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In the United States, reserved spaces are mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. [1]
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In the United States, reserved spaces are mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. [1]
The following table, current as of 2020, shows the state agency responsible for issuing disabled parking placards, expiration of permanent/temporary placards, fees (if applicable), and supplementary notes.
| State agency | Expiration of permanent placards | Expiration of temporary placards | Fees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Alabama Department of Revenue | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Alaska Department of Administration | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) | None | 6 months | No cost | Previously permanent handicap placards expired after 5 years but as of April 2019, these placards do not expire after the passage of a new state law. [2] |
 Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration | 4 years | 3 months | No cost | |
 California Department of Motor Vehicles | 2 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $6 for temporary | |
 Colorado Department of Revenue | 3 years | 3 months | No cost | |
 Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles | Expires at the same time as drivers license/ID card | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $5 for temporary | |
 District of Columbia Department of Transportation | Expires at the same time as drivers license/ID card | At doctor's discretion | No cost | Expiration of temporary permits is determined by length of time doctor puts on application |
 Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles | 3 years | 3 months | No cost | |
 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles | 4 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $15 for temporary | |
 Georgia Department of Revenue | 4 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Hawaii Disability and Communication Access Board | 6 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $12 for temporary | Hawaii has delegated issuance of disabled permits to the City and County of Honolulu, as well as the counties of Hawaii, Kauai and Maui. |
 Idaho Transportation Department | None | 6 months | No cost | |
 Illinois Secretary of State | None | Varies (see notes) | No cost | Temporary permits expire after 3 months if issued by local municipality or 6 months if issued by the Secretary of State. |
 Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles | None | Varies (see notes) | No cost for permanent; $5 for temporary | Temporary permits expire either after date given by doctor on application or 1 year (whichever is shorter). |
 Iowa Department of Transportation | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Kansas Department of Revenue | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Kentucky Transportation Cabinet | 6 years | 3 months | No cost | Renewals or replacement of lost or stolen placards cost $10. [3] |
 Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles | 4 years | 1 year | $3 | |
 Maine Secretary of State | 4 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Maryland Department of Transportation | None | 6 months | No cost | |
 Massachusetts Department of Transportation | 5 years | At doctor's discretion | No cost | Expiration of temporary permits is determined by length of time doctor puts on application |
 Michigan Secretary of State | 4 years | 6 months | No cost | Renewals or replacement of lost or stolen placards cost $10. |
 Minnesota Department of Public Safety | 6 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $5 for temporary | |
 Mississippi Department of Revenue | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Missouri Department of Revenue | 4 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $2 for temporary | |
 Montana Department of Justice | 3 years | 6 months | No cost | Permanent placards issued prior to October 1993 do not require renewal. |
 Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles | 6 years | Varies (see notes) | No cost | Temporary placards expire after either 3 or 6 months as determined by doctor's discretion |
 Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles | 10 years | Varies (see notes) | No cost | Temporary placards in Nevada come in two varieties: temporary (valid for 6 months) and moderate (valid for up to 2 years) |
 New Hampshire Department of Safety | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | Permanent placards expire at the same time as drivers license or ID card, so first placard may expire in less than 5 years but subsequent placards will expire in 5 years. |
 New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission | 3 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $4 for temporary | |
 New Mexico Motor Vehicles Department | 4 years | 12 months | No cost | |
 New York Department of Motor Vehicles | See notes | 6 months | No cost | Permanent placards expire at the discretion of the issuing agency (village, town, city). |
 North Carolina Department of Transportation | 5 years | 6 months | $5 each for permanent and temporary (limited to 2 placards) | |
 North Dakota Department of Transportation | 3 years | 3 months | No cost for permanent; $3 for temporary | |
 Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles | 5 years | 6 months | $5 for permanent and temporary | |
 Oklahoma Department of Motor Vehicles | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles | 8 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Rhode Island Department of Revenue | 3+ years | Varies (see notes) | No cost | In Rhode Island, temporary placards come in two varieties: temporary (valid up to 12 months) and long-term (valid from 1-3 years) |
 South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles | 4 years | 12 months | $1 for permanent and temporary | |
 South Dakota Department of Transportation | 5 years | 12 months | No cost | |
 Tennessee Department of Revenue | 2 years | 6 months | $26.50 and $3 renewal for permanent and $10 and $10 renewal for temporary | No charge for permanent placard if vehicle registration is in applicant's name, however $3 renewal charge still applies; $2 charge for replacement placards |
 Texas Department of Transportation | 4 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $5 for temporary | |
 Utah State Tax Commission | 2 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Vermont Agency of Transportation | 4 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles | 5 years | 6 months | $5 for permanent and temporary | $5 for replacement placards |
 Washington Department of Licensing | 5 years | 12 months | No cost | |
 West Virginia Department of Transportation | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
 Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) | 4 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $6 for temporary | |
 Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) | 10 years | 6 months | No cost | |
The following table, current as of 2020, shows the state agency responsible for issuing disabled plates, length of validity of registration for plates and/or any renewal requirements (if applicable), fees (either regular automotive registration fees and/or any fees charged beyond regular automotive registration fees), fee amounts if assessed beyond regular automotive registration fees (if applicable), and supplementary notes.
| State agency | Length of validity on plates | Fees | Additional fees beyond regular registration? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Department of Revenue | 5 years renewal | $23-105, depending on type of vehicle registered | N/A | |
| Alaska Department of Administration | 5 years | No cost (see notes) | N/A | First set of plates is free, but additional set of plates (or commercial plates) cost $100 in registration fees plus applicable motor vehicle registration taxes. |
| Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) | Valid as long as renewed regularly (either 1 or 2 years depending on driver's choice) | Payment of regular registration fees | N/A | |
| Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration | 1 year | Payment of regular registration fees | N/A | |
| California Department of Motor Vehicles | Valid as long as renewed regularly | Payment of regular registration fees | N/A | |
| Colorado Department of Revenue | 3 years | 3 months | No cost | |
| Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles | Expires at the same time as drivers license/ID card | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $5 for temporary | |
| District of Columbia Department of Transportation | Expires at the same time as drivers license/ID card | At doctor's discretion | No cost | Expiration of temporary permits is determined by length of time doctor puts on application |
| Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles | 3 years | 3 months | No cost | |
| Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles | 4 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $15 for temporary | |
| Georgia Department of Revenue | 4 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Hawaii Disability and Communication Access Board | 6 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $12 for temporary | Hawaii has delegated issuance of disabled permits to the City and County of Honolulu, as well as the counties of Hawaii, Kauai and Maui. |
| Idaho Transportation Department | None | 6 months | No cost | |
| Illinois Secretary of State | None | Varies (see notes) | No cost | Temporary permits expire after 3 months if issued by local municipality or 6 months if issued by the Secretary of State. |
| Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles | None | Varies (see notes) | No cost for permanent; $5 for temporary | Temporary permits expire either after date given by doctor on application or 1 year (whichever is shorter). |
| Iowa Department of Transportation | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Kansas Department of Revenue | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Kentucky Transportation Cabinet | 6 years | 3 months | No cost | Renewals or replacement of lost or stolen placards cost $10. [4] |
| Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles | 4 years | 1 year | $3 | |
| Maine Secretary of State | 4 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Maryland Department of Transportation | None | 6 months | No cost | |
| Massachusetts Department of Transportation | 5 years | At doctor's discretion | No cost | Expiration of temporary permits is determined by length of time doctor puts on application |
| Michigan Secretary of State | 4 years | 6 months | No cost | Renewals or replacement of lost or stolen placards cost $10. |
| Minnesota Department of Public Safety | 6 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $5 for temporary | |
| Mississippi Department of Revenue | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Missouri Department of Revenue | 4 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $2 for temporary | |
| Montana Department of Justice | 3 years | 6 months | No cost | Permanent placards issued prior to October 1993 do not require renewal. |
| Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles | 6 years | Varies (see notes) | No cost | Temporary placards expire after either 3 or 6 months as determined by doctor's discretion |
| Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles | 10 years | Varies (see notes) | No cost | Temporary placards in Nevada come in two varieties: temporary (valid for 6 months) and moderate (valid for up to 2 years) |
| New Hampshire Department of Safety | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | Permanent placards expire at the same time as drivers license or ID card, so first placard may expire in less than 5 years but subsequent placards will expire in 5 years. |
| New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission | 3 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $4 for temporary | |
| New Mexico Motor Vehicles Department | 4 years | 12 months | No cost | |
| New York Department of Motor Vehicles | See notes | 6 months | No cost | Permanent placards expire at the discretion of the issuing agency (village, town, city). |
| North Carolina Department of Transportation | 5 years | 6 months | $5 each for permanent and temporary (limited to 2 placards) | |
| North Dakota Department of Transportation | 3 years | 3 months | No cost for permanent; $3 for temporary | |
| Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles | 5 years | 6 months | $5 for permanent and temporary | |
| Oklahoma Department of Motor Vehicles | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles | 8 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Rhode Island Department of Revenue | 3+ years | Varies (see notes) | No cost | In Rhode Island, temporary placards come in two varieties: temporary (valid up to 12 months) and long-term (valid from 1-3 years) |
| South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles | 4 years | 12 months | $1 for permanent and temporary | |
| South Dakota Department of Transportation | 5 years | 12 months | No cost | |
| Tennessee Department of Revenue | 2 years | 6 months | $26.50 and $3 renewal for permanent and $10 and $10 renewal for temporary | No charge for permanent placard if vehicle registration is in applicant's name, however $3 renewal charge still applies; $2 charge for replacement placards |
| Texas Department of Transportation | 4 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $5 for temporary | |
| Utah State Tax Commission | 2 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Vermont Agency of Transportation | 4 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles | 5 years | 6 months | $5 for permanent and temporary | $5 for replacement placards |
| Washington Department of Licensing | 5 years | 12 months | No cost | |
| West Virginia Department of Transportation | 5 years | 6 months | No cost | |
| Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) | 4 years | 6 months | No cost for permanent; $6 for temporary | |
| Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) | 10 years | 6 months | No cost | |
According to the Americans With Disabilities Act Handbook, "Accessible parking spaces should be at least 96 in (2440 mm) wide. Parking access aisles shall be part of an accessible route to the building or facility entrance..." [5]
Disabled parking permits generally take the form of either specially marked license plates or a placard that hangs from the rear-view mirror. Plates are generally used for disabled drivers on their personal vehicle, while the portable disability placard can be moved from one vehicle to another with the disabled person, both when driving or when riding with another driver.
The medical requirements to obtain a permit vary by state, but are usually confined to specific types of disabilities or conditions. These as a general rule include the use of any assistive device such as a wheelchair, crutches, or cane, as well as a missing leg or foot. Some states also include certain cardiovascular, pain, or respiratory conditions. About half of US states (26) include blindness as a qualifying disability enabling the person to obtain a disability parking permit for use as a passenger, and 14 states include a disabled hand as a qualifying disability. Four states include deafness (Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, Wyoming), and two states (Virginia and New York) include mental illness or developmental disabilities as qualifying disabilities. [6] [7]
Disability parking placards come in various colors with the significance varying from state to state. The most common are red for temporary placards and blue for permanent ones.
The availability of specially reserved parking spaces is regulated by both federal and state laws. Generally at least one space is available at any public parking location, with more being required based on the size of the parking lot and in some cases the type of location, such as a health care facility. Parking spaces reserved for disabled people are typically marked with the International Symbol of Access, though in practice, the design of the symbol varies widely. [9] Often, the parking space is delineated with blue lines instead of the white or yellow lines used elsewhere in the lot. Anyone parking in such reserved spaces must have their disability plate or mirror placard displayed, or else the car can be ticketed for illegal parking. In some major US cities, local law also allows such vehicles to park for free at city parking meters and also exempts from time limits on time parked. In the US states of California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, holders of a Disabled parking permit are exempt from parking meter fees (in Illinois, only disabled drivers who meet specific criteria are eligible for free parking). In some states (including Virginia) accessible-designated parking meters exist, which, unless the permit holder is exempt, must be paid at the same rate as non-designated meters. One will also be subject to receiving a violation ticket if a valid disability license plate or placard is not displayed on the vehicle. Fraudulent use of another person's placard is heavily fined.
If traveling from other countries, requirements to obtain a parking permit vary from state to state. Some states will honor other country permits, while others require application as a visitor/tourist. [10]
Canada's provinces will honor a US state issued disabled plate or placard since US states will honor Canadian disabled plates and placards.
In all types of dwellings, United States federal law states that it is unlawful and discriminatory to refuse services that may assist in making reasonable accommodations for those with disabilities. This includes any services or facilities that are necessary in order for the occupant to inhabit their dwelling as deemed standard. [11] [12]
In California alone, there are over 27,000 Plug in Electric Vehicles (PEV) with about 2,000 being added every month. While most PEV charging is done at home, the public charging infrastructure is also expanding, with 6,218 public charging stations as of July 2013. [13] Although the number of PEVs is still a small portion of the cars on the road, and the number of PEVs with Handicap placards is much smaller still, the needs of handicap PEV drivers must be integrated with public charging spaces. Guidelines are that 1 in 25 PEV Charging Stations be made ADA space compliant. [14] Although not intuitively obvious, it's important to recognize that a PEV charging station is not parking space, rather a charging service, in the same manner that gas station fill up spots are not parking spaces. Electric vehicle charging stations that meet the ADA space requirements are not to be reserved exclusively for the use of persons with disabilities, [15] they are shared by any PEV needing to charge. Further more any PEV charging space, ADA space compliant or not, cannot be used by non-PEV vehicles, including those with handicap placards. Recommended signage, along with common courtesy, ask that ADA space compliant charging stations are to be used last.
The abuse and misuse of disabled parking permits has been identified as a major problem in the US, with some estimates indicating the majority seen on the street are used or obtained fraudulently. [16] The substantial privilege and convenience granted by a permit provides a major incentive to use one illegally or obtain one fraudulently, and medical privacy law often confounds attempts to identify truly disabled individuals from abuses. In 1999, for example, 19 of UCLA's current and former football players were charged with abuse of disabled parking placards. [17] [18] [19] In 2013 a news program in Los Angeles filmed people using disabled parking placards outside a health club, including one of the health club's celebrity instructors and young adults with the placard of a 77-year-old. [20]
Abuse occurs under the following circumstances:
A related issue is physician approval of permits for medical conditions that do not actually qualify under that jurisdiction's requirements. Often this is simply an error on the physician's part due to not fully understanding the law. A common example is cognitive, psychiatric, or developmental conditions (such as autism), which in all but two states do not qualify for a permit. Such permits are still legal and valid, and most recipients honestly believe they have a qualifying disability. The result is far more permits than existing parking spaces can usually support, which often leaves more severely disabled individuals without a place to park. [23]
Disabled persons who hold parking permits but have invisible disabilities may be difficult to tell apart from fraudulent permit users. [24] [25] On occasion, suspicion of fraud has led to hostility against legitimate permit holders. [26] [27] [28]
Disabled drivers from outside New York City who possess state-issued disability parking permits have claimed illegal discrimination and civil rights violations on the part of New York City. In 1991 a disabled elderly man from New Jersey was issued a ticket while parking in Brooklyn while displaying his New Jersey-issued disability parking placard. [29] In 1997 a woman with multiple sclerosis using a wheelchair was similarly issued a ticket while parking in New York City for displaying a non-NYC issued disability parking placard. [30] Both drivers maintain that failure to recognize non-NYC disability parking placards is a violation of their civil rights.
The city does recognize valid placards from other jurisdictions for marked disabled parking spaces, all of which are in off-street lots. [31]
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal, and later sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition, unlike the Civil Rights Act, the ADA also requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, and imposes accessibility requirements on public accommodations.
A parking meter is a device used to collect money in exchange for the right to park a vehicle in a particular place for a limited amount of time. Parking meters can be used by municipalities as a tool for enforcing their integrated on-street parking policy, usually related to their traffic and mobility management policies, but are also used for revenue.
Parking is the act of stopping and disengaging a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied. Parking on one or both sides of a road is often permitted, though sometimes with restrictions. Some buildings have parking facilities for use of the buildings' users. Countries and local governments have rules for design and use of parking spaces.
Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" and "indirect access" meaning compatibility with a person's assistive technology.
A parking lot or car park, also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface. In most countries where cars are the dominant mode of transportation, parking lots are a feature of every city and suburban area. Shopping malls, sports stadiums, megachurches and similar venues often have immense parking lots.
Valet parking is a parking service offered by some restaurants, stores, and other businesses. In contrast to "self-parking", where customers find a parking space on their own, customers' vehicles are parked for them by a person called a valet. This service either requires a fee to be paid by the customer or is offered free of charge by the establishment.
A parking space, parking place or parking spot is a location that is designated for parking, either paved or unpaved. It can be in a parking garage, in a parking lot or on a city street. The space may be delineated by road surface markings. The automobile fits inside the space, either by parallel parking, perpendicular parking or angled parking.
A wheelchair ramp is an inclined plane installed in addition to or instead of stairs. Ramps permit wheelchair users, as well as people pushing strollers, carts, or other wheeled objects, to more easily access a building, or navigate between areas of different height. Ramps for accessibility may predate the wheelchair and are found in ancient Greece.
A parking violation is the act of parking a motor vehicle in a restricted place or in an unauthorized manner. It is against the law virtually everywhere to park a vehicle in the middle of a highway or road; parking on one or both sides of a road, however, is commonly permitted. However, restrictions apply to such parking, and may result in an offense being committed. Such offenses are usually cited by a police officer or other government official in the form of a traffic ticket.
Dunn State Park is a public recreation area surrounding a 20-acre (8.1 ha) pond in Gardner, Massachusetts. The state park covers 132 acres (53 ha) and is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
A disabled parking permit, also known as a disabled badge, disabled placard, handicapped permit, handicapped placard, handicapped tag, and "Blue Badge" in the European Union, is a permit that is displayed upon parking a vehicle. It gives the operator of a vehicle permission to special privileges regarding the parking of that vehicle. These privileges include parking in a space reserved for persons with disabilities, or, in some situations, permission to park in a time-limited space for a longer time, or to park at a meter without payment.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the state agency that registers motor vehicles and boats and issues driver licenses in the U.S. state of California. It regulates new car dealers, commercial cargo carriers, private driving schools, and private traffic schools. The DMV works with the superior courts of California to promptly record convictions against driver licenses, and initiates administrative proceedings before its own administrative law judges to suspend or revoke licenses when drivers accumulate excessive convictions. It issues California license plates and driver's licenses. The DMV also issues identification cards to people who request one.
The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act (VAEHA) P.L. 98-435, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1973ee–1973ee-6, is a United States law passed in 1984 that mandates easy access for handicapped and elderly person to voter registration and polling places during Federal elections
An emotional support animal (ESA) is an animal that provides relief to individuals with "psychiatric disability through companionship." Emotional support animals may be any type of pet, and are not recognized as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
MetroAccess is a shared-ride public transportation service for individuals in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area who are unable to use fixed-route public transit due to disability. It is managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and is operated by various companies that contract to provide the service. "Shared ride" means that multiple passengers may ride together in the same vehicle.
The International Symbol of Access (ISA), also known as the (International) Wheelchair Symbol, denotes areas where access has been improved, mostly for those with disabilities. It consists of a usually blue square overlaid in white with a stylized image of a person in a wheelchair. It is maintained as an international standard, ISO 7001 image of the International Commission on Technology and Accessibility (ICTA), a committee of Rehabilitation International (RI).
Jarek Molski is a disabled man known for filing hundreds of lawsuits against small businesses for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Since a 1985 motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed, Molski has filed over 400 lawsuits against California small businesses due to lack of handicap parking, misplaced handrails, and other ADA violations.
An adapted automobile is an automobile adapted for ease of use by disabled people. Automobiles, whether cars or vans, can be adapted for a range of physical disabilities.
According to Abilities United, over 16% of Americans are considered to have either a physical, developmental, or learning disability. The barriers that 33.7 million persons with disabilities face within the American electoral process include: access to polling information, physical access to polls, current and future laws that deal with the topic, and the moral implications regarding the varying levels of both physical and cognitive disabilities and the act of voting.
People with disabilities are at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 and have higher rates of mortality than non-disabled populations. This is especially true for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, individuals who reside in care facilities, and women with disabilities. People with disabilities are at greater risk of experiencing mental health issues related to the pandemic, such as feelings of loneliness and isolation. They may be at greater risk of domestic violence and abuse during the pandemic. People with disabilities are more likely to experience unemployment as a result of the pandemic and may require changes to the types of accommodations they require for work. Children with disabilities are experiencing disruptions to their educational programming. Remote learning poses a host of challenges for children with disabilities, including disruptions to physical and occupational therapies and access to assistive technologies.
They also charged some drivers with fraud after they discovered forged doctor signatures on applications.
It brings to mind there are doctors out there who might be over-prescribing," said R. Michael Paravagna, a member of the Commission on Disability Access. "Maybe they are handing them out like candy.
