Handicapped Parking Complaint Draws Backlash

Q: I have never written in to your column before. Today I can no longer remain quiet after reading Bob Burke’s letter regarding handicapped persons parking in handicap stalls when regular stalls are available. Your response that the disabled have every right to do so was right on!

I can’t tell you the number of times I have parked in a regular parking stall, only to have a big SUV or a lousy parker pull in next to me, so close that I cannot get my walker into my car, much less squeeze myself into the driver’s seat. I think Mr. Burke’s energy would be better spent questioning why able-bodied folks park in a handicap stall.

Don’t stress over why handicapped people use them. We would gladly switch places with the non-handicapped any day of the year.

Sandy Myers, Brentwood

A: Bob Burke’s comments set off a Roadshow firestorm. Here’s more:

Q: I have a handicapped parking placard, as I have arthritis in both knees. In some ways, I agree with Bob when dealing with handicapped parking spaces. If there are general and handicapped spaces close together, I use the general space, as I can manage a few extra steps.

A major issue I have is when a driver who is not handicapped uses a handicapped space, while the person for whom the placard or plate was issued remains in the vehicle.

Bruce Beyer, Sunnyvale

A: Bruce says you can report misuse of handicapped parking spaces through the “Parking Mobility” app, parkingmobility.com.

Q: I grew up with my father and grandmother in wheelchairs, long before special parking places were considered. That taught me to be considerate of the needs of handicapped people, long before I needed my own placard after a very bad fall.

I have aggravated my back and twisted my ankles trying to get into my car when I could not open the door far enough to get in. That is why handicapped parking spaces are wider to begin with. Why those of us authorized to use them prefer them even when regular parking spaces are available.

From Bob Burke’s letter, he has never considered the difficulties of getting back into a vehicle. He also doesn’t understand that a handicapped person may have been dropped off and someone else parking the vehicle and joining them, which is perfectly legal.

Please think about what you or a family member might need if you require handicapped spaces in the future!

Iva Jones

A: You raise valid points. Many people forget that they, or family members, may need handicapped parking someday, and things will look very different to them when they do.

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Disability Parking Permits & Plates, Division of Motor Vehicles

If you are a driver with a disability, you can apply for a special permit or a license plate that will allow you to park closer to buildings.

Requirements

To obtain a disability parking permit or plate, you must meet one of the following requirements:

• Cannot walk 200 feet without stopping
• Cannot walk safely without using a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive device.
• Are restricted by lung disease
• Use portable oxygen
• Have a cardiac condition classified by Class III or Class IV according to the standards set by the American Heart Association
• Are severely limited in your ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition

 

How do I get a disability parking permit?

You must bring the Special Disability Parking Permit (form 861) to a qualified health practitioner who will complete and sign the form. You may submit the completed form in person at your local DMV or by mail:

Division of Motor Vehicles
ATTN: Special Disability Parking Permit
3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101
Anchorage, AK 99503

How much does a disability parking permit cost?

How long is a permit valid?

If my car has disability plates, do I need a permit too?

Can an organization obtain parking permits?

How do I get disability plates?

To apply you will bring an application form and supporting documents.

Additionally, you may need to complete and bring the following documents:

• You must have an Special Disability Parking Permit (form 861) indicating a permanent disability, to apply for any of the disability plates with parking privileges. If you have not already submitted it, please bring it with you.
• You must submit certification from Veteran's Affairs (VA) stating you have a service-related disability of 50% or more to qualify for a Disabled Veteran's Plate(with or without wheelchair logo parking privileges).

Disabled Parking Placard Placement

The legitimate arrangement of a handicapped leaving notice is important to guarantee an incapacitated driver doesn't get a leaving reference or, get their vehicle towed. It is the obligation of the notice's proprietor to ensure the data on the notice is appropriately shown and apparent to stopping requirement authorities. 

Stopping authorization authorities should have the option to see an impaired stopping bulletin from a sensible distance and read the appropriate data. A notice left on a seat or threw topsy turvy on the dashboard are justification for a ticket. 

Incapacitated stopping notices ought to be dangled from back view mirrors with the enrollment data and termination date plainly apparent through the windshield. If the data isn't noticeable to a passing stopping implementation official, it tends to be lawfully accepted the notice is invalid. 

Bulletins not of a hanging configuration ought to be set face-up on the dashboard to one side of the directing wheel. Ensure no other paper or trash is concealing the bulletin. 

It isn't sufficient to simply have ownership of a tag. If the data on the notice isn't apparent, stopping requirement authorities have no real way to decide whether the notice is genuine or fake. 

Data on the notice should not exclusively be apparent, it should likewise be neat. If messes or tears on the notice compromise decipherability, supplant the bulletin right away. 

Other than not unmistakably showing an incapacitated stopping notice, another normal misstep bulletin proprietors make is allowing the notice to lapse. Really look at the date and restore the notice well ahead of termination so there is no hole between the old and new lapse dates. 

Additionally, never drive with the bulletin swinging from the back view reflect. A bulletin deters the driver's view; this isn't just hazardous, it is unlawful. Hang the bulletin just when the vehicle is left. Eliminate the notice prior to pulling out of the crippled parking spot. 

At long last, never loan a debilitated stopping bulletin to someone else under any circumstance. If the individual is legitimately handicapped, regardless of whether briefly or for all time, that individual requirements to get their own bulletin. The notice's proprietor is answerable for its utilization. Abuse can bring about steep fines and repudiation of handicapped stopping advantages. 

Step by step instructions to 

Acquire 

In California, drivers confirmed by authorized wellbeing staff to have weakened versatility or a condition which considerably meddles with portability might meet all requirements for "Handicapped" status. 

You are likewise viewed as a debilitated driver on the off chance that you have: 

A heart, lung or circulatory sickness. 

Any problem that restricts the utilization of lower limits; or either or two hands or legs. 

Archived issues with vision, including fractional sightedness or low vision. 

To get a debilitated stopping bulletin or plate you should finish the application cycle through the DMV. Visit California's DMV Disabled Persons Parking Placard site segment for more data.

Handicap Parking Application: Disability License Plates & Placards In California

If you are a driver with a disability, you can apply for a disabled parking placard or license plate from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The placard will allow you to use designated disabled parking places. Has several other parking benefits. Read below for more information about disabled parking regulations and disabled parking placards, including how to apply for one. Permanent placards and plates. A disabled placard or license plate allows you to park in certain places, but some parking is still off limits. In marked disabled spaces, such as those with: - A wheelchair. In striped areas next to handicap parking spaces. At red, yellow, or white curbs. Permanent handicap parking permits are available ONLY if you have a permanent disability that is certified by a medical professional. Permanent placards, if you are a permanently disabled driver. Disabled person (DP) license plates, if you have a vehicle registered in your name.

Veterans who are 100% disabled may be eligible for Disabled Veterans License Plates and be exempt from vehicle registration fees. If you are temporarily disabled, you can apply for a handicap placard that is valid for no more than 6 months. Indicate how long the placard should be valid. Once the placard expires, you can reapply up to 6 times in a row. You will need medical certification each time. You have a permanent disability. You are traveling outside of your home state. CA resident traveling outside of the state. Up to 90 days, if you are visiting CA from another state. You'll need to have application completed by a medical professional. If you plan to apply in person, the California DMV strongly encourages you to make an appointment in advance. The application process will be the same regardless of the type of disability placard or license plate you choose to obtain. Medical certification completed ON the application by one of the following: - Physician or surgeon.

Chiropractor (ONLY for disabilities related to the use of lower extremities or hands). Optometrist (ONLY for visual conditions). NOTE: You DO NOT need medical certification if you already have a permanent placard or license plate. Mail all of your application materials to:. To apply in person for your handicap parking permit, you need to first make an appointment with your local CA DMV office. The completed Application for Disabled Person Placard or Plates (Form REG 195), including medical certification. Payment for the required fee; please see "Fees for Disability Placards" below for fee information. NOTE: You DO NOT need medical certification if you are appearing in person. Your disability includes a lost leg or both of your hands. Disabled parking placards still expire, even if they are permanent. Renewal processes differ depending on the type of placard you have. Permanent disabled parking placards expire every 2 years, specifically on June 30 in odd-numbered years. Permanent placards are automatically renewed 2 times and mailed to you. On the next renewal you will need to reapply by filling out a new Application for Disabled Person Placard or Plates (REG 195). You will not be required to have a new medical certificate. Beginning in 2023 applicants for the permanent disabled parking placards will be required to return a renewal notice by mail every 6 years and will not require a medical certification. Submitting it by mail to the address on the form, or in person at your local CA DMV office. You must reapply for a disabled parking placard if your temporary placard expires and you still need it.

The date noted by the certifying medical professional on the application. What are DP license plates? California disabled parking license plates (“DP plates”) work the same as a permanent disability placard. The California DMV also issues disabled veteran license plates (“DV plates”). Became disabled while on active service with the U.S. Who can use handicapped parking privileges? Note that handicapped parking plates and tags may not be used by anyone else for any reason - not even by someone else who is also disabled. When is someone considered disabled? Where can handicapped people legally park in California? In parking spaces with the International Symbol of Access (wheelchair symbol). Next to a blue curb authorized for persons with disabilities parking. Next to a green curb (limited time parking) with no time limitation. In an on-street metered parking space at no charge. In an area that otherwise requires a resident or merchant permit. Full-service gas stations must also refuel the vehicle at self-service rates unless there is only one employee on duty.

Next to red curbs (no stopping, standing, or parking). Next to white curbs (for passenger loading/unloading or dropping mail in an adjacent mailbox). Disability placards and plates can be obtained by filing a California DMV Form REG 195 Application for Disabled Person or Plates. In the case of a disabled veteran, the Department of Veterans Affairs. Who can certify a disability? A licensed physician, surgeon, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife with knowledge of the disease and/or disability. A veteran with certification from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs stating that the applicant is a disabled veteran. Can I use an out-of-state disability placard or license plates in California? A disabled person who does not have either can also obtain a temporary travel placard at no cost from the California DMV. The person has disabled plates but is not bringing his or her car to California. A temporary travel placard can be issued for a maximum of 90 days. Misuse of a disabled placard is often charged along with -or instead of-one or more related California offenses.