ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: chocolatetruffle on March 31, 2008, 09:12:48 pm
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i was at the mall over the weekend, circling around endlessly for a parking space. a thought hit me - being SSD, can i qualify for a handicap license tag?? ;D
p/s i live in california
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NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! However, if you are frequently moderately dizzy, like many AN's then you would legitimitely qualify. One of my favorite hobbies is writing handicap tickets .........$375 in California.
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Sam,
Thats one of my pet pees, our fine for that is $ 500.00
Mark
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Ours is $250, but that doesn't seem to make a difference to the many people who park in the spots illegally!
Go get'em Sam!
Brenda
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Granted I listed 2 diagnosis on my HC placard application, one being my AN (no SSD but between the 2, the lack of balance and overall unsteadiness was noted by my dr), I was able to obtain mine. My understanding, at least for the state of Mass, was that if you aren't able to walk a certain distance (I forget how far as its been a while since I applied for mine) in a general safe manner, leg usage (or lack thereof) was key for the placard. Not sure about the state of CA......
Phyl
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I have one but only use this if it's dark out. Walking is good therapy for all of us AN or not, but if you really have difficulty walking from afar in parking lot, probably would be good you get one. I wonder how you do in the mall?
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I have SSD and never even thought about applying for a 'handicapped'' license plate. My diminished hearing doesn't affect my ability to walk, which, I believe, is the criteria for obtaining a handicapped plate or permit. .
Full Disclosure: Our family car has a permanent 'Handicapped' plate but that is assigned to my wife, who often needs to avoid unnecessary walking, as she suffers from fibromyalgia and more importantly, has had extensive spinal and foot surgery. Walking any real distance is painful and basically impossible for her. However, I never park in 'Handicapped' spaces unless she is with me, as using the plate with only myself in the car is both illegal and dishonest. Besides, I don't mind a little walk, unless its raining or very cold, which is not usually the case.
Jim
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well, thanks for the responses............ at least i tried ;)
sam rush, i am sure you got other ticket writing hobbies, hope i don't see you on the road ;D
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Nope. Handicap's are my favorite, especially when the perps are still in the car. I love their excuses, and accept none of them.!!!
Where in California are you?? We had the same outstanding doctors, as many others have had on this forum.
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remember .. walking is the best therapy for balance! I was laughing with a co-worker the other day that trys to work out at the gym a couple of times a week .. an she said all the parking close to the gym is taken up first... so they can pay good money to walk nowhere on a treadmill .. ??? ??? ???
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Hey Joef
Is that true that walking is the best therapy for balance? I've been trying to figure this thing out. I spend all day doing balance exercises and I feel worse. Then I go for a two mile walk in the evening and I feel better. I want my old physically active life back again and I want to do the right thing to get it back. I'll walk 10 miles a day if this is the way to do it.
David
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IMO practicing at home exercises can fatigue the brain/body. walking later and feeling good means your time spent challenging your balance system is working. Keep it up!?
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David, I've noticed the same thing. A brisk walk on a good day and I'm feeling great. 20 minutes of the heel-toe thing and I'm almost falling on my face. However, it used to take only 10 minutes of heel-toe torture to get me to that point, so something's happening. I think the difference is that walking comes naturally and the therapy doesn't.
Betsy
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I admit, I am the nut that will stalk the parking lot for a close space, ;D but it is b/c I go at 5:30 in the morning by myself and it is usually cold & snowing -- I don't like to take anything extra in so I can just run out and get home and start getting the kiddos ready for school. When I did take a coat (& park further away), I forgot it & had to go back upstairs and get it!!
K
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I often get the evil eye when I park in that handicap spot at Wal-mart and walk quite normally into the store. What these people don't realize is that I'm only handicapped when I come out of the store! (Head throbbing, dizzy and totally wonkyheaded.)
Capt Deb 8)
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Capt Deb -
you'll have to make it a habit to bob & weave as you walk into the store ;D
Jan
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A lot of disabilities are not observable, for example, heart disease, a person would appear normal w/ routine walking into the store, but would get chest pain walking too far or too fast., and would qualify for disability placard. So it's really no-one's business how we look going in or out of store, esp. us ANers who frequently appear normal, on the outside.
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PLEASE don't apply for a tag unless you really need it. My daughter is severely disabled and NEEDS the tag - she wears ankle braces and fatigues easily - you may be taking a space away from someone like her.
Tamara
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Being deaf on one side isn't as bad as ANers who have also lost all the bones of the inner ear removed as a result of surgery. We now have 50% of our balance center missing. We needed that vestibular nerve! Walking in a dark parking lot (let alone on uneven ground covered with ice here in Minnesota) is dangerous. Without our inner ear bones we can no longer tell where something is coming from. My grama is deaf on one side as a result of age, and she does better than I do since I don't have those bones. (a BAHA corrects for this.) My ENT signed the paperwork, and I have a handicapped parking tag now. I truly only need it at night, or on one of my occassional wonky head days.
Blessings, Yvette
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I had a sneaky feeling this would be a sensitive discussion..... as one that was town appointed for a Commission for Disability, we hear this often in our meetings about HC parking spots and who should/could and shouldn't/couldn't park or use them. It's an interesting point that those of us that do go through the process legitly with legit reasons (HC placards usually issued for walking distance issues, regardless of what inhibits the walking abilities) require dr's confirmation to the Registration of Motor vehicles for each state/location. yet, we know of those that tend to b.s. or by-pass their way through the system.
to me.... regardless of what legitly prohibits one from the ability to walk in a steady, lengthy gait.....if applicable, apply... and if not... tough it out and know that others in worse situations do need it more than others.
This one has always ruffled my feathers... I want them smoothed back out....
Phyl
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I had a sneaky feeling this would be a sensitive discussion..... as one that was town appointed for a Commission for Disability, we hear this often in our meetings about HC parking spots and who should/could and shouldn't/couldn't park or use them. It's an interesting point that those of us that do go through the process legitly with legit reasons (HC placards usually issued for walking distance issues, regardless of what inhibits the walking abilities) require dr's confirmation to the Registration of Motor vehicles for each state/location. yet, we know of those that tend to b.s. or by-pass their way through the system.
to me.... regardless of what legitly prohibits one from the ability to walk in a steady, lengthy gait.....if applicable, apply... and if not... tough it out and know that others in worse situations do need it more than others.
This one has always ruffled my feathers... I want them smoothed back out....
Phyl
Good points, Phyll.
We have a family friend that was born with spinal bifida and uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. She also drives a specially-equipped van with hand controls and a motorized ramp for ingress and egress. She has absolutely no choice but to seek out and use 'handicapped' parking spaces. Whenever I even think about using a 'handicapped' space (when my wife isn't with me) I remember this woman who cannot walk and struggles to remain independent who needs a parking space close to the door of wherever she's going. I don't. Remembering her and her situation makes it easy for me to pass up the 'handicapped' parking space, even though our car has 'handicapped' license plates on it.
As for passing judgment on those who don't appear to be disabled but have the plate and use the 'handicapped' parking space, this is hardly an issue for me. I don't care if there are no handicapped spaces if I'm alone and if my wife is with me and there are no handicapped spaces available (this happens way too often), I simply drop her off by the door of whatever establishment we're going to, then, when we're leaving, I walk to the car, drive it over and pick her up at the door. I've always realized that one can be handicapped by breathing problems, heart problems or just pain - and none of those have any visible manifestations to the casual observer. I have some friends and relatives with these kinds of medical problems and most have the 'handicapped' tag. No problem.
However, more germane to this forum, I agree that if anyone feels they really need to be able to park close to buildings because of AN issues, they certainly should apply for the tag. I would - if I felt that I needed it. Fortunately, I don't.
In my state, you have to submit a 'special' registration form to the motor vehicle department and with it, a document from as state-licensed physician that describes your physical disability. The doctor has to attest you require a 'handicapped' plate, tag, sticker, whatever. There are temporary 'handicapped' tags for a temporary disability (i.e. broken leg) and permanent tags, as my wife has, for someone who is permanently disabled. The physician has to state that the person named on the application has a permanent physical disability. I believe that as long as a physician signs the form, the plate or temporary tag is given without any investigation. So, if you need it, go for it! :)
Jim
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When I would keep my Grandma, I would have her tag w/us, but usually we would drop her off and then go park in a NON HC space. The ONLY time I would use it is if I had the kids with me & I was trying to get my Grandma in AND my girlies safely in -- I thought that the safety of ALL was more important!
OK...here's another can of worms...WHAT ABOUT HANDICAPPED BATHROOM STALLS? Who thinks that NO ONE should use them except the handicapped? Should the handicapped person have to wait in line like everyone else or should they automatically get to go to that stall? This is really most apparent to women at an event where there is a huge line...& an empty stall...
Just sitting around w/ too much time to think!!! Definitely NOT used to this!!!!!
K
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JIM! OMG! A pic of you as your "avitar" OMG! It's great to "see" you! :)
*ahem* Kaybo.... oh, KAYYYYYYY... you are going to make me moderator more than I already do, eh? tsk-tsk.... ::) :-*
I'm gonna sit back and watch this one now... martinis and popcorn are out.... folks, let's keep the debate respectful, ok? Actually, I like K's questions... but I'm gonna watch this one... may also move this to "AN Community, depending on what "tone" this thread takes....... oy.... *walks off crying*
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oops, sorry i opened a can of worms here :-\
sam rush, to answer your question, i live in the bay area.
chocolate anyone?
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I hope I didn't add fuel to the fire with my comment about bobbing and weaving :-[
It was not my intention to offend anybody.
We have talked many time on this forum about how frustrating it is to be a person with an "invisible disability" since a lot of AN symptoms are not evident to others. Guess I should have been a little more sensitive in my choice of words. Sorry, Sam and thanks for pointing that out.
Jan
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oh, no worries folks.... to me, can o' worms is the highly debated talks, such as what Kaybo :-* noted.... using HC restroom stalls or not, etc.
There is a terrific book my sister gave me years ago when I was first diagnosed with other issues (before my AN diagnosis....)
"Living Well With a Hidden Disability: Transcending Doubt and Shame and Reclaiming Your Life (Paperback)"
by Stacy Taylor (Author), Robert Epstein (Author)
on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Living-Well-Hidden-Disability-Transcending/dp/1572241322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207230942&sr=8-1
Great customer review inputs as well noted at the bottom of the link. For those that do endure "hidden" disabilities.... may be worth a peek.....
Phyl
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That's an interesting question about the handicapped bathroom stalls. I had a friend once whose child was permanently disabled and in a wheel chair. One day the child felt like she was going to vomit. Her mom rushed her to the bathroom, hoping they'd get there before the child lost it. They did...but a nondisabled person was in the handicapped stall. Other stalls were available, but the child's wheelchair would not fit in those. She puked all over herself.
So I avoid those stalls if I can. Sometimes you just can't hold it. After having two 10 pound babies, my bladder strength is shot! And when my kids were little and in a stroller, I would use those stalls in order to keep my babies with me while using the bathroom. I feared they'd get kidnapped if I left the stroller with a toddler/infant in it outside the stall while I was "busy."
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On the handicap-only bathroom stalls issue: Normally, I avoid using a handicap-only stall because I'm always afraid that a handicapped person may enter the men's room and need the stall, and I'll feel like a a real jerk if I'm in 'his' stall when he needs it.
To be completely honest, I've used a handicapped-only stall in a public toilet when nothing else was available - but this doesn't happen very often. Obviously, this is more of an issue for women than men, but I wanted to add my observations to the discussion.
Jim
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Phyl -
ironic that you should mention "Living Well with a Hidden Disability". I was just on amazon.com earlier today ordering a book that my son has been asking for and I noticed this title. I also noted that it's currently out of print and that it can only be purchased used. Guess I'll have to hurry and order my copy before even the used ones are gone.
Jan