Blind Woman is Denied Reserved Parking
Link below, but here it is in a nutshell:
In the city of St. Louis, there is a woman who is blind. Her husband who is sighted parks the family car on the street in front of the house. Due to her disability, the family car is designated (and has been for the last decade) as a vehicle that can be parked in a space reserved for the disabled. Now, even after 10 years of use, the city’s commissioner on the disabled is yanking the couple’s right to a reserved space in front of their home citing that blindness is not a mobility impairment. Three letters…WTF?!
For years, I have had a handicapped hang tag that I’ll utilize when the situation is correct. I routinely walk several miles per day around my neighborhood with Carson, my Seeing Eye dog. My legs work just fine, no problems there. And when I’m going somewhere like a mall or retail store, very, very rarely will I ask whoever is driving to use a handicapped parking space. In fact, the only time I’ll truly utilize a handicapped space is when it is not safe for Carson and I (Carson more than me). When it’s a crisp, clear August day and the temp is 102 in the shade, the asphalt of parking lots has to be upwards of 150 degrees. That’s a health and safety concern for Carson. When it’s icy out and I cannot see the patches of ice that litter the area (even a familiar area) it’s a health and safety concern for me.
The woman in this article is totally within her rights to take action against the city of St. Louis and I hope she does. Props to her, Priscilla Garrett, her husband, her alderman and the mayor. The “expert” in this case, Deborah K. Dee is nothing short of inconsiderate, unethical, illegal and (dare I say? Yes, I dare…) idiotic.
