The state’s Disability and Communication Access Board has produced three videos to help everyone involved with accessible parking spaces and disability parking permits better understand state regulations and get more compliance.

The three videos — on designing accessible parking stalls, obtaining accessible parking placards, and the rights and responsibilities of people who have parking placards — are the first for the board and are available on its web site, www.hawaii.gov/health/dcab.
“Perhaps the most useful topic would be on how to design an accessible parking stall,” said Francine Wai, executive director of the Disability and Communication Access Board. “We get a lot of calls from people saying, ‘I don’t remember how wide it has to be? How many do I need in my lot?’ We have a brochure, but this is a very accessible way for people to see what’s appropriate.”
The board conducted an internal critique and felt it could do a better job of publicizing the rules to address “an on-going problem with the abuse of parking stalls and incorrectly designed parking stalls,” Wai said. “We felt we weren’t getting the word out enough to people.”
A contractor produced all three videos at a total cost of $10,000, which probably will be the last project of its kind as the state continues to deal with a budget crisis, Wai said.