Does Obesity Qualify For A Handicap Placard In Ohio?

If you’re living in Ohio and experiencing mobility issues as a result of your weight, you might be wondering if you’re able to get a handicap sticker for your car. Handicap permits certainly make life much easier when driving, as you can park much closer to your destination. However, many drivers aren’t sure whether or not they qualify.

For example: does obesity qualify for a handicap placard in Ohio? The answer is yes. Many Ohio residents with obesity are able to apply for disabled placards – however, it’s a bit more complicated than you might think. This guide can help you learn what is needed to get a handicap placard in Ohio and how you can get one as a person with obesity. Once you know how the process works, it becomes much easier to get your placard quickly, making it easier for you to travel and park conveniently.

Is being overweight a disability under ADA?

Many states use the Americans with Disabilities Act to determine whether or not a health condition qualifies as a disability. It states that a person can’t be discriminated against based on a disability. However, is obesity classed as a disability? Unfortunately, being overweight on its own is not considered a disability, and also won’t qualify for disability benefits.

This was determined by the courts in 2019, in the decision from the Richardson v. Chicago Transit Authority case. The ruling by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stated that extreme obesity can only be considered a disability if there’s evidence of an underlying physiological disorder or condition.

This means that if your obesity causes other serious health issues, like knee or joint problems or the inability to walk, then you might be able to qualify for a handicap placard in Ohio. It’s always best to talk to your doctor to learn more.

driving in Ohio
Image by Samuele Errico Piccarini via Unsplash: With a handicap placard, driving can become much less stressful.

Can you get a handicap sticker for being obese in Ohio?

Under Ohio law, a person must meet one or more of the following health conditions to be eligible for a disabled parking placard:

  • An inability to walk 200 feet without needing to rest
  • Requires usage of a portable oxygen tank
  • Has restrictions due to a lung disease
  • Needs assistance from a cane, crutch, brace, prosthetic device, wheelchair, another person, or other assistive device for mobility
  • Has a Class III or Class IV cardiac condition according to the American Heart Association standards
  • Limited mobility due to a neurological, orthopedic or arthritic condition
  • Legally blind or severely visually impaired

As you can see, obesity is not listed above. This means being overweight does not render you eligible for a placard. However, drivers who are obese are very likely to face some of the health concerns mentioned above, such as mobility limitations or a need for portable oxygen. This allows you to obtain your necessary placard due to complications from your weight, rather than directly due to obesity itself.

You would need to have certification from your doctor to apply for your placard, stating that you meet one of the qualifying conditions. Although they can’t state that the placard is required due to your weight, they can qualify you if you meet one of the conditions above that’s caused by your weight.

virtual consultation with doctor
Image by National Cancer Institute via Unsplash: A virtual consultation with a doctor can help you work out if you’re eligible.

What is needed to get a handicap placard in Ohio?

If you think you qualify for a handicap placard in Ohio, your first step is to talk to a medical professional, such as your local doctor, or to organize a telehealth consultation. Your doctor will learn more about your health conditions and review your medical records, then make an assessment based on their expertise. 

The state of Ohio requires the medical professional to complete Form BMV 4234 – Health Care Provider Certification of Eligibility for Disability License Plates. This is legal documentation that states your eligibility for the placard. They’ll also need to provide a signed letter that states the duration of your disability, so the state knows if they should issue you a temporary or permanent placard.

Once you have those documents ready, you can complete Form BMV 4826 – Application for Disability Placards. You’ll also need to pay a small application fee. You’ll then be issued your placard. Permanent placards will need to be renewed yearly, but temporary placards will expire – when this happens, you’ll need to go through the process again to confirm that you’re still eligible.

Although the application process seems complex, it should be straightforward for anyone with a genuine disability or mobility issue due to their weight. Unfortunately, Ohio and other states have had instances of fraud in the past, with people trying to claim disabled placards without a genuine need; for this reason, states need to be stringent when it comes to their application processes.

If you’re living in Ohio and need help with your application, Dr. Handicap can help with your medical certification, so get in touch today! It’s worth the time and effort, as once you receive your disabled parking placard, life will become so much easier, giving you the confidence and freedom to travel without needing to worry about the stress of finding an accessible parking spot.

Featured image by Robert Ruggiero via Unsplash

Is Height A Qualifying Condition For A Disabled Parking Permit?

Access to disabled parking in the United States is top tier. The program provides ample opportunity and availability for those with qualifying conditions to access parking that can make their daily lives easier.

Disabled parking spots can make all the difference for a person who has limited mobility due to any number of conditions, eliminating their need to exacerbate their condition just to go to an appointment or grocery store. But is there such a thing as a height disability parking permit? Can you get a handicap placard for being short?

Can you get a handicap sticker for being under 5 feet?

Being short is not generally considered a disability. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), for a person to qualify as disabled, they need to have an impairment that creates great obstacles in completing and participating in major life activities.

For example, if a person is under five feet tall but has no difficulty with mobility or driving, it’s not likely that they will qualify under the ADA. On the other hand, if a person has diastrophic dwarfism, a health condition that could potentially affect mobility due to joint differences and curvature of the spine, they would qualify for a permit.

Can you get a handicap sticker for being tall?

As with being short, being excessively tall is also not considered a disability in its own right. However, people with extreme tallness caused by a condition such as gigantism could end up suffering from more chronic health conditions than their average-height counterparts.

Gigantism is a condition caused by an excessive amount of growth hormone being released while a child grows. Conditions that are often associated with gigantism include enlargement of the hands and feet, which could pose mobility issues in adulthood; arthritis; an increased risk for heart disease; and vision loss. All of these repercussions qualify under the ADA as disabilities that could allow a person to have access to a handicap placard.

Dr Handicap - disabled parking on street
Image by Jared Murray on Unsplash: Can you get a handicap sticker for being short? Not just for being short, no!

Will extreme height or lack thereof ever be considered a disability?

Although height doesn’t count as a disability now, people on both ends of the spectrum have been vying to have it at least considered. One specific occurrence of this happened in 2013 when a woman felt as though she was disabled for a certain position within her workplace because of her short stature. She filed a claim with a court, and the ADA found that it might be a valid complaint against her employer.

On the flip side, another movement was launched claiming that a man was discriminated against while on an airplane because of his tallness. He claimed that he was made to stand in the aisle the entire flight because he couldn’t fit in the seat. The movement, aptly named “Tall Consumerism”, was launched back in 2009, but didn’t garner any true changes in disability law.

Disabled parking availability and qualifying conditions

By law, parking lots are required to have the minimum amount of designated parking spots depending on the size of the parking facility. In smaller lots with only 1–25 total spots, there needs to be at least 1 handicap spot available. The numbers grow as the parking facility gets bigger, up to 20 per 1000 spots, and then 1 per 100 thereafter.

There are many conditions that fall into the category of handicap parking permit allowance. People with advanced lung or heart conditions, limited mobility or a partial use of their legs, vision problems including partial or low-vision, certain neurological conditions, arthritis or arthritis-related diseases, and the loss of limbs all qualify for a handicap parking placard.

Dr. Handicap - Wheelchair Sign on Blue Brick
Image by arembowski on Pixabay: Parking lots require a certain amount of handicap spots depending on their size.

Being overly short or tall isn’t enough to qualify for a handicap parking permit unless it has a direct influence on a person’s health and mobility. Generally speaking, one of the aforementioned conditions needs to be present for someone to be considered a candidate for a handicap parking permit.

However, if being short or tall has led to a mobility issue or other health problem, it could be said that it is the first step towards being able to qualify for a handicap permit. Some believe that changes to the ADA should be made to accommodate people with limited or excessive stature, but those changes have yet to take place for Americans. 

Featured image by SnapwireSnaps on Pixabay

Is Depression A Qualifying Condition For A Handicap Parking Permit?

Mental health conditions, including depression, are on the rise in America today. Depression is a debilitating condition that can have serious negative effects on a person’s life. But is depression a qualifying condition for a handicap parking permit? Let’s investigate.

Who Qualifies For A Handicap Parking Permit?

Handicap parking permits are available to any person, or caregiver to a person, who has a disability that reduces their mobility and makes traveling by vehicle or public transport difficult or impossible.

A handicap permit can be used by its disabled holder in any vehicle in which they travel. If a caregiver or organization holds a handicap permit, it can only be used when a disabled person is traveling in the vehicle.

Are The Qualifying Conditions For A Handicap Permit The Same In Every State?

The qualifying conditions for a handicap permit are not the same in every state. Each state has its own list of qualifying conditions. However, the list is very similar in all states, and each state recognizes handicap permits issued by all other states.

Dr Handicap - depression qualifying condition
Image by 1388843 on Pixabay: Depression can be considered a disability if it is severe and debilitating.

Is Depression A Disability?

Depression can sometimes be considered a disability under the law if it is severe and debilitating enough. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), depression is considered a psychiatric disability.

The ADA defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. It considers depression to be a significant mood disorder that’s known to interfere with daily activities, but depression must substantially limit a major life activity to qualify as a disability.

Many physical disabilities that commonly necessitate handicap parking permit usage correlate with depression. It is common for people to experience depression when they first become disabled, for example. Once a newly disabled person learns to live with their disability, their depression can lessen, or go away completely.

Can You Get A Handicap Parking Permit For Mental Illness?

“Mental illness” is a very broad term that includes a large array of disparate conditions. It is defined as “a health condition that involves changes in emotion, thinking or behavior, or a combination of these”.

While no mental health condition is, in and of itself, a qualifying condition for a handicap parking permit, it is possible to qualify for a handicap permit due to physical symptoms of conditions that fall under this umbrella term, as well as for conditions that involve a mental component along with a physical component.

To get a handicap parking permit, an applicant’s mental illness would need to considerably curtail their mobility and/or ability to use public transport.

Is Depression A Qualifying Condition For A Handicap Parking Permit?

Depression is not, in and of itself, a qualifying condition for handicap parking, and it does not appear on any state’s list of qualifying conditions. However, there are some gray areas that may enable a person who suffers with depression to make a case that they should qualify for handicap parking.

Almost all states have ‘Cannot walk 200 ft without needing to stop to rest’ as a qualifying condition. And several states, including New York State, have the following qualifying condition: “Any other physical or mental impairment not previously listed which constitutes an equal degree of disability, and imposes unusual hardship in the use of public transportation and prevents the person from getting around without great difficulty.”

If a person’s depression is of a type or severity that it prevents them from walking 200 feet without needing to stop, and/or it makes using public transport unusually difficult and prevents them from getting around without great difficulty, it is possible that they may qualify for handicap parking.

Dr Handicap - mental illness
Image by Peggy_Marco on Pixabay: Depression is not a direct qualifying condition for a handicap parking permit, but it can go hand-in-hand with some conditions that are.

What Are The Qualifying Conditions For A Handicap Parking Permit?

The qualifying conditions for a handicap parking permit are all conditions that cause limited mobility. Illnesses that do not cause limited mobility are not qualifying conditions for a handicap permit.

The most common qualifying conditions for handicap parking are:

  • An inability to walk 200 feet without needing to stop to rest
  • Any condition that necessitates the use of a walking aid such as a wheelchair, crutch, cane, prosthetic device.
  • A heart condition classified Class III or IV by the American Heart Association
  • Lung disease
  • Any condition that necessitates the use of a portable oxygen tank
  • Amputees
  • Neurological, arthritic, or orthopedic condition that severely inhibits mobility
  • Legal blindness
  • Sensitivity to sunlight
  • Any other physical or mental impairment not previously listed which constitutes an equal degree of disability, and imposes unusual hardship in the use of public transportation and prevents the person from getting around without great difficulty

How Do You Make A Handicap Parking Permit Application?

The easiest way to apply for a handicap parking permit is to set up an online consultation with a medical professional through Dr. Handicap. Once your condition has been verified the medical professional will fill in the relevant sections of a handicap parking application and email it to you.

Featured image by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

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