Born Without Arms, She Finds Many Rides And Attractions Not Available For The Disabled

Jessica Cox has overcome a lot. Born without arms due to a rare birth defect, she became the world's first armless licensed pilot, controlling her Ercoupe with only her feet. She can drive an unmodified car, put in and remove her contact lenses, is a certified SCUBA diver, and can type 25 words per minute.

But on a recent visit to the Universal Studios, Orlando theme park, she found herself unable to ride most of the rides due to safety concerns, and when she and her husband Patrick found one she could ride ... Shrek 4-D ... she was not allowed to sit in one of the seats that moved in order to get the full experience.

Cox wrote an extensive post about the experience on her blog "The World at My Feet". She describes her interactions with guest services at Universal Orlando, which were cordial but rigid. She told a manager that she understood the manufacturer restrictions for safety, but that her primary concern was that the park markets itself as being a "welcoming environment" for the disabled when her experience demonstrated that it is not.

She was offered a refund for her tickets ... which anyone who has visited an Orlando theme park knows is a considerable investment, but was told nothing else could be done. The restrictions were in place for safety reasons.

The entire blog post is worth reading. You can find it at the FMI link below.

(Image from file)

FMI: http://www.handicap-international.us/exclusion