Universal now requiring documentation be sent to a third party for accessibility

[FusionNeo]

Just wanted to give a quick update here. I noticed I had a case number assigned on my IBCCES card despite not having had a call yet. I called in to check on the status and was asked when I was planning to come to the parks and was then transferred to a staff member. The staff member simply asked me if I had had accommodations before, what they were, and if those accomodations worked for me. She then told me I was approved for life as long as my IBCCES was valid.

The phone call was shockingly easy which I didn't expect given some of the horror stories here. I was kind of bewildered actually. It being "for life" on Universal's side is a pleasant surprise though, because my experience in years past has been they tend to give a lot of pushback with issuing a AAP during Halloween Horror Nights which is when I'm planning to go.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the process. While I do appreciate them trying to cut down on abuse, this is inherently a more difficult process for those with legitimate disabilities and I recognize that not everyone is easily able to get paperwork showing their disability. Still, while I think the process has some growing pains, I think it's better to go through this whole ordeal once and be approved for life instead of having to advocate for yourself multiple times with guest services and be at the mercy of someone who is not qualified to make a medical judgment, especially for those of us who have invisible disabilities.

 

[DisneyOma]

Just wanted to give a quick update here. I noticed I had a case number assigned on my IBCCES card despite not having had a call yet. I called in to check on the status and was asked when I was planning to come to the parks and was then transferred to a staff member. The staff member simply asked me if I had had accommodations before, what they were, and if those accomodations worked for me. She then told me I was approved for life as long as my IBCCES was valid.

The phone call was shockingly easy which I didn't expect given some of the horror stories here. I was kind of bewildered actually. It being "for life" on Universal's side is a pleasant surprise though, because my experience in years past has been they tend to give a lot of pushback with issuing a AAP during Halloween Horror Nights which is when I'm planning to go.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the process. While I do appreciate them trying to cut down on abuse, this is inherently a more difficult process for those with legitimate disabilities and I recognize that not everyone is easily able to get paperwork showing their disability. Still, while I think the process has some growing pains, I think it's better to go through this whole ordeal once and be approved for life instead of having to advocate for yourself multiple times with guest services and be at the mercy of someone who is not qualified to make a medical judgment, especially for those of us who have invisible disabilities.

How is approving someone "for life" cutting down on the so-called abuse? It's like Universal doesn't think there might be progress in the future for some conditions/diseases, etc. Someone could find themselves able to handle a queue due to a new treatment, but have that pass for life anyways.

 

[FusionNeo]

How is approving someone "for life" cutting down on the so-called abuse? It's like Universal doesn't think there might be progress in the future for some conditions/diseases, etc. Someone could find themselves able to handle a queue due to a new treatment, but have that pass for life anyways.

Hey, that's totally fair. I wrote that from my perspective of having a chronic illness that I have accepted as a "for the rest of my life" issue which is not the case for every disability that exists.

That said, even if you factor in the potential for new abuse in the form of "I had this before and no longer need it, but I was approved for life so I'll keep using it" I do think abuse overall will decline. Needing to get documentation is a hurdle I don't see a lot of would-be abusers being willing to do. Just my two cents.

 

[JLTraveling]

Hey, that's totally fair. I wrote that from my perspective of having a chronic illness that I have accepted as a "for the rest of my life" issue which is not the case for every disability that exists.

That said, even if you factor in the potential for new abuse in the form of "I had this before and no longer need it, but I was approved for life so I'll keep using it" I do think abuse overall will decline. Needing to get documentation is a hurdle I don't see a lot of would-be abusers being willing to do. Just my two cents.

I agree with you. And I would add that since this is only "for life" as long as one keeps the IBCCES card renewed, that probably cuts down another layer of would-be abusers. Simply remembering to renew that card by the expiration date is something very important to people with chronic illnesses who don't want to go through the ordeal again, but likely very easy to forget for those who don't actually physically need the accommodation any longer. Just my opinion though.

 

[kps7795]

How is approving someone "for life" cutting down on the so-called abuse? It's like Universal doesn't think there might be progress in the future for some conditions/diseases, etc. Someone could find themselves able to handle a queue due to a new treatment, but have that pass for life anyways.

It’s not actually ”for life.” It’s valid as long as the IBCCES card is valid, so one needs to provide documentation on an annual basis to renew the card.

 

[ToxicRoyalty]

I think what Universal is trying to say is your Universal case number is for life, so after that initial interview, as long as you renew the IBCCES, you can go in the park and renew your pass as well. I imagine they'll get something in place though where you can still talk to someone if needs have changed and you may need different accommodations.

 

[DLgal]

Just wanted to give a quick update here. I noticed I had a case number assigned on my IBCCES card despite not having had a call yet. I called in to check on the status and was asked when I was planning to come to the parks and was then transferred to a staff member. The staff member simply asked me if I had had accommodations before, what they were, and if those accomodations worked for me. She then told me I was approved for life as long as my IBCCES was valid.

The phone call was shockingly easy which I didn't expect given some of the horror stories here. I was kind of bewildered actually. It being "for life" on Universal's side is a pleasant surprise though, because my experience in years past has been they tend to give a lot of pushback with issuing a AAP during Halloween Horror Nights which is when I'm planning to go.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the process. While I do appreciate them trying to cut down on abuse, this is inherently a more difficult process for those with legitimate disabilities and I recognize that not everyone is easily able to get paperwork showing their disability. Still, while I think the process has some growing pains, I think it's better to go through this whole ordeal once and be approved for life instead of having to advocate for yourself multiple times with guest services and be at the mercy of someone who is not qualified to make a medical judgment, especially for those of us who have invisible disabilities.

Well, I was told specifically that the accommodation with Universal would be valid for a year and then I'd need to get a new case number once I renew the IBCCES card. Not sure if that means that they will just carry over the accommodations year after year as long as you keep renewing the IBCCES card or what. But they were very clear with me that the accommodation would expire when the IBCCES card did.

 

[DisneyOma]

Hey, that's totally fair. I wrote that from my perspective of having a chronic illness that I have accepted as a "for the rest of my life" issue which is not the case for every disability that exists.

That said, even if you factor in the potential for new abuse in the form of "I had this before and no longer need it, but I was approved for life so I'll keep using it" I do think abuse overall will decline. Needing to get documentation is a hurdle I don't see a lot of would-be abusers being willing to do. Just my two cents.

So many doctors are quite willing to "play god" and write whatever is needed, IMO. I've seen plenty of posts on the DIS and other places in the past about doctors (especially pediatricians) willing to write notes "that so and so needs front of the line access", so it's not really a hurdle at all. More like a miniscule speed bump.

 

[OurBigTrip]

So many doctors are quite willing to "play god" and write whatever is needed, IMO. I've seen plenty of posts on the DIS and other places in the past about doctors (especially pediatricians) willing to write notes "that so and so needs front of the line access", so it's not really a hurdle at all. More like a miniscule speed bump.

The doctors aren’t providing info on what accommodations are needed - the doctor’s note, if provided, is to confirm a disability.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Just wanted to give a quick update here. I noticed I had a case number assigned on my IBCCES card despite not having had a call yet. I called in to check on the status and was asked when I was planning to come to the parks and was then transferred to a staff member. The staff member simply asked me if I had had accommodations before, what they were, and if those accomodations worked for me. She then told me I was approved for life as long as my IBCCES was valid.

The phone call was shockingly easy which I didn't expect given some of the horror stories here. I was kind of bewildered actually. It being "for life" on Universal's side is a pleasant surprise though, because my experience in years past has been they tend to give a lot of pushback with issuing a AAP during Halloween Horror Nights which is when I'm planning to go.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the process. While I do appreciate them trying to cut down on abuse, this is inherently a more difficult process for those with legitimate disabilities and I recognize that not everyone is easily able to get paperwork showing their disability. Still, while I think the process has some growing pains, I think it's better to go through this whole ordeal once and be approved for life instead of having to advocate for yourself multiple times with guest services and be at the mercy of someone who is not qualified to make a medical judgment, especially for those of us who have invisible disabilities.

I wouldn't gamble on the "for life" part. That does not jive with what everyone else here has said. I'd keep an eye on that card at the one year mark...

 

[DisneyOma]

The doctors aren’t providing info on what accommodations are needed - the doctor’s note, if provided, is to confirm a disability.

That makes no sense to me - so this stupid card states that there has been a disability documented. So all disabilities are the same, need the same thing? A person has a leg amputated. Another person has autism. What does the stupid card do that makes some kind of difference? Is this just some kind of clearinghouse, making money off people's issues? You get the stupid card that states you are disabled - and then Universal says "yup they are disabled so they get the pass". What if the benefit of the pass has nothing to do with the issues caused by the disability? I mean, a deaf person would not need to have access to whatever Universal calls its quicker access line, but they would be designated as disabled, no?

 

[lanejudy]

Again — the IBCCES card simply indicates the individual submitted documentation that documents a disability. That card alone does NOT grant any specific accommodations.

The specific theme park — in this discussion it’s Universal but others use it as well — determines the actual accommodation granted (or not granted) for use in that park. Different parks may offer different accommodations, or an individual may receive accommodations in 1 park but not at another (or another kind of business).

 

[OurBigTrip]

That makes no sense to me - so this stupid card states that there has been a disability documented. So all disabilities are the same, need the same thing? A person has a leg amputated. Another person has autism. What does the stupid card do that makes some kind of difference? Is this just some kind of clearinghouse, making money off people's issues? You get the stupid card that states you are disabled - and then Universal says "yup they are disabled so they get the pass". What if the benefit of the pass has nothing to do with the issues caused by the disability? I mean, a deaf person would not need to have access to whatever Universal calls its quicker access line, but they would be designated as disabled, no?

No, as has been stated repeatedly, Universal would deal individually with the guest and determine what, if any, accommodations would be provided. In the case of a deaf guest, it’s highly unlikely that that Universal would offer a line accommodation, since that would do nothing for a deaf guest.

This really isn’t rocket science.

 

[DLgal]

That makes no sense to me - so this stupid card states that there has been a disability documented. So all disabilities are the same, need the same thing? A person has a leg amputated. Another person has autism. What does the stupid card do that makes some kind of difference? Is this just some kind of clearinghouse, making money off people's issues? You get the stupid card that states you are disabled - and then Universal says "yup they are disabled so they get the pass". What if the benefit of the pass has nothing to do with the issues caused by the disability? I mean, a deaf person would not need to have access to whatever Universal calls its quicker access line, but they would be designated as disabled, no?

Its just a way to make people prove they have *a* disability, so people can stop blatantly lying just to get an accommodation because they saw on Tik Tok that if you say you have Anxiety, or IBS, or Autism, you get to skip the lines.

It puts the onus on the individual to prove (via the documentation submitted) that they are disabled and then Universal will talk to you about whether you get accommodations because of it or not.

This is not hard to understand. It seems pretty straightforward to most people.

 

[FusionNeo]

So many doctors are quite willing to "play god" and write whatever is needed, IMO. I've seen plenty of posts on the DIS and other places in the past about doctors (especially pediatricians) willing to write notes "that so and so needs front of the line access", so it's not really a hurdle at all. More like a miniscule speed bump.

Sounds like a classic case of a vocal minority. While there are certainly going to be corrupt doctors who will sign whatever they need to as long as the check clears, I don't think it's as widespread of an issue as you're pretending it will be. More importantly, this is what I said:

Needing to get documentation is a hurdle I don't see a lot of would-be abusers being willing to do.

It's one thing to see on TikTok or whatever that you can feign x disability and get front of the line accommodations. It's another thing once you have to rope people into your scheme. The lie becomes more complex and it's additional time and money to get it done.

Will some people still do it? Absolutely. I never said they wouldn't. But the amount of abuse will be unquestionably less.

I wouldn't gamble on the "for life" part. That does not jive with what everyone else here has said. I'd keep an eye on that card at the one year mark...

I've seen a few posts on here that say the same. The case number with Universal will be valid for life, as long as I keep renewing my IBCCES card. Even if it's only once a year that's a welcome change - for me. Now if Universal could just go digital with their AAP service that'd be golden.

 

[Genie+]

I agree about the pediatricians/doctors. While some may exist most would be appalled if asked to forge or embellish for accommodations.

It's one thing to see on TikTok or whatever that you can feign x disability and get front of the line accommodations. It's another thing once you have to rope people into your scheme. The lie becomes more complex and it's additional time and money to get it done.

Will some people still do it? Absolutely. I never said they wouldn't. But the amount of abuse will be unquestionably less.

Yes. The time investment to risk was very small. Learn the correct phrase. Go to Guest Services window. Even if it didn’t work, worth a shot because very minimal time or effort needed.

With what Universal has done it will require more thought and time investment, with a higher risk to fail. Which changes whether to even bother attempting.

 

[DisneyOma]

Thank you for all the responses, and I see your POVs. I still think it is a scam by the card-granting company, as are many of the programs created to make money off the disabled. And I'm not worried about people faking a disability as much as I am concerned that people with invisible disabilities are getting abused by this system.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Thank you for all the responses, and I see your POVs. I still think it is a scam by the card-granting company, as are many of the programs created to make money off the disabled. And I'm not worried about people faking a disability as much as I am concerned that people with invisible disabilities are getting abused by this system.

Abuse? Sorry, I just don’t see it, but YMMV.

 

[DLgal]

Thank you for all the responses, and I see your POVs. I still think it is a scam by the card-granting company, as are many of the programs created to make money off the disabled. And I'm not worried about people faking a disability as much as I am concerned that people with invisible disabilities are getting abused by this system.

How is anyone getting abused by this system? You seem to have fears that have no basis in reality.

Invisible disabilities still are actual medical diagnoses. If you have one, there should be some proof of that.

And who is scamming who? There is no money involved on the guest end of this program. Why do you care how Universal or any other theme park spends their money on this?

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

So I applied using the IBCCES app today. Seemed pretty straightforward with the questions. Now I wait I guess. I’m interested in how all this is going to work with HHN.

Update, my IBCCES card no longer says temporary. That was fast. I guess now I wait to hear something from universal.