Valleyfair, an amusement park in Minnesota has decided that just because a visitor has a disability doesn’t mean that they get a free pass to the front of the line. Reading this story brought back some memories of times when well meaning and poorly educated people have suggested that my visual impairment entitled me to such special treatment. Still, the policy change has caused some to express dissatisfaction with the experience they had when visiting the park.

For 15-year-old Nick Brown, trips to Valleyfair have always been fun. However, according to a recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, his last visit with his class just wasn’t the same. Because of policy changes where people with disabilities are told to stand in line just like other guests, Nick was only able to get on five rides while his classmates enjoyed many more than that. The changes have upset parents of children with disabilities who regard this as just another barrier that their children need to deal with.

I’ve never been one who supported blanket, one size fits all policies. They simply don’t work and this is another example. However, as someone who was often encouraged to cut in line and to take advantage of that free pass, I actually like some aspects of the policy change at this and other parks such as Disney have made.

My disability apparently entitles me to a lot of special treatment if I so choose to take advantage of it. To start with, while people spend an hour or more in those long security lines at the airport I get to cut right to the front and go to my gate. There was another time when I was asked to move to a better seat on a flight so I’d be more comfortable and be able to get easier assistance when disembarking the flight. And finally, not many years ago I discovered I could even get free tours while on vacation. I was vacationing in Michigan and decided to go on a scenic boat ride on Lake Superior. We paid for the tour, roughly $25 each, and were looking around the gift shop when an employee came to us with cash in hand. She had decided that I couldn’t possibly enjoy the trip and wanted to refund my money.

I never understood this special privilege I had. I’m perfectly able to wait in line and equally able to complain about that wait as much as anyone else. I don’t need some special treatment simply because my eyes don’t quite work as well as they should.

The problem is that some people do. For some, waiting in line can be difficult and challenging because of their disability. It can take a physical toll and may not even be practical. For those reasons I think the newly adopted policy by this park and others across the country fails to resolve things. In an effort to fix a problem they may have created new ones and, perhaps even may find themselves loosing customers who might have otherwise come to the park. My suggestion, evaluate things on a case by case basis. If someone comes to the front and has a visible disability that makes it difficult to wait in line, don’t hold them back. I think that most people can tell the difference between a person who really could use the service verses a teen who is fooling around.