. Rose Marie Robertson, who is the Chief Science Officer at the American Heart Association, and she said that in a “witnessed arrest” (when you actually see someone collapse) it doesn’t seem to make a {big} difference if you do rescue breathing (i.e. mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) or not. The reason they studied this is because one of the main reasons why people don’t perform CPR is the “ick” factor of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. As it turns out, chest compressions alone are about as successful at saving lives as traditional CPR. However, if you’ve been trained to do the rescue breathing technique, you should definitely use it. The key to CPR is “hard and fast” chest compressions, about 100 compressions per minute. Whatever form of CPR you use, the key to success is using the defibrillator as soon as possible, ideally within several minutes.
Dr. Val: What should people working in an office environment know about first aid?
Dr. LaPook: The most important thing is for people to be trained in CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, and defibrillator use.
Dr. Val: Are there enough defibrillators out there nowadays?
Dr. LaPook: Not at all. At the very least, defibrillators should be in every single health club in America. I also think they should be installed in every office building and be widely available at schools.
A cardiologist friend of mine told me about some parents who lobbied for their daughter’s school to purchase a defibrillator. (They were in tune to cardiac issues in children because their daughter had an arhythmia called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.) Two years after the school purchased the device, the girl – only 13 years old at the time – collapsed while walking past the nurse’s office at the school. The nurse saved her life with the very defibrillator that her parents fought so hard for. So defibrillators are incredibly important, and although they’re not inexpensive (about $1200), you really can’t put a price on life.
*Listen to the podcast*
*Check out Dr. LaPook’s defibrillator training video with Katie Couric*This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
June 30th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in News
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I read a touching story at the BBC news center about a young woman with Alpert’s Syndrome. This rare syndrome is present in only 1 in 170,000 births. It results in facial disfigurement and mitten-like hands.
The physical defects of Apert’s syndrome were first described by Fredrick Apert in 1942. These characteristics include: A tower-shaped skull due to craniosynostosis (premature fusion of the sutures of the skull)—an underdeveloped mid-face leading to recessed cheekbones and prominent eyes, malocclusion (Faulty contact between the upper and lower teeth when the jaw is closed) and limb abnormalities such as webbing of the middle digits of the hands and feet.
Bones of the fingers and toes are fused in Alpert’s infants giving a “mitten-like” appearance of their hands. Children with Apert’s syndrome can have unusual speech characteristics such as hyponasal resonance due to an under-developed mid face, small nose and long soft palate and, sometimes, cleft palate.
What struck me about the girl’s story was how she described how it felt to be teased growing up, and how the worst part of the teasing was that no one stuck up for her. I’ve seen kids do this kind of thing before, and I can imagine how painful it is when no one has the courage to go to bat for you. I’ve often wondered how “doing nothing” to defend a little one might be just as bad as actively harrassing them. I’d encourage parents to teach their children not to tease others, and beyond that, to come to the defense of those being teased. I bet this will do a lot of psychological good for the victims.
The good news in this case is that the girl has had some very successful reconstructive surgery and has a fairly normal life. The teen is even thinking about boyfriends, and preparing for college. Many thanks to the surgeons who did such a wonderful job.
And coincidentally, the Happy Hospitalist brought this story to my attention: a 4 month old kitten was in a horrible accident that resulted in her losing the front half of her face. Veterinarians were able to save her life, though she remains quite deformed. I am told that the kitty is not in any pain, and is enjoying her life as a therapy pet. She brings hope to those recovering in the hospital from surgeries and serious illnesses. I suppose they see her as a loving animal who is cheerfully going about her kitty business, without giving much thought to her previous injury.
These stories of hope are made possible by the surgeons and veterinarians who devote their lives to saving face. In so doing, they provide the rest of us with valuable lessons, and new friends of exemplary courage.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
June 28th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Medblogger Shout Outs
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I had every intention of publishing my follow up Disney post today… but I’m afraid it’s not quite ready for prime time. So queue the musical interlude and enjoy some weird stuff from around the medical blogosphere…
Dr. Deb highlights a new fashion trend: high heel baby shoes. Join the discussion at her blog – do the shoes represent an inappropriate sexualization of infants, or is it just good fun that’s lost on the babies? You decide.
Medgadget presents the prosthetic solution to two-legged dogdom. This little puppy is getting around nicely thanks to a custom front end with wheels. The Ostrovsky brothers dub this “unbearably cute.”
Dr. Dino is surrounded by blooming cacti. Who knew that such flora existed in the northeast?
Dr. Joe, the part-time anesthesiologist, has found two amusing websites – the first will turn your name into an Ikea-style furniture label, the second is an audio survey regarding what makes noises annoying. As in, “Hey, do you wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?”
And if you got that last reference – then you’re telling me there’s a chance… A chance you liked these links.
And on a more serious note, I’m going to interview Dr. Nancy Nielsen, new President of the American Medical Association, on Medicare cuts this week. So stay tuned for more of my unique blend of news, humor, touching stories, and high level interviews.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
June 26th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in True Stories
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I spent the last few days in Orlando, Florida with my husband’s extended family. His nieces and nephews were looking forward to the vacation for months in advance, because they were really excited about going to Disney World. However, two of their parents have disabilities – my sister-in-law has stage IV breast cancer with metastases to her hip (making it impossible for her to walk), and my other sister-in-law is married to a man who is hearing impaired. Therefore, navigating theme parks can be a real challenge for the family.
As a rehabilitation medicine specialist, I’m always interested in learning about special accommodations for the disabled. So I contacted Bob Minnick, the Technical Director of Global Accessibility and Facility Safety at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, to find out what Disney had to offer guests with disabilities.
Bob kindly agreed to meet me at his office on the Disney World grounds, and we had an animated 2 hour conversation about all the exciting programs that his team of engineers have designed. I was impressed with the depth and breadth of services they offer and thought I should let my readers know about them – because even if you or a loved one has a disability, you can still experience “the magic of Disney.”
But before I explain the specifics of the special programs at Disney, I wanted to pause to tell you a true story based on some information that Bob shared with me.
***
A young, non-verbal teen with autism (we’ll call him Johnny) was raised in rural America by two loving parents with scarce resources. They spent all their extra income on services for their son, hoping to give him the best chance at social integration possible. Johnny liked to watch cartoons, and was partial to Disney movies. He spent lots of time viewing them, replaying them many times over. His mom would often try to engage him in conversation about the cartoon characters, but sadly, he remained silent.
Years passed and the parents saved up their money to take Johnny on a trip to Disney World since they knew how much it would mean to him. He had been watching Finding Nemo a lot, and they wondered if somewhere inside his mind he could relate to the little fish with the weak fin. So when they were poring over the Disney theme park brochures and found a show at Epcot Center called “Turtle Talk” with Crush (the turtle character from Finding Nemo) they were determined to make sure that Johnny attended.
When they arrived at the auditorium one of the greeters realized that Johnny had special needs and asked if he’d like to sit in the front row. His mom’s heart skipped a beat – this was going to be a great day for Johnny.
As the lights dimmed and the crowd of kids hushed, a large, animated, moving model of Crush floated effortlessly towards the children in the front row. The blue lights and waving seaweed made the stage come alive with ocean wonder. Johnny fixed his eyes on Crush, transported to another sensory world.
As the sea turtle approached Johnny – almost nose to nose – it spoke to him. “Hello dude, how are you today?” Said the turtle.
And with a slow, deliberate voice, Johnny replied clearly, “Hello Crush. Nice to meet you.”
Johnny’s mom burst into tears and glanced at her husband as the two embraced their son – he had spoken his very first words right there in the auditorium in front of hundreds of people. And although no one else understood the significance of his response – to Johnny’s parents, it was the happiest day of their lives.
You might even say it was magical.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
