[nabs-l] handicap parking

[Sarah J. Blake]

Most often I find that the handicapped parking placard seems to be viewed as 
a "perk" for lazy drivers who veel "overwhelmed" by the prospect of 
accompanying me across a parking lot and are not comfortable trusting me to 
make my own judgments.

However, I do use it when I am unloading bulky blindness-related equipment. 
This rarely happens now; but ten years ago I used to make regular trips to a 
research library and haul my Reading Edge with me to spend the day scanning 
journal articles. The machine weighed 30 pounds. I unloaded it from the 
trunk and rolled it in on a luggage cart. That was a time when the 
handicapped spots did come in handy, in large part because I could roll my 
machine inside without damaging it.

I will also say that in the case where a blind person (such as myself) has 
additional disabilities that do cause difficulty with walking long 
distances, it can be easier for the public to accept the idea that a blind 
person needs the placard than to get their mind around the idea that a 
person who appears to have no physical problems might need it. After 
experiencing rheumatoid arthritis and moderate asthma, I am a lot more 
willing to suspend my judgments when I hear people talking about someone who 
doesn't look like they need the spot.

Sarah J. Blake
Personal email: sjblake at growingstrong.org
http://www.growingstrong.org 


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