Qualifying Conditions For A Disabled Parking Permit: Limited Vision
If you have limited or restricted vision, but have still been approved for a driving license, then it’s almost certain that you qualify for a disabled parking permit. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the agency responsible for vehicle registration and driving licenses. Each state has different vision requirements, but limited vision is generally considered to be a qualifying condition for a disabled parking permit. In order to qualify, some DMVs will require you to have a visual acuity of 20/200 or less with correcting lenses, but as not all states are the same, it’s a good idea to first check the requirements in your locality. If you are unable to drive due to your limited vision, you could still qualify for a disabled parking badge. We will take a look at the benefits of this a little further on.
According to a recent survey, approximately 13% of Americans are registered as having a disability of some sort. An across-the-board law addressing the needs of citizens with disabilities was passed in Congress in 1990. Called the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is in place to protect and serve the needs of all Americans with a registered disability.
One important provision to come from the Act is designated handicap parking spots. Every public parking lot is required by law to have one disabled spot for every 25 spaces. Health care providers and certain other facilities are required to have more than the minimum.
Let’s take a look at how qualifying for a disabled parking permit might help you, if you have limited vision. As we mentioned above, you may or may not be able to drive with your disability. If you are allowed to have a license, then the advantages of owning a disabled parking badge are clear. You can drive straight to any designated handicap parking spot, all of which are clearly signposted and marked within public parking lots. The Disabilities Act, which requires that these spots are available, further stipulates that the parking spaces must be at least 96 inches (eight feet) wide, and that “parking access aisles shall be part of an accessible route to the building or facility entrance.” These two requirements will make parking a lot easier for you if you have limited vision. You will have more space around your car when opening doors and getting in and out, and you should be able to easily make out the way into the building from where you’re parked. If you qualify for a disabled parking permit, then making use of these designated spots could perhaps broaden your horizons; you may find that you can visit places that you had previously thought too challenging.
Even if you are not eligible for a driving license, you could still qualify for a disabled parking permit if you have limited vision. This means that you would be able to use your permit in someone else’s car. Anyone else’s car, in fact – the permit is solely for parking, not for driving. A handicap parking permit is available in the form of a placard, which is portable, so you can take it from car to car. It can hang from the rear-view mirror or you can display it on the dashboard. It just needs to be visible inside the car once you’re parked.
The advantages of owning such a placard mean that anytime you travel with a family member, for example, and you’re using a public parking lot, your disabled parking permit will allow you to utilize one of the designated handicap parking spots. So anytime a neighbor or pal offers you a lift to the shopping mall, or maybe to your workplace, you’ll be able to use your disabled parking badge. Just don’t forget it! You must have it on display whenever you avail of a handicap parking spot.
If you’d like to find out whether or not you would qualify for a handicap parking permit, the simplest way is to apply online. One of our in-house medical experts will conduct a relaxed consultation with you for assessment purposes. This can be done via video call rather than a face-to-face consultation, if you prefer. Some people find this less intimidating and also more convenient without the need to travel. Some documentation relating to your limited vision will be required, of course, but you won’t necessarily have to undergo a full medical evaluation. Again, this varies from state to state, so it’s worth checking the law in your own state to find out about both the qualifying conditions and the evaluation process.
If you are approved, you will quickly receive your disabled parking permit and will be good to go! Owning a permit may make a difference to your life in terms of perhaps visiting places that you previously thought would be too problematic; getting a job or changing your current job; going to shopping malls; and accepting offers of lifts from neighbors and friends. Apply online today for your disabled parking permit and begin the process that may make life easier to manage and more enjoyable.