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Posted on: Tue, Feb 12 2008 4:14 PM

Posted by: cudachaser Posts: 1,484

Go online to your TX dept of Motor Vehicles....Exploring around and you should find your states standard disabilty placard applicaton in pdf. Print it out, fill it out and take to your Dr for him or her to sign. Then take it to your Dept of Motor Vehicles..where you get tags for your car. In Florida the placard is free and issued for 4 year period. When the 4 years up you get another registraion form for the placard and they issue another 4 year placard. Still no charge and no Dr's blessing this time.

Joe 

Posted on: Tue, Feb 12 2008 4:14 PM

Posted by: itsetc Posts: 25

Hi,

I hope I can help you out.  First of all I am in Ga. and in Texas the law might be diffrent, but

the first thing you need to do is go to your doc and get a letter ( on his staionary) stating that you

are disabled and need a Disable Parking Permit. Here in Ga, we have tp get it Notarized and then you need to take it to the DMV and get your permit there.

Here in Ga, we have a 4 year permit that you hang over your mirror or better yet, apply at your tag office that you need a Disabled License Plate. That will last a lot long and no one is going to be able to steal it like the paper permits.

If you need any other help, let me know.

May God Bless

John Patriick

Posted on: Tue, Feb 12 2008 4:18 PM

Posted by: Kara Posts: 2,278

Thepurplem0nkey:

I feel that if someone suspects an individual is abusing a placard, it is their civic duty to report that individual; take photos, call the cops, talk to whoever owns the property they are on.

But what about if someone approached you and WASN'T rude....wouldn't you rather they do that first rather than calling the police and taking the other steps you suggested. That's an assumption too. The problem I see with even a simple "Do you have a disability" or "Are you disabled?" being a problem is that if one DOES NOT ask they assume they either do what 99% of the world does anyway and ignore what looks like to them another violator OR they waste their time, yours, and the authorities in reporting someone who has a legal placard that needs it.....If this became a pattern, this advocate would eventually give up (and the police will stop responding) and just join the masses of people that don't do anything.

I just see it as a fine line in demanding privacy but then demanding equal accomodations that those of us use that can't conceal our disabilities. No, I don't get asked if I have a disability because it's obvious. To be honest, I really wish more people that hop out of their cars and dash in WOULD get asked whether or not they have a disability. That doesn't mean I think they should be asked what's their condition or WHY they need it. The "real" police are never going to sit by our parking across the country so if we don't do some advocacy among ourselves-no one will!

If someone asked me anything disability-related in a rude way I have total right to refuse to even answer....but what about viewing people that simply ask if you have a disability or not as on our team. If you need that space as much as me then you know how irritating it is when peole violate the spots.....I see a big problem with having such a hangup on even identifying as a person with a disability if the need is great enough to need a placard.  I think if asking-even politely-is so wrong, what's the alternative? Rampant abuse that we just have to tolerate and the feeling that I can't even ask members of my own community if they are like me-disabled?

Disaboom moderator


My personal blog: If the World Had Wheels

Posted on: Sun, Jul 20 2008 10:06 PM

Posted by: statictree6 Posts: 5

The thought of someone actually taking down my license plate number, taking a picture of my car, and maybe even a picture of me walking into the store. Then sending it to the police for "faking" my disability. That really PISSES ME OFF.

I have Multiple Sclerosis, I don't look sick. I'm not in a wheelchair and I don't use a cain. I've been using my placard for 5 years and no one has said a thing. No wait a minute. The first time I used it. An accuaintance walks up to me and starts feeling my legs and arms, he did it very hard, so yes, it did hurt. I asked him what the hell he was doing. He said he saw my placard and didn't know why I had it. I looked at him and said, "I have MS". He felt like a fool.

Too date that's the only negative experience I've had. People looking at me? All the time. No one has said anything, yet. And when they do, I certainly hope that God is with me at that time and the words that come out of my mouth are being guided by Him.

I have yelled at people for parking in our spaces when they are perfectly healthy. And then I call the police. When I see someone who looks like me, and they have a placard I say nothing.

Posted on: Mon, Jul 21 2008 2:53 AM

Posted by: Sumwyf Posts: 26

It took a lot for me to ask my doctor for a permit, but he said no problem.. I don't look disabled but have herniated discs and as anyone who has pain of any kind knows walking is the worse.  I use my parking permit as a badge of honor that I can still drive and function at some level. 

What P-off me is the women who did not have a permit and parks in one, I very kindly told her she forgot to put her permit up (I wanted to assume she had one and remind her).  She rudely told me she did not have one, I said you cannot park there she just kept walking. 

In Oregon there is a hefty fine if you do not have a permit and there are retired individuals who go through all the parking lots and scan the cars for permits.  It seems that violators are few but they are out there.

Jennifer

Posted on: Mon, Jul 21 2008 5:25 AM

Posted by: snowyh Posts: 35

PastorND:

I am disabled due to a stroke I suffered in 1998. My wife & I moved from Hawaii to Sugar Land, Texas 02/02/08. Could you please tell me where to get a disabled parking permit? Any info you can provide me will be highly appreciated. Thank you & God Bless!

\

PastorND (Rev. Dr. Nick Dais, Sugar Land, Texas, 77497)

Hi, PastorND, and welcome to Texas!  It's been a few months since you made your post so you probably already have your placard, but when I broke my foot I just asked the orthopedist how I should go about getting a temporary placard.  He had the Texas DPS forms right there in his office, signed one and gave it to me.  I took it to a DPS office and they issued the placard right then and there.  Easy peazy!

Helen

right forequarter amputee in Houston

Posted on: Mon, Jul 21 2008 5:39 AM

Posted by: snowyh Posts: 35

itsetc:

I for one have had the chance on being the first handicapped Police officer in the State of Ga and started 4 diffrent other cites forces.

The only thing we have the right to do, is to write a ticket for parking in a handicapped parking spot. John A. Patrick

Hi, John.  In Houston we have a similar program; however, we are not actual police officers--we're volunteers with the City of Houston Parking Management Division.  Anyone can be a volunteer (you don't have to be handicapped), and I do have an official City of Houston badge.  As in your case, our only authority is to write tickets for handicapped parking violations.  In training the question came up about what we can do if we witness someone park in a handicapped spot who has a placard but no apparent disability.  The answer is--nothing!  Only actual police officers are allowed to challenge whether the person using the placard is the one to whom it was issued.  We are always to be polite, and (if there's someone in the vehicle with no placard or plates) ask them to move the vehicle first, before issuing a citation.  In Houston tickets are $205, doubling to $410 if not paid within 90 days.

Helen

right forequarter amputee

BTW--I do not personally have a handicapped placard.

Posted on: Mon, Jul 21 2008 5:54 PM

Posted by: DavidZ Posts: 150

I like to think the best of people, and I'd want to assume that anyone parking in a disabled spot, even if he didn't "look" disabled, really was disabled.  Does anyone want to guess how many people are parking in these spaces who shouldn't?  Are we talking about a lot of people here, or an abuse that is pretty rare?