Have any of you obtained the lifetime National Parks Access pass with your type 1 diabetes since it’s considered a disability that affects one or more of your major life functions? Someone pointed out to me that I am eligible for this pass, and the only requirement is a doctor’s letter stating you have a permanent disability. Just wondering if any of you have actually done this, or what your thoughts are on it. Do you feel this is something we should definitely apply for given the fact that we face enough limitations in life and may not be able to take full advantage of park services, or that it’s using diabetes to “get” something?
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I have one but I paid full price for it.
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Well if you can get a doc to write that letter, then sounds like you would be eligible.
It depends on your personal situation, but my doc would probably laugh me out of his office.
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This is actually a really interesting conversation. I didn’t know something like like this was available. In my mind, I imagine it as something that you would need to have filed for permanent disability to obtain or be on disability benefits thru the gov. But, we should research.
Diabetics are really covered under Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act. There’s a fascinating article about this, but it takes me forever to find it. Remind me to look.
It was an airline pilot who wore glasses who prompted ADAA - the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act. It was a really interesting conversation that took place and there is a magazine article, in particular, that summarizes really well. I need to find it for ya
One way to think about this is - if the army won’t take you because they declare your IQ to be too low to do anything of value for them, that is the definition of intellectual disability. Its as black and white as that. There is an analogy to physical disability.
What we see over time, is the army getting more and more selective about taking people on and that is a direct result of how we define disability. Currently, only 23% of twenty-somethings are eligible to join the army. The army is a major employer and they want EVERYONE they can possibly get, so if the army wont take you, that should tell you something - you have a physical impairment that will be an obstacle for doing some things (maybe many).
Found it! You should really read this. Its interesting.
http://main.diabetes.org/dorg/PDFs/Advocacy/forecast-stories/2009-05-defeating-discrimination.pdf
Here is the link to info about the Access pass on the national parks website. For qualification, it specifically says you do not need to have a 100% disability. I don’t expect I would have any issues obtaining the pass since I have the necessary documentation, but my thoughts were more along the lines of, is this a morally okay thing to do. After doing some more research last night and coming across several threads on Reddit about this exact topic, I’ve decided I probably will go ahead and get the pass so I have it. Diabetes is very costly and at times, I have avoided going to some parks sometimes because of the cost, and there are certain activities within the parks that I have not taken part in because of my diabetes. Furthermore, since I’ve had diabetes since I was less than 1 year old, I do unfortunately anticipate having complications at some point that would put me even more firmly in the “disabled” category. We don’t know that this type of pass will always be available in the future, or that it won’t have a cost associated with it (my parents got the senior lifetime pass when it was $10, but the cost is now $80, for example). I think it is better to get the pass now and still volunteer and donate to the National Parks Foundation and National Parks Conservation Association whenever possible. Having this pass may encourage me to visit my local national wildlife refuge more often for post-lunch walks, which may help me manage my diabetes. I hope this conversation has been helpful to others.
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I have one, and zero qualms or guilt about not paying for it. I never once thought of it that way, that I was “using” my diabetes to get something . I just think there’s this pretty awesome federal program and yay! I actually qualify for it. I didn’t even need the doctor’s note. I just walked into our local field office, and flashed my insulin pump, and said something like “I heard type 1 diabetics qualify for a free access pass.” The lady handed me a form to fill out and gave me a card.
It’s not just for park entry either. You can big discounts on camping, and other things sold inside the park. So now I preference National Park campgrounds.
I wish I qualified for a state park pass here, too, but they’re a lot more strict about requirements.
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My wife’s and i’s came free. Just because we’re OLD FARTS
Update: Thanks so much for everyone’s input. I just returned from my local national park visitor center. I had no issues getting the pass, in fact, the ranger was very happy to give me one and said he loves the program. When they give you the pass, it also comes with a brochure that tells you which organizations you can donate to—National Parks Foundation, National Forests Foundation, and National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, along with where to sign up to volunteer. I’m happy I went ahead and got the pass and will be using it for my walk tomorrow!
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Really? Wow. I can’t believe we get something for being diabetic. That never happens. Thanks for spreading the word. I’m gonna tell people about this.
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I got a veteran’s free pass.
John
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My old endo refused to sign the letter - didn’t think I was “disabled” enough. I haven’t tried in awhile since I don’t have any parks nearby, but I want to just for the sake of having a perk from being diabetic!
I have a pass, though I haven’t ever used it. My endo was perfectly okay with signing the letter which I wrote. Having had D for almost 50 years, this is one of the few “advantages” to not being able to produce my own insulin.
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Thanks for posting. I’ll definitely look into this. I’m a bit conflicted about it - I recognize that I have a chronic health condition that necessitates constant attention and can and most often does lead to other health conditions….but I have such a hard time labeling myself as having a “disability “.
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I agree. If I get to the point when I feel I’m disabled, I will have no problem identify as disabled. Until them, I’m not going to label myself disabled.
Diabetes is a complete pain in the ■■■ which I have lived with on a daily basis for 40+ years. But no chance in h@ll I’m asking my doctor to sign a letter that I’m disabled.
If the government really wants to do something to show they really care about diabetes then they can fix our healthcare mess.
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I only have the national pass, free for veterans. The New York State pass is full price for everyone.
John
This is the primary mechanism through which I feel disabled. It’s less about the physical disease and more about the healthcare, economic, employment, technical, and the financial barriers that exist. We are all working on those and things are getting better. I feel less disabled than I did 10 years ago.
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