Disabled Person/is a special room really required?

[uppitycats]

All agreed and understood. Just didnt want the OP to get the one answer they were looking for without possibly seeing answers to questions she may not have realized would come up.

 

Believe me, if I had a 14 year old daughter in a wheelchair whose only other means of mobility was crawling around like the family pet, you can be sure that I'd book a handicap-accessible cabin before giving in to the "luxury" of a balcony. Her dignity and ability to be more self-sufficient would far surpass my need for balcony space. But they are set on booking what they want to book, and didn't ask if it was reasonable, or better, or what the benefits were..just, were they required to.

 

Anyway, the question has been answered. They've probably moved on to planning other aspects of their cruise, anyway.

[barbgazz]

Believe me, if I had a 14 year old daughter in a wheelchair whose only other means of mobility was crawling around like the family pet, you can be sure that I'd book a handicap-accessible cabin before giving in to the "luxury" of a balcony. Her dignity and ability to be more self-sufficient would far surpass my need for balcony space. But they are set on booking what they want to book, and didn't ask if it was reasonable, or better, or what the benefits were..just, were they required to.

 

Anyway, the question has been answered. They've probably moved on to planning other aspects of their cruise, anyway.

 

 

 

Yikes!!!!

[Aknot]

Believe me, if I had a 14 year old daughter in a wheelchair whose only other means of mobility was crawling around like the family pet, you can be sure that I'd book a handicap-accessible cabin before giving in to the "luxury" of a balcony. Her dignity and ability to be more self-sufficient would far surpass my need for balcony space. But they are set on booking what they want to book, and didn't ask if it was reasonable, or better, or what the benefits were..just, were they required to.

 

Anyway, the question has been answered. They've probably moved on to planning other aspects of their cruise, anyway.

 

Yuppers. However I on the other hand felt like giving more information/opinion that may or may not help in their decision.

[2thesea]

Believe me, if I had a 14 year old daughter in a wheelchair whose only other means of mobility was crawling around like the family pet, you can be sure that I'd book a handicap-accessible cabin before giving in to the "luxury" of a balcony. Her dignity and ability to be more self-sufficient would far surpass my need for balcony space. But they are set on booking what they want to book, and didn't ask if it was reasonable, or better, or what the benefits were..just, were they required to.

 

Anyway, the question has been answered. They've probably moved on to planning other aspects of their cruise, anyway.

 

Uppitycats....I being the mother of a disabled child I CAN'T believe you wrote this comment. "crawing around like the family pet"....your kidding right? The OP stated that her daughter has some mobility and can crawl around, this crawling gives her daughter the freedom of movement that she otherwise does NOT have while in her chair and I am sure it also gets her the freedom from needing some ones help to get from one place to the next.

 

Uppitcat when you reply to thread like this PLEASE understand that you are replying to a question and are NOT asked to judge why someone does something or not. Did you stop and think that IF the OP takes a balcony that her daughter can sit on the Balcony and enjoy the view with out her "chair".

[uppitycats]

Uppitycats....I being the mother of a disabled child I CAN'T believe you wrote this comment. "crawing around like the family pet"....your kidding right? The OP stated that her daughter has some mobility and can crawl around, this crawling gives her daughter the freedom of movement that she otherwise does NOT have while in her chair and I am sure it also gets her the freedom from needing some ones help to get from one place to the next.

 

Uppitcat when you reply to thread like this PLEASE understand that you are replying to a question and are NOT asked to judge why someone does something or not. Did you stop and think that IF the OP takes a balcony that her daughter can sit on the Balcony and enjoy the view with out her "chair".

 

Yes, I took all that into account. She actually could sit on a balcony IN her wheelchair and enjoy the view -- I did, on 3 of my cruises on Carnival ships, all in handicap-accessible cabins with balconies. Yes, it might well give her "freedom of movement". Using her wheelchair ALSO gives her the freedom of not needing someone's help to get from one place to another to the next, and so on. I USE a wheelchair. I am also a 30-year disabilities consultant. I know of what I speak. Judgmental? Yes. Critical? Yes.

 

A small child, up to the age of 7-8 - crawling on the floor is one thing. Kids play on the floor. A young woman of 14 crawling on the floor is quite another.

[2thesea]

Yes, I took all that into account. She actually could sit on a balcony IN her wheelchair and enjoy the view -- I did, on 3 of my cruises on Carnival ships, all in handicap-accessible cabins with balconies. Yes, it might well give her "freedom of movement". Using her wheelchair ALSO gives her the freedom of not needing someone's help to get from one place to another to the next, and so on. I USE a wheelchair. I am also a 30-year disabilities consultant. I know of what I speak. Judgmental? Yes. Critical? Yes.

 

A small child, up to the age of 7-8 - crawling on the floor is one thing. Kids play on the floor. A young woman of 14 crawling on the floor is quite another.

 

I can appreciate the fact that you are in a "chair" and I also commend you for working as a consultant. BUT that is NO way gives you the right to pass judgement. This gal may be 14 but maybe sitting in a Chair other than her "wheels" is worth the trade off? Her moving about a room of any sort under her own power with out the use of her chair me by empowering to her? Maybe her mother and family known her best and maybe you should not suggest that they are treating her like the family pet allowing her to move about as she can?

 

If you are in fact a consultant I would hope that you DO NOT allow YOUR feelings to impact others?

 

BALCONY Cabins.....NO triple or quad accessible cabins on the Pride, Glory or DREAM, just an FYI.

[Chihuahua-Mama]

I am a person with a disability. No one with a disability is required to book a handicap-accessible room! They are there for those of us who could not cruise without one, because we cannot get a regular-sized wheelchair through the cabin door, or into the bathroom (people talked about the 1-2 inch "lip" between cabin interior and the bathroom), or use the bathroom without being able to roll into the shower, or have the raised toilet seat, or space under the sink for our legs and wheelchair.

 

If your daughter doesn't need any of that, you can book any cabin you please! Given that you're talking about a child, and presumably you'll assist with toileting needs, book whatever you think you can manage!

 

Makes the most sense, you answered exactly what I was expecting. My daughter has Spina Bifida, she is 15, and does use a chair for long distance, but at home, she parks the chair at the front door and zipps around the house in other ways.

 

She only has loss of feeling below the knees and thus does most everything except walk. She does have bi-lateral dislocated hips, which also stops her from standing upright, but if she needs to get something off the counter at home she just grabs the counter, pulls herself up andgets it.

 

We did decide to move to the inside cabin mid ship. The main goal was getting the two cabins closer together. :o

[Chihuahua-Mama]

Believe me, if I had a 14 year old daughter in a wheelchair whose only other means of mobility was crawling around like the family pet, you can be sure that I'd book a handicap-accessible cabin before giving in to the "luxury" of a balcony. Her dignity and ability to be more self-sufficient would far surpass my need for balcony space. But they are set on booking what they want to book, and didn't ask if it was reasonable, or better, or what the benefits were..just, were they required to.

 

Anyway, the question has been answered. They've probably moved on to planning other aspects of their cruise, anyway.

 

Nasty referance, hurt to read suchevil words, My daughter is not treated like a family pet. She is a child who unfourtunatly requires a wheelchair when travelling outside or long distances as crawling through mud would be very messy... once in her own home or space, she MUCH RATHER prefers to skoot around, crawl, whatever you want to call it, and has been doing so for 12+ years.

 

Our home is clean, and she is much faster getting where she wants to go with a lot more freedom and agility then the chair allows her. To her, the chair is like a car to anyone else.

 

As for the balcony, perhaps a misread. We booked a balcony and an inside disabaled cabin. We switched the inside cabin to a non accesable. Never made a decision based on balcony or no balcony. And to think one would do so and make a child suffer in turn is dispicable.

[LSEA]

Nasty referance, hurt to read suchevil words, My daughter is not treated like a family pet. She is a child who unfourtunatly requires a wheelchair when travelling outside or long distances as crawling through mud would be very messy... once in her own home or space, she MUCH RATHER prefers to skoot around, crawl, whatever you want to call it, and has been doing so for 12+ years.

 

Our home is clean, and she is much faster getting where she wants to go with a lot more freedom and agility then the chair allows her. To her, the chair is like a car to anyone else.

 

As for the balcony, perhaps a misread. We booked a balcony and an inside disabaled cabin. We switched the inside cabin to a non accesable. Never made a decision based on balcony or no balcony. And to think one would do so and make a child suffer in turn is dispicable.

 

I'm sorry you had to read such a comment. I truly hope you and your family have a wonderful cruise!!

[sjn911]

I'm sorry you had to read such a comment. I truly hope you and your family have a wonderful cruise!!

 

I would like to echo this sentiment.

 

Have a great cruise OP.

 

My dear friends have a daughter with osteogenisis imperfecta...she is out of college now..and still sometimes the floor is better and they kept her out of chair as much as possible when growing up for strength she climbed up to her room...have a great cruise..sjn.

[Chihuahua-Mama]

I would like to echo this sentiment.

 

Have a great cruise OP.

 

My dear friends have a daughter with osteogenisis imperfecta...she is out of college now..and still sometimes the floor is better and they kept her out of chair as much as possible when growing up for strength she climbed up to her room...have a great cruise..sjn.

 

Exactly, also I would like to note that our daughters doctor pointed out that her spine us almost perfect, in comparison to most SB patients, as she is not sitting in the chair 24/7

 

I do plan to have a great vacation, and in Oct I will update and add some trip photos for everyone!

[Chihuahua-Mama]

well we have completed our vacation and we had the time of our lives!!! I would like to say, we did indeed take the inside cabin, not an accesable cabin, and it was perfectly fine!

 

The Miracle was 99 % accesable to her, the only place she mentioned she could not get to was the arcade, but she didnt seem to care either. Her cabin steward was awesome. After the boast drill our cabin steward met with us and got the information for both cabins as we noted our daughter may be in either room at night depending on how she felt at bed time, and that was fine with everyone as long as they knew where she would be before lights out.

 

I have added a few photos for you all to enjoy !

 

Our daughter had a WONDERFUL vacation, thank-you for all your help!