Did you know that in Alberta, people who are either visually
impaired or hearing impaired are not eligible for a handicap parking sticker? Lyle
and I find this unwise and really a form of discrimination.
We are especially aware of not being able to park in specially
marked parking near the door of a business during this busy holiday season. It
is quite a blow to my independence when I need the driver of my vehicle to
accompany me to the door or entrance of whichever business I am visiting.
Still, it would not be safe for me to find my way alone through a crowded parkade,
even more so if the parking lot is unfamiliar to me. There are many hazards in
parking lots – unattended shopping carts, cement barriers, hanging signs and
worst of all, moving vehicles. Of course, the vehicles are the worst because
drivers are frequently looking for empty spaces and are not paying special attention
to wandering pedestrians even if they do happen to be using a white cane. Parkades are often shaded, making it
difficult for drivers to see, and the glare of the sun in outside parking lots is
sometimes blinding.
Now those are just the issues of going from the car to the
building. When it comes time to re-enter the parkade, I face all of those
challenges plus the major concern of finding the vehicle again. If Lyle has found a spot reasonably
close to the door or entryway, I can count vehicles. If not, I have no way of
finding my way back and I have lost my independent mobility.
I know that handicap parking is reserved for people with
physical mobility challenges, but isn’t a sight or hearing impairment a form of
this? What do you think? Should people
with visual or hearing challenges be issued with parking stickers which allow their drivers to park in handicap
zones?
Isn’t this a form of discrimination?
No comments:
Post a Comment