From: Gary Joseph (garyjo@bellsouth.net)
To: Disabled community and its supporters
I’m an attorney, live in
Thanks for your help,
Gary Joseph, Esq.,
Dear supporter:
After becoming a paraplegic in 2003 (at age 50), I purchased a minivan with a side-deploying ramp for my wheelchair. I quickly learned that locating a handicapped parking space with an access aisle (striped lines) necessary to deploy my ramp was often extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Although I believe that Florida lawmakers intend that access aisles should be available for persons with disabilities whose vehicle require extra space to exit from or enter their vehicle (such as a wheelchair van), unfortunately current law fails to distinguish between persons with disabilities who need access aisles to park their vehicle and persons who don’t. Under current law, handicapped spaces designated as “VAN ACCESSIBLE” are not reserved for vans and are usually not occupied by vans or by vehicles with an attached wheelchair device. As a result, persons in wheelchairs whose vehicle was intended to benefit from the access aisle, are often unable to locate a parking space because the spaces are usually occupied by vehicles that do not require an access aisle to park.
THE LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION
Senate Bill 2230 and House Bill 1273 are pending in the Community Affairs Committee of the Florida Senate and in the Infrastructure Committee of the Florida House, respectively, and will help to solve the problem for thousands of Floridians who are in wheelchairs. The bills provide that where a facility has 5 or more handicapped parking spaces, then at least 20% of the handicapped spaces must be reserved for persons who have disabled parking permits, who occupy a vans or other vehicle having an attached wheelchair device to load or unload a wheelchair, and who require extra space to deploy the mobility device, lift, ramp, or other device to exit from or enter their vehicle. For example, using the 20% ratio, if a facility has up to 9 accessible spaces, the law will require that 1 accessible space be reserved for such vans or vehicles with attached wheelchair devices. If there are 10 handicapped spaces then 2 spaces must be reserved (20% of 10 = 2 spaces). For 10 to 14 handicapped spaces, 2 spaces must be reserved. For 15 to 19 handicapped spaces, 3 must be reserved. Facilities having less than 5 spaces are not affected by the bill.
Enactment of Senate Bill 2230/House Bill 1273 will improve the quality of life of thousands of Floridians of all ages who are in wheelchairs. Your help is necessary to have this Bill passed.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you are interested in supporting this important legislation, please e-mail the committee members listed below immediately as well as any other member of the legislature you might know. Simply click on each legislator’s name, which will then link you directly to that legislator’s email. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. A sample e-mail supporting the bills is found below. Feel free to cut and paste its text into your emails. You may also view either Bill by visiting www.flsenate.gov and entering Senate Bill Number 2230 or by visiting www.myfloridahouse.gov and entering House Bill 1273. Remember, there is only a short time to let your support be heard.
Senators who are on the Community Affairs Committee considering Senate Bill 2230 are listed below..
Sen. Stephen R. Wise (Bill Sponsor)
Representatives who are on the Committee on Infrastructure considering House Bill 1273 are listed below..
Rep. Richard Glorioso (Vice Chair)
Rep. Susan Bucher (Dem. Ranking Member)
Sample e-mail:
Please vote for Senate Bill 2230 and/or House Bill 1273, which requires that where a facility has 5 or more accessible parking spaces, then at least 20% of the accessible parking spaces must be reserved for vans and vehicles with attached wheelchair devices only. This legislation will help persons in wheelchairs who occupy vans or other vehicles having an attached wheelchair device used to load or unload their wheelchair, and who require extra space in order to exit from or enter such vehicle, which are many of your constituents. People in wheelchairs often find themselves facing a row of small cars in handicap spaces with access aisles, and the only available space not large enough to lower a ramp or lift. Remember that vehicles requiring extra space for wheelchair access are used by not just the typically thought of elderly population, but by families with children in chairs, young people, paraplegic and quadriplegic adults who work, shop, transact business, attend school and community meetings, and generally do the same things that we all do on a daily basis. Except, that often, this population must miss the appointment or meeting, because they cannot get out of their vehicle.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
City, State Zip
Telephone No.
Thank you for your help,
Gary Joseph
P.S.: Please forward this e-mail to anyone you know who might be willing to help. Even one other person will help. Many thanks.