In December 2024, a Chicago-area student, with the help of a local television station, persuaded his high school to grant him the right to park in disabled-accessible parking as an accommodation for his disability. The student suffered from debilitating headaches after a sports-related concussion, and his neurologist assisted him in getting an accessible parking placard. However, the school maintained that parking permits were won by lottery, and this student could park in accessible parking only if he first won the right to park in the lottery system. The school offered individual bus service but refused to allow the student to park in accessible spots, although he had a permit and the spots were often unoccupied. After a brief campaign of public shaming by the television crew, the school reversed this decision and allowed the student to park in a handicapped spot.

If you or a loved one is having difficulty securing accommodation for a disability from a school, call the experienced attorneys at the Lento Law Firm. The Lento Law Firm can help you secure the accommodation you need to succeed and progress in school. Call 888.535.3686 or provide your details online, and we will contact you.

The ADA and Reasonable Accommodations

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that schools accommodate students with disabilities with reasonable accommodations. An accommodation is a change in the way a school does things that allows a student with a disability to use school facilities and programs. The accommodation must be reasonable and cannot place an undue hardship on the school system.

While school systems may fight accommodations because of cost or extreme inconvenience, it is often the case (as it was for this Chicago student) that the accommodations have no cost and very little inconvenience. The school simply does not wish to alter the way they do things, even something as simple as a parking permit, to accommodate a student.

Who is Covered by the ADA?

The ADA protects students with disabilities, and a disability is defined as:

• A condition or impairment which substantially limits at least one major life activity.
• A perceived disability (even if the person is not actually disabled).
• A history of physical or mental impairment, even if the impairment is in remission.

Some disabilities are apparent, while others are invisible. If a student has a condition that affects their ability to succeed at school, they likely qualify as a disabled person under the ADA.

Parking as an Accommodation

Few accommodations are as basic as the ability to park in an accessible parking spot, but many schools fail to provide this accommodation. Sometimes, they have too few parking spots, or they are not maintained or compliant with the ADA. At other times, as in the Chicago case, the school refuses to accommodate an invisible disability. Whatever the cause, if you are a student with a disability who struggles to find and use disabled-accessible parking on campus, call the Lento Law Firm.

The Lento Law Firm is experienced in securing accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities nationwide. Whether you are in elementary, middle, high school, or college, the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team can help. Call 888.535.3686 or provide your details online, and we will contact you.