In terms of handicap representation at Walt Disney World, it’s still a small world, but it recently grown a bit bigger.
Months after two more dolls joined “it’s a small world” at Disneyland in California, a new wheelchair-using doll made her debut this week at Magic Kingdom in Florida.
“The children of the globe are supposed to be represented when you ride this attraction. There is a large group of children who will never be able to see themselves since (the dolls) are standing there, dancing, and moving “explained Melissa Temple, who founded Disabled DISventures to provide advice to other disabled visitors. They now have one in a wheelchair, allowing them to recognise themselves and say, “Hey, that’s me.”
This is the first time a person like me is included in a Disneyland Resort attraction. When the dolls at Disneyland made their debut over the holidays, Disney accessibility manager Erin Quintanilla told the Disney Parks Blog. In the past, merchandise displays at Disney World included mannequins with wheelchairs and cochlear implants.
Quintanilla serves as co-chair of The Walt Disney Company’s ENABLED Business Employee Resource Group, which promotes accessibility and created the dolls in full collaboration with Disney Imagineers and Resort Improvement, Animation, and Wardrobe.
Since I live my life in a wheelchair, I was able to provide advice on the design of the dolls’ wheelchairs, she said. To be totally inclusive, it’s also essential that the dolls move similarly to everyone else.
One of The Walt Disney Company’s Five Keys, or guiding principles, is inclusion. The accessibility initiatives at Disney parks have received high accolades from a lot of visitors with impairments.
“Could they be improved upon? Of course, there are always methods to get better and room to get better. Disney, though, is truly fantastic “fibromyalgia, arthritis, and several other illnesses that give her excruciating agony and can cause her muscles to lock up, according to Temple. “I’ve visited other parks, and by far, Disney does the finest job of making sure that they are as accessible and inclusive as possible. They will make every effort to fulfil your needs if you speak with them and let them know what they can do to help.”
