New
Mexico has taken a big step in the war over parking for
handicapped people.
The coveted handicapped parking spot is ground zero
in the fight for disability rights. For years,
handicapped parking permits were issued to anyone with a
temporary or permanent disability - identified by red
placards for temporary disabilities and blue for
permanent. Wheelchair-users have been begging for
another needed benefit - permanent wheelchair-only
parking spots and permits - because of the large amount
of space they need to get in and out of a vehicle.
A wheelchair-user needs a parking spot with
clearances of 4 feet for cars and 8 feet for vans with
wheelchair lifts. To find an available spot with this
much room is a major quest for a disabled person.
Right now, anyone with either a red or blue placard
can park in any available handicapped spot, even if
"Van Accessible Only" is posted. Such signs
should suggest leaving that spot for a wheelchair-user,
but this rarely occurs.
Last year I advocated using different-colored
placards for wheelchair-disabled people and allowing
legal recourse against someone using a handicapped space
intended for a wheelchair user.
Finally, someone at the Roundhouse decided to listen.
Hundreds of New Mexico wheelchair users - whose numbers
are increasing - have been bombarding state legislators.
Albuquerque Democrat Rep. Al Park of the Consumers
and Public Affairs Committee has introduced House Bill
106. The bill addresses the color-coding of handicapped
parking placards and briefly mentions possible changes
to permanently handicapped license plates.
The bill does not discuss color-coding the license
plates. But it does say that new handicapped plates with
a wheelchair-only designation would be available without
additional fees. Once a permanent disability is
recorded, renewal of placards and plates would not
require new documentation from a physician.
Under the new bill, placards for people with
permanent wheelchair-only disabilities would be white on
a gold field. Wheelchair-only parking places would be
identified by "the international wheelchair symbol
in distinctive colors other than blue."
To ensure that wheelchair-only spots are available to
the people who need them, the bill establishes new
parking guidelines. For every parking location there
must be at least one wheelchair-only slot for every four
handicapped spots. The larger the parking lot, the more
wheelchair-only slots must be made available. Fines for
parking in any handicapped spot without proper permits
would range from $100 to $300, and the vehicle could be
towed.
On Jan. 27, the House Judiciary Committee voted
unanimously to recommend passing the bill, which would
put the law into effect July 1.
Thank you, Al Park, and all who were involved in this
bill. Here's to its ultimate success.
To read HB106 in its entirety, visit the New
Mexico Legislature's Web site.
