What is a GAC?

[RealMickeysGirl]

I hate to sound stupid but what is a GAC? I am assuming that this is something that helps people in wheelchairs or with other disabilities get around the parks.
My mother is in a wheel chair and I am thinking that maybe I should look into this for her the next time she gets to go on vacation with us. She currently has a push chair but I am hoping to be able to get her a motorized chair for her birthday in June or for christmas - haven't discussed this with DH yet though.
Thanks,
Sandy

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The Guest Assistance Card is for people who have an "invisible" disability. People with mobility or stamina issues are supposed to use a wheelchair or ECV or otherwise fend for themselves; they are not given GACs.

It will allow people in special seating areas. For example, normally the viewing area for most shows for people in WCs or ECVs is the back row. However, if a person has a vision or hearing problem as well as mobility they would need a GAC.

In your situation your mother would probably not need a GAC.

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

The Guest Assistance Card is for people who have an "invisible" disability. People with mobility or stamina issues are supposed to use a wheelchair or ECV or otherwise fend for themselves; they are not given GACs.

It will allow people in special seating areas. For example, normally the viewing area for most shows for people in WCs or ECVs is the back row. However, if a person has a vision or hearing problem as well as mobility they would need a GAC.

In your situation your mother would probably not need a GAC.

Yeah the parks are well designed for wheelchairs and strollers so your mom will not have a problem getting around and most of the WDW ques allow wheelchairs in the ques so I don't think you would need a GAC.

In our case my son has epilepsy and has been to WDW 4 times and only needed a GAC for one trip because he was having alot of seizures. Otherwise we would not "qualify" for any assistance. We were able to use his stroller as a wheelchair but since you mom is going to be in a wheelshair she will given all the wheelchair accomodations anyway. Our stroller doesn't look like a wheelchair so we needed a card saying sometimes we would use it as one.

In our case it was easier to get the card and show the CM at the attractions to seat us in a handicapped row in the back of a show than explain that he just had a seizure and was sleeping it off. It helped so we didn't have to talk about it at every attraction.

 

[SueM in MN]

Just agreeing with what the other posters already said.
A GAC (Guest Assistance Card) is basically a tool that tells the CMs (Cast Members) what sorts of assistance are needed. They are usually used for things that the CM can't tell just by looking (for example, if you have a wheelchair, they can see that you need to use the accessible lines). Most of the queues are wheelchair accessible, so in most cases, someone with a wheelchair would only need a GAC if they have other needs (which are invisible), in addition to using a wheelchair.

 

[RealMickeysGirl]

Thanks for the info. No - she won't need a GAC. She used to have bad vision problems but she finally concented to have cataract surgery so now she only needs reading glasses - before she had cataracts she had been legally blind without her glasses and she has worn them since she was 16. She had gotten to the point where she had to hold things 3-4 inches from her eyes to make them out - she probably wouldn't have enjoyed WDW then anyway - even with a GAC.
She shouldn't have a problem at all if the attractions are wheelchair accessable. I do hope to be able to get her a motorized chair before we take them again though - we took them (mom and dad) in 1993 and mom talks about it all the time so I know she would love to go back. She was only beginning to have arthritus problems then so she could still walk - she has arthritus in her knees, hips and spine so walking now is quite painful.
It is good to know that WDW does make GAC available for those who need them.
Thanks again for the info.
Sandy