MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Police in South Florida are cracking down on drivers abusing disabled parking permits and taking up handicap spots.
A family with a disabled child now recently opened up to Local 10 News about how this issue affects their everyday life.
Authorities say it’s a parking problem plaguing South Florida.
Drivers are abusing the system, with the able taking spaces from the disabled.
Earlier this year, Local 10 News reported on Miami-Dade police cracking down on the fraudulent use of disabled parking permits.
Body camera video showed Officer Waldo Almonte confronting drivers who were using disabled parking permits he said do not belong to them.
The response to our story was overwhelming.
Hundreds of people reached out, thanking police and stressing the need for more enforcement.
It’s how we met Vilma and Jose Migenis and their 5-year-old son Bradley.
“it’s the unfortunate reality of what we live everyday”
“So Bradley has cerebral palsy and epilepsy,” said Vilma. “You can imagine that in regular parking, I can’t always open up my door all the way to carry him out, bring him in.”
The Migenis avoid going out as a family, especially to the grocery store.
“Nine out of 10 times you cannot find disability parking available,” said Jose.
For those who don’t seem to understand, photos on the Americans with Disabilities Act website show why disabled parking exits for people like Bradley and his parents.
“Just because you’re in a wheelchair you shouldn’t avoid going to the grocery store at 6 p.m. because it’s going to be impossible to find handicap,” said Vilma. “By you taking that space away you’re taking that ability from us to being just like you.”
Searching for disabled parking should be the last thing this family has to worry about.
They’re refurbishing their entire house to meet their family needs.
“If it’s accessible to us, it has to be accessible to him,” said Jose.
As the family works on making their home accessible to Bradley, they are staying at a nearby apartment complex where they remind us why enforcement and awareness is so desperately needed.