Disney does NOT enforce H/A parking

[Mama Who]

The number of handicapped spaces is a simply ratio to how many total spaces are in the location. I don't remember off the top of my head what that ratio is.

I want to say it's in the vicinity of 1 in 40. My memory might be faulty, though.

ETA:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5171795_requirements-handicap-parking.html

This says 1 in 25 for small lots, 1 in 50 for lots 500-1000 spaces and then a formula of roughly 2% after than. Details are in the link.

 

[LilyWDW]

I want to say it's in the vicinity of 1 in 40. My memory might be faulty, though.

ETA:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5171795_requirements-handicap-parking.html

This says 1 in 25 for small lots, 1 in 50 for lots 500-1000 spaces and then a formula of roughly 2% after than. Details are in the link.

Yep... I finally got to my International Building Codes book. Though mine is a bit more detailed.

1 space for 1-25 total parking provided

Then add one spot for every 25 spots up to 100.

Then add one spot for every 50 spots up to 200.

Then add one spot for every 100 spots up to 500.

Then 2% of total spots for 501-1000.

Then 20, plus one for each 100 for over 1000 total spots.

This does not include spots used exclusively for buses, trucks, delivery vehicles, law enforcement, or any other "limited" use spots.

Also, for every 6 or fraction of 6 handicapped spots, one must be a van spot.

Now hotels and time shares fall within an R-2 use classification. Those have their own rules where 2%, but no less then one spot, must be accessible.

 

[Swan4Me]

One reason Disney does not have many disabled spaces at the entrances to the Deluxe Resorts

is they offer free Valet Parking for people with a disabled plate or hang tag.

True, one is expected to tip the valets $1 or $2, but technically that is not a requirement.

AWESOME!!

 

[toocherie]

See--one more reason to stay at Saratoga Springs--they have LOTS of handicapped spaces at each building and last week many of them were unoccupied!

 

[sweetb]

The ADA may need to update their info then. As a person who needs a handicapped space, I am often frustrated by the lack of spots available. Whether it's at the mall or grocery store, I often have a hard time finding one. There are a LOT of handicapped people in the world.

 

[BillSears]

The ADA may need to update their info then. As a person who needs a handicapped space, I am often frustrated by the lack of spots available. Whether it's at the mall or grocery store, I often have a hard time finding one. There are a LOT of handicapped people in the world.

The ADA and the States who issue the permits obviously disagree on things. The ADA requirements should be based on the number of permits actually issued and not the estimate they have. I feel the States have issued a much larger number of permits than have been accounted for by the ADA rules.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The ADA may need to update their info then. As a person who needs a handicapped space, I am often frustrated by the lack of spots available. Whether it's at the mall or grocery store, I often have a hard time finding one. There are a LOT of handicapped people in the world.

True, there are a lot of handicapped people in the world. But it's entirely unreasonable to expect every parking lot to provide enough H/A spaces for every potential shopper who may happen to want to be there at 11 AM on a particular day.

And please NEVER do what I saw yesterday - all the H/A spots were full at a restaurant, so one party parked on the yellow striped access area! The person to whom the placard was likely issued* wasn't the driver; the driver could have dropped this person at the curb and parked in a standard spot, and picked her up after dinner.

*No, I'm not positive - but the passenger used a wheelchair, and the placard was a VERY old no-expiration version. We haven't had those for over twenty years.

 

[sweetb]

I disagree. While you can't possibly have a spot for every single handicapped person, you can issue MORE spots if the ones you have are always full and there are many folks who can't find a spot.

You have to remember that not all folks have a wheelchair that they can be strolled in. This is a very frustrating issue for me because many times I CAN'T walk far. I am in end stage renal failure and have dialysis three times a week. While I try to only go to the store when I am feeling good, as a single mom who lives with my two young kids alone, that is not always possible. There are times I MUST go to the store when I'm not feeling well. Whether I need my meds, or milk or something for a school party, I need to go when I need to go. I usually will use one of the ECV's when I get into the mall or grocery store when not feeling well, but to have to walk from far back in a parking lot is hard work and could result in me passing out.

And I'm not sure what you mean by a shopper who may happen to want to be there at 11am. What difference does it make what time the person wants to go to the store? Is a handicapped person wrong for going to a store at 11am? Is he or she supposed to drive home and come back because they should'nt want to go shopping at that time? I don't know about anyone else but I go when I NEED to go and when it fits into my busy schedule. I have dialysis three times a week and I have two kids in school, so whenever I'm not busy with that, I go to the store when it fits into my schedule.

I went to a college with only two handicapped spaces for the whole dorm community. There were three of us who had handicapped signs. One or two of them parked their cars there the entire week and walked to class every day. I was not even able to walk to class because I was on dialysis then too and so short of breath. There were nights I got home from dialysis totally wiped out only to find NO spot. The parking lot was BLOCKS away. I would park on the grass or on the lines every time. There was no way I could walk that far after treatments. I barely got from the car to my room. I called them every time and told them that I was parking right where I parked and that they needed more spots. This can be very frustrating issue when you are very sick.

 

[peemagg]

I think something else that the ADA may not take into consideration when making the recommendations is the amount of temporary tags issued. These tags are just as legit as the permanent ones, but because of the short duration they may not be included in the count from the states. I know that I was issued a couple of these after foot surgery until it became apparent that a permanent one was what I was going to need.

On a related subject, at church on Sunday we were discussing the amount of handicapped spaces that the church has and then counted how many there are in the church that need them. This is a small church, and they already have 5 spaces, but found that there are at least 12 of us who come regularly who need them. They are now looking into making more of the spaces handicap spots.

 

[icouldlivethere]

And please NEVER do what I saw yesterday - all the H/A spots were full at a restaurant, so one party parked on the yellow striped access area! The person to whom the placard was likely issued* wasn't the driver; the driver could have dropped this person at the curb and parked in a standard spot, and picked her up after dinner.

*No, I'm not positive - but the passenger used a wheelchair, and the placard was a VERY old no-expiration version. We haven't had those for over twenty years.

I actually experienced something like this at the BWV parking lot. Although there are quite a few HA parking spaces at the BWV parking lot, at certain times of the day it is nearly impossible to get one. When we arrived there in the morning there were ample spaces available but we left in the afternoon to get some groceries and came back they were all gone with several of us circling around hoping to get one. There seem to be spaces available in the morning but then they fill up during the day. I was never out there at night so I don't know what the situation is then.

The BW parking lot is quite a distance from the building and anybody who has difficulties walking would not be able to walk from the parking lot to the building. It's just too far. I have a scooter that needs to be taken in and out of the car whenever we go somewhere and when we are forced to park in a non HA space it makes it difficult for my husband to get my scooter in and out for me. My husband also worries about me driving the scooter through the parking lot once he gets it out of the car for me because it really isn't safe. Cars can't see me because I'm down too low.

When we were getting ready to leave the BWV on our last trip there were a number of empty HA spots that morning so my husband went and got our car and moved it into a HA spot so I wouldn't have to drive through the parking lot on my scooter. I noticed the woman in the car next to us had walked to her car that was parked in the HA spot next to ours with luggage and bags in tow. Like I said it is a long distance from the hotel to the parking lot. I figured somebody in her party was handicapped and would soon be following her. We had to go back to the hotel to get a few more things and when we came back to the car the same woman was bringing more stuff to her car. When she was done loading the car she got in the car and drove it to the front of the hotel where she picked up the handicapped member of her party.

If the handicapped member of her party wasn't able to make the long walk to and from the parking lot there was really no reason for her to have taken up a handicapped space. I don't like to make assumptions because I don't like people making assumptions about me. Maybe she did have a good reason for parking there that I don't know about. But I know in our state if the person to whom the handicapped placard is issued isn't going to be in the car when you park it then it's against the law to use the placard.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Don't forget that at any of the Disney Deluxe Resorts valet parking is free for people with a disabled plate or hang tag. Yes, you do tip the valet a dollar or two, but I find that much easier than trying to find the disabled parking.

 

[peemagg]

Also with spots being filled in evenings and afternoons might have been people from other resorts there for the area restaurants.