MICHIGAN POLIO
NETWORK, INC

 ******************************************************************************************************

Disability Plates are given to you when you have a qualifying disability or live with someone who does.  A qualifying disability is defined as either blindness or any condition that significantly limits a person's ability to walk or that requires a wheelchair, walker, crutch or other assistive device. To be eligible for a disability license plate, the condition must be permanent.  A disability plate allows you to park in designated disability parking spaces.  The following vehicles qualify for a disability license plate: passenger vehicles, including motor homes, not used commercially, individually owned pickups and vans. Disability plates expire on the owner's birthday.

A van owned by a wheelchair user or by a person who transports a member of his or her household who uses a wheelchair is eligible for a 50 percent reduction of the standard registration fee for the disability plate.. The van is not required to have a wheelchair lift. It can be a full sized window van. This reduced fee applies only to a disability plate, not a regular plate. There is no fee to cancel a valid plate and replace it with a disability plate.

You can park for free at a metered spot when you have a disability and  have a yellow free-parking sticker. Privately owned parking lots and garages are not required to provide free parking.

Disability parking placards are limited to one per person. Permanent disability placards are valid for 4 years and are issued to individuals whose condition is not expected to improve.  Temporary disability placards are valid from one to six months and are issued to individuals whose condition is expected to improve.

A person may have both a disability license plate and a placard. 

  Above information is from the State of Michigan 2010.

***************************************************************************************************

 Accessible parking spaces must be located on the shortest accessible route of travel to an accessible facility entrance.

When a business re-stripes a parking lot, it must provide accessible parking spaces as required by the ADA Standards for Accessible Design.  Businesses or privately owned facilities that provide goods or services to the public have a continuing ADA obligation to remove barriers to access in existing parking lots when it is readily achievable to do so.

 If you have an ADA complaint or issue that needs resolution, write to the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. The complete address and guidelines are on the ADA website:  www.ada.gov

 **********************************************************************************************************

You can ride SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) when you are disabled. The SMART Bus system has fixed routes,Park& Ride routes, and major hubs which include Royal Oak, Downtown Pontiac, Southland Center, Oakland Mall, Lakeside Center, Macomb Mall, Northland Center, Fairlane Town Center and Oakland Community College. For information on all SMART services call (866) 962-5515 or visit their website at www.smartbus.org. A reduced fare program enables persons with disabilities to ride SMART at a reduced rate. An application must be filled out for this program.

 ******************************************************************************************************

Most libraries will deliver books to your home when you have a temporary or permanent disability.  Call your local library regarding this unique program.