New Initiative for Respect the Space Campaign Seeks to Make Disability Parking Signs Compliant with Maryland ADA Laws

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 27, 2016

During the anniversary month of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Montgomery County’s continuing “Respect the Space” campaign has launched a new initiative to help ensure that the signage for disability parking spaces in Montgomery County complies with the state of Maryland’s Accessibility Code adopted under the Public Safety Code.

 

The first step in meeting this goal is to ensure that parking lot managers know their legal obligations. All parking lot managers are encouraged to review the legal standards, and then take the necessary actions to make their parking lot signs compliant.

 

Parking lot owners and companies that stripe parking lots in Maryland must comply with the Maryland Accessibility Code adopted under 12-202 of the Public Safety Code. ADA-compliant information is provided on the County’s Department of General Services ADA Accessible Parking page at:  http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dgs-ada/AccessibleParking.html.

 

Multi-family residential parking lots and commercial parking lots must conform to specific legal standards for providing and erecting signs for disability spaces.

 

• There must be a visible sign to identify each accessible space
• Free-standing signs must be mounted at least 7 feet above the ground with a symbol of accessibility, and include a supplemental sign indicating, “Maximum Fine $250.”
• A sign mounted flush to a building or wall must be at least 6 feet but no more than 10 feet above the ground
• The sign must have the international wheelchair symbol of accessibility and the words, “Reserved Parking”
• Van accessible spaces are to be identified with a supplemental “Van Accessible” sign and are accompanied with a supplemental “No Parking in Access Aisle” sign

 

In addition, members of the Montgomery County Commission on People with Disabilities, the Commission on Veteran Affairs and other volunteers will be actively monitoring and assessing whether disability signage within the County is meeting the required legal standards.

 

Potential violations recorded by volunteers will be reviewed by the Commission on People with Disabilities and by the County Office of Human Rights. Managers of parking lots determined not in compliance will receive notification from the Office of Human Rights. The notice will advise what exactly is not according to the specifications and the legal obligation to bring the signage into compliance.

 

The “Respect the Space” campaign has highlighted the problem of people who have not been issued a disability placard/plate parking in disability parking spaces, even for a few minutes; the unlawful use of a placard/plate issued to someone else which prevents their use by those who are legally certified to use them, and to educate parking lot managers on the importance of not blocking access to disability spaces during their winter snow removal efforts.

 

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Release ID: 16-439
Media Contact: Lucille Baur 240-777-6507, Betsy Luecking 240-777-1256