Timeshare scam warning

I'm sure you've all seen a Wyndham resort in your travels. Well, Wyndham has embarked on a timeshare scam and this is how it works.

First, they bought RCI, which was the granddaddy of the timeshare exchange companies. You would join, and "bank" your week with RCI to travel elsewhere. Fees were low, and reasonable for the exchange program. There were big timeshare scams, where they would sell timeshare at $15K, but could buy them on resale at $500, but these were individual timeshare developers, not RCI.

Well, Wyndham realized that there was a limit to how many timeshare weeks you could sell in a resort. At 52 weeks per unit, you were capped. So they came up with the idea of "points". You don't have an actual ownership, but own "resort points" where you can bank your "points" to travel. They are selling the points for $20,000 for what would be a prime week. Now, remember, you are not buying anything other than the right to use the points. Plus, you still have the $800 m/l maintenance fee on top of the $20K purchase price.

So, now that Wyndham has bought RCI, they're pushing people to convert their weeks to points. But Wyndham wants you to buy an additional $20K in points to convert. You just can't pay $500 for a paper transfer fee. So, you have to buy the additional points to convert what you already own to points, or they'll freeze you out of the exchange program (they own RCI). And you have to pay $20K for the privilege.

Just for giggles I sat through their presentation and was amazed at the people falling for the scam, especially as the points were presented as increasing in value. Wife had gone out on the internet and found you could buy these same $20K points for about $10 plus a transfer fee of about $400.

Points from Wyndham or any other developer are a scam. Yes, they're moving the timeshare industry in that way, but you can buy the points for virutally NOTHING.

DONT BE TAKEN IN BY A SMOOTH TALKING RESORT SALESMAN. BE INFORMED.

National Disability Awareness Month

Did you know that this is National Disability Awareness Month?  Unless you are part of the disabled community, you probably had never heard of it.  We have National Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and even Earth Month.  Then there are special days for various issues.  All of these get media attention.  The newspapers run series on how these issues have affected our lives, and television runs ads, news articles, and special programming to feature whatever special issue is being promoted.  That is, unless it is concerning the disabled, and then the media is conspicuous in its silence.  But we, the disabled, will be silent no longer. 

Of all the “minority groups”, the Disabled are the largest, with one in five citizens having to deal with a disability.  Further, this is the only minority that you can join, but do not want to.   Except for the ADA, the disabled have been ignored, both by the politicians and by the advocacy groups.  It has been so undermined by politicians, a lack of effective enforcement and the courts that it has minimal effectiveness.  You see this every day when even the doors to many city halls have yet to be replaced so that someone in a wheelchair can open them without help.

Unemployment for the disabled is rampant.  The disabled have an unemployment rate of 15.8%.  But underlying these figures was the fact that a staggering 77% of the employable disabled were counted as no longer in the employment force. 

To that is added the fact that many of the disabled are not hired for main-stream jobs.  With multiple individuals trying to find a job, the disabled are the first to be fired and the last to be hired.  On top of that, the U. S. Government Department of Labor allows the disabled to be paid less than minimum wage.  Goodwill Industries, a major employer of the disabled, has been found to be paying less than $1.50 per hour. 

Where are the advocates for the disabled?  Where are those standing in the doorways of General Motors, Bank of America, and the government, saying “What about us?  Why should we be discriminated against?”  Where are the liberal activists who routinely claim discrimination over the littlest slight, yet ignore the barriers routinely placed in front of the disabled of all races and creeds?

In this National Disability Awareness Month, please, be aware of the disabled: of our needs, our desires, and our contributions to America.  Just because we have issues, physically, mentally, or both, does not mean that we are not as deserving of jobs, employment, housing, access to buildings, and other life amenities that the non-disabled take for granted.  We are not asking for preferences.  All we are asking for is a chance to be part of the American Dream.  So please, join us to help make America more open and accepting to the disabled. 

Facing the disabled life

Everyone has their day, when their lives are irrevocably changed.  Some of these days are those that have a national or world impact, such as the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated.  But for those dealing with disabilities, it is the day that the disability shatters the perceived reality of life. 

All of us, especially baby boomers, are chasing eternal youth and fitness.  Weight loss products, exercise videos, and workout equipment, all are multi-billion dollar industries, catering to the desire to keep that youthful body, no matter the age.  Cruise lines are no longer showing the relaxing Caribbean cruises.  Now, they show people on jet skis and climbing walls.  The newest boats include wave units for on-board surfing.  All of these influence our outlook on life.  The belief is that we can all continue this life style well into our 80s.

But if you are dealing with disabilities, that perception of life can be destroyed by that day of change.  That day, that first day, will remain indelibly burned in your brain.  No matter what happens after that day, that day will keep coming back.  The what-ifs can play endlessly.  What if I had turned left instead of right?  What if I had gone to the doctor earlier?  Could I have caught the disease earlier?  What if, what if, what if. 

What if doesn’t change things.  When you are a  disabled person, facing a life-changing and, possibly, life-threatening disease, you are having to deal with issues that the non-disabled can never truly understand.  Oh, the non-disabled can understand the need to keep the floor free of items so that you won’t trip as you try to maneuver using a walker or canes.  They can understand that you will need assistance getting in and out of bed.  They can never understand the depression, the daily anger that can and probably will arise as you face another day of not being able to do what you used to do.  The fact is, the mental battles that you face as a disabled person are every bit as difficult and important as the battles you face in trying to overcome the physical limitation, and your friends and family need to understand this.

Psychologists have long found that there are generally five stages of the acceptance of a death.  Widely publicized, these are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.  In 1986, a panel was convened to analyze the psychological effects of the adjustment to a disability.  This panel found that there were a similar five stages of the acceptance of a disability:  Uncertainty, Shock, Anger and Denial, Depression/Grief, and Acceptance.

The uncertainty surrounding the initial onset of the ailment can range from “it’s just something temporary, something minor” to outright terror.  A pain in the arm can be just a pain.  However, it can be a harbinger of something much more serious.  As more and more doctors and specialists are brought in, as more and more tests are conducted, the fear and uncertainty rises.  This is when the support from family and friends is very necessary, to show that you are not alone in this journey.

Shock and fear can come almost immediately in the case of a massive traumatic injury. In the case of a medical problem, it can come on gradually.  But with either event, as you deal with the loss of abilities, the loss of function, the fear will be there, and it will always be there, always in the back of your mind.

The shock will turn to anger and denial, and the hardest part is to get past the anger that comes with the loss of bodily function.  You will often reject the first diagnosis, looking for a second and third opinion that may give you an answer.  What can be worse is when you see your body deteriorating, but medical science is unable to give a diagnosis, unable to give a prognosis.  The denial will turn to rejection.  You may retreat into a shell, rejecting the help of doctors, of friends, and reject your family, driving them away.  The sad, hidden story of the disabled is that 80% of marriages where one member becomes disabled through accident or illness ends in divorce.

The flip side of anger is depression and grief.  When someone we love passes on, we have to deal with the grief and depression that the loss brings, especially when the death was sudden.  It takes time but we will accept the loss over time.  It’s a part of the healing process.

When dealing with a disability, you have to deal with a loss as harsh, as terrible, as any death in the family.  Further, the loss is not one that hits in a moment, then fades in time.  The loss is one that you face every day.  Every morning, there is a new awakening of the loss, and, once again, you are hit with the grief and depression that this loss brings.  This depression can, and does, inhibit your ability to face the problem, and can lead to giving up.

So how do you get past this?  You truly need the emotional support of family and friends the most.  You have to get past the emotional baggage, and it is going to take all the love and support that you can get.  If you can’t deal with it, you can be more paralyzed mentally than from any physical problems.  Once you get past these, and move into acceptance, you can begin to live again, to rebuild your life, your relationships, and move into the world, ready to accept and face the world, knowing that whatever life will bring, you can face it. 

Accessible travel locations

I can't be everywhere and visit every location, so I need your help. Have you traveled where you have needed assistance for some disability? If so, give me your good experiences (who, where), and your bad experiences. In this way, we can improve the travel experience for those who need some form of assistance.

Thanks in advance.

Roger

Cruising with Mobility Issues

We decided to do a “three hour cruise”. OK, so it was an 8-day cruise through the Caribbean (Virgin Islands, Bahamas) to celebrate our anniversary. We had traveled on a Carnival Cruise Lines ship before, so we were comfortable with the company. However, this was the first cruise where my mobility issues were a concern.

When we looked at the new ships and the changes, we found that Carnival has suites set aside for the mobility impaired. This is the good news. The bad news is that they are limited, so it was necessary to reserve our room well in advance of our travel date.

The room was oversized, with sufficient space to move from the entry door to the balcony door, between the bed and the vanity area, in a power chair or wheel chair. The entry door was motorized, eliminating the problems that we have getting through a typical door. The bath was fully tiled, with a roll-in shower area.

The staff of the ship was very helpful, and were always willing to help with food trays, moving of housekeeping trolleys to clear the hallway for access, and other services. For example, when we arrived at the terminal, we were moved past the long lines, and quickly processed for boarding.

This is not to say, all was rosy. There were problems, some minor and some major. Here are some of the more significant issues.

Do not rely on the cruise line to provide your transfer to the ship. We utilized the provider suggested by Carnival as part of their travel package, Greyhound bus lines. We arrived at Ft. Lauderdale Airport at approximately 11:30. The time for the trip between the airport and the cruise terminal is 10 minutes. You can actually see the cruise terminal from the airport. We were after 2 PM arriving at the cruise line terminal as there was only one bus with a wheel chair lift to handle all wheel chair travelers from both Miami and Ft. Lauderdale airports. The same 2 hour delay occurred when we left to return to the airport.

Check out such providers as Super Shuttle, and other local shuttle bus providers. Also, the local public transportation system connected between the airport and the cruise terminal, running every 10-15 minutes. So, take the initiative and do not rely on a secondary provider. As a representative from Carnival told me, “We contract for them to provide transfer service. We do not have any control over how they do it.”

On the ship, the pools and hot tubs are not handicapped-accessible. Simple changes can make these facilities readily available. The gangways are narrow, and can create problems with some access to the ports. If you are traveling to ports without dock access (transfer by small boats), you may not be able to transfer to the boats unless you can exit the wheelchair. At the various ports, the vehicles with lifts were non-existent. You had to be able to exit a wheel chair and climb into an open vehicle. This can be very difficult, as the vehicle beds are often 2-3 feet high, eliminating almost all island tour and travel activities.

It was discouraging, as a disabled individual and an advocate for the disabled, to see that the disabled still has far less access to typical amenities than others. However, I truly expect this to change.

On our ship, there were over 50 individuals that were in wheel chairs and power chairs, not counting those that were significantly impaired to the point of using walkers and similar amenities. The sheer numbers of the disabled using the ships will help move the providers to become more accessible to the disabled. Further, the fact that older individuals, who are more subject to illness and injury, which limits their mobility, are becoming a major portion of the cruising population will force the providers to become more aware of the needs of this population.

So, if you are considering a cruise, go ahead. The ships are far larger and much more advanced than those of the “Love Boat” era, and feature many more amenities. Just take the time to fully check out the amenities available for the disabled, and plan accordingly. Early planning will lead to an enjoyable time.

Gridiron Heros

Every year, promising high school athletes are paralyzed by freak accidents. Chris Canales was paralyzed in the last game of 2001 with less than four minutes to go. A simple tackle turned a life of promise into a struggle for survival. At the Texas State 3A final, Cory Fulbright of Everman High was at the pinnacle of his football career. One moment, the crowd is cheering, the next, he was lying on the ground, unable to move, paralyzed from the neck down.

For these two men and their families, the struggles still continue. Physical and medical needs are overwhelming. Costs will run between $500,000 and $1M for the first year just for medical care. Then there is the need for ventilators, hydraulic lifts, home remodeling (doors, baths, ramps), transportation (vehicles, wheel chair lifts), and daily care.

If the family has insurance, they quickly hit the maximum for their benefits, both for the year and for the total policy. Further, the insurance companies often have clauses such as “the company will pay for such care and durable equipment as the company deems appropriate and allowable”, which allows the insurance company to disallow such items as power wheelchairs, or limit the payment to six months of the rental of a wheel chair. Medicare and Medicaid have significant limitations on what they will pay.

Finally, unless the family happens to live in a county that has a public hospital, there is no hospital that will accept the disabled athlete for treatment.

At first glance, one would think that the school district would bear some responsibility for the athletes. However, very few districts carry catastrophic insurance policies for the athletes (cost) and the school districts are generally considered to be exempt from lawsuits for such injuries.

One individual is trying to make a difference. Eddie Canales, father of Chris Canales, has been trying to bring the plight of these, and other disabled athletes in Texas to the attention of the public. Driving around in an old van with a battered poster of some 14 paralyzed high school football players, his organization “Gridiron Heroes” is trying to help change things.

He is trying to raise $100,000 per year for his non-profit foundation. The money is used for wheel chairs and specially equipped vans for the kids.

“When the horse Barbaro went down, the racehorse community raised millions of dollars. We need to get to the point in the football community where we value the human injured athletes as much or more as the racehorse community values a fine animal,” he said.

I salute Eddie Canales. He is trying to help those less fortunate than himself, to make a difference. If you would like to see what Eddie is trying to accomplish, you can visit the website of Gridiron Heroes at http://www.gridironheroes.org/