In July of 2017, the Pew Research center published an article about Americans with disabilities.
The common type of disability involves difficulty with walking or independent living.
The article noted that around 20 million people over the age of 18 have difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Many of this people rely on parking spaces that are reserved specifically for people with disabilities.
In many communities, including Rogers Park and Edgewater, it’s all too common to see people who don’t have disabilities parking in spots reserved for those who do.
If you see people parking in an accessible parking space designated for people with disabilities that do not have a license plate or parking placard, here are some things you can consider doing:
- If you’re comfortable, ask them to move. Kindly remind them that this is not a loading zone. It is a space for accessible parking.
- Notify the business that someone is using the parking spaces inappropriately.
- Use the app: Parking Mobility – to report parking abuse to the city.
- Also, remember many disabilities are invisible the eye.
A person who unnecessarily parks in a handicapped-only spot faces a $600 ticket in Illinois.
Those who need a parking sticker can obtain one through the City of Chicago’s web site.
