Disney looks for new way to distribute assistive devices
Disney is proposing a new, automated system for distributing assistive devices to guests with special needs.
In a new patent application published today, Disney proposes a type of vending machine that can distribute assistive devices to people with needs who qualify for those devices.
From Disney's patent application, Method and Apparatus for Entitlement
The system would dispense an item only to a person whose identity it could authenticate. The vending machine would be connected to a network through which it would identify the user and check their profile to see which items they were entitled to receive.
Disney's application states, "in some embodiments, entitlement devices may be assistive devices that help users with special physical needs, such as assistive listening or physical devices like headphones, strollers, wheelchairs, walkers, walking canes, powered scooters, or the like."
Disney's system would work for distribution and returns, accepting devices for recycling or reuse.
Millions of visitors with physical needs visit Disney's theme parks each year. Many bring their own assistive devices with them, but sometimes guests rent or borrow assistive devices to help them navigate and enjoy the parks. An automated system would offer the potential of being able to manage that inventory more efficiently. However, there still remains the question of determining which guests would be entitled to the devices available in these machines.
That has been a divisive question for many Disney fans, as the company has changed its procedures over the years in response to both shifting guest needs and attempts at abusing Disney's systems.
You can read the patent application on the US Patent and Trademark Office's website, at Method and Apparatus for Entitlement.
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Replies (3)
Ah, don't you just love it when one company prevents others from distributing assistive devices to people in need?
I think you hit the nail on the head there Russel.
If you need to rely on an assistive device, you probably bring the one you’re comfortable with…. If you do need one, you’re going to want the human touch to make sure it’s set right for your particular need.
The amount of effort companies are going through in order to not have a relationship with their customers astounds me.
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This sounds like a solution in search of a problem, or a solution that will just create more problems. It seems simple enough that a machine like this could theoretically distribute pricy hearing aids, visual goggles, or mobility devices to needy guests, and save on the labor needed to staff and maintain the current systems. However, I don't see the advantage of removing the human touch and often subjective evaluation needed to handle these very sensitive issues. Maybe something like this could work for hearing aids outside of a theater, similar to the way parks and entertainment venues rent cell phone chargers, but when you start weeding into an amenity/consolation that is need-based, I don't see the advantage of removing the human element at the point of rental - presumably Disney would still perform their preliminary screening system that they do now for DAS and activate permissions for specific accommodations linked to their MyDisneyExperience account. The issue is if something doesn't work right or if a person doesn't think about accommodations ahead of time, you're still going to need a significant number of in-park CMs to administer the program and handle any issues, including at every one of these machines. Again, this just seems like a solution in search of a problem, and does not really provide a significant benefit, particularly for sensitive groups that would use a system like this and should have a human touch, especially given guests' ongoing frustration with the revamped DAS program.