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Posted 08/24/2021

Poor Vision and DMV Handicap Parking Permits


Poor Vision and DMV Handicap Parking Permits

Poor vision and Blindness and DMV Handicap Parking Permits

Poor Vision and DMV Handicap Parking Permits: Experiencing a significant change in your vision might mean that you can no longer effectively or safely drive an automobile. However, there are certain conditions where you might still be driving, yet you also need a handicap parking permit because of issues with your vision. These issues will be discussed in the next paragraph. That said, it's much more likely that you are applying for a handicap parking permit because someone else is driving you, yet you want to be able to park close to the building so that you can maintain as much of your own independence as possible. If you are thinking about applying for a handicap parking permit due to low vision or even complete blindness, there are few things that you need to know. Going about things in the proper manner will make getting that permit a lot easier in the long run. 

Medical content reviewed by Dr Eric Jackson-Scott MD, Chief Medical Officer

How to Get a DMV Handicap Placard With Poor Vision

Poor Vision and DMV Handicap Parking Permits

Are there particular issues where you might still be driving the vehicle yourself, even though you're experiencing issues with your vision? In reality, you should not be operating a motor vehicle in any capacity if you're not able to see clearly. However, there are some instances where your vision might be severely impaired, yet can be corrected with special lenses in order to allow you to drive, provided that you wear those corrective lenses at all times when you are driving. If you are applying for a handicap placard or disability sticker with in the state of California for this reason, you will have to have significant documentation from your eye doctor in order to back up the claims that are stated on your Form 195 (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/application-for-disabled-person-placard-or-plates-reg-195-pdf/). 


Eligibility for an Accessible Parking Placard With Poor Vision


As previously mentioned, it is far more likely that you will be applying for a disability sticker when someone else is driving you. The truth is, it is virtually impossible for you to safely operate a vehicle if you're not able to have a full range of vision. The same is true for those individuals who simply can't see clearly. If your vision is bad enough that you need a disability sticker because of blindness or something similar, there is every chance that you need to have someone else drive you to your appointment in order to get there and back safely. Is it even possible to apply for a disability sticker under such circumstances? After all, you are not the one operating the vehicle, someone else is. That person may be very fit, yet they are essentially allowing you to get from place to place. In cases such as this, can you apply for a disability placard so that you don't have to walk half a mile in order to get to and from the car? Unfortunately, the answers to these questions are not particularly simple, nor is there a blanket answer that applies to everyone across the board. Your best bet is to look up the dmv guidelines (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv-virtual-office/dpp-application/) and see what they state about cases such as yours. If you believe that it might be beneficial for you to apply for a placard, there are additional steps that you need to take.



How to Apply for a Handicap Parking Permit With Poor Vision


For starters, you need to have all the documentation you can get your hands on. If you have a severe problem with your vision, it's more than likely that you have an ophthalmologist or some other specialist that is working with you in order to manage your medical condition as best as possible. It is likely that you will need documentation from that individual as well as your routine eye doctor. If you have had any surgery or anything similar performed in order to try and improve your vision, you may need documentation about that as well. As previously mentioned, each case is different and it's typically handled on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, some people are asked to provide additional documentation While others are not. Your best bet is always to provide all the documentation you can as opposed to providing less and hoping for the best. That way, you're not thrown off guard when they come back asking for additional verification about a particular condition, an operation or something similar.



Why You Should Consider a Handicap Parking Placard for Poor Vision


Of course, you will have to provide the documentation along with completely filling out the Form 195. Once you have completed all of this, submit the package to the California DMV disabled person placard division and allow them to make their decision. If they decide to grant you a disability placard, you will receive it as quickly as they are able to process your case. If they need more documentation, they will contact you regarding the need for that documentation, telling you specifically what they need and giving you a specific timeline in which to get them that information. In some cases, they may reject your application in its entirety. If that happens, it is possible for you to reapply, but you will need to carefully address the reason that your initial application was rejected or the end result will likely be no different.  This is for permanent, temporary placards, and or disabled veterans plates.



Qualifying Conditions


There are a number of conditions which might potentially qualify you for a disability sticker due to problems with your vision & getting a DMV handicap permit online. They include issues that are congenital, meaning that you were born with those issues. Eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration may also be included, as are more rare conditions such as eye damage that results from parasitic infections or traumatic incidents. In some cases, individuals who have one eye that doesn't track well with the other will be granted a disability placard. Again, it comes down to being able to prove whether or not having one could improve your quality of life in the sense that it allows you to do things that you wouldn't otherwise be able to do because of your condition. 

Applying for a disability placard or handicap parking permit can be somewhat challenging, especially if you have problems seeing. If that is the case, don't hesitate to contact a representative and find out what alternative options might be available to you. By the same token, you can get someone to help you fill out the form and submit your additional documentation. Losing your sight is one of the most difficult things that you are likely to experience in your life, but it doesn't mean that you have to stop doing everything that you've always done before. This is one step to helping you either maintain the freedom that you already have or regain freedoms that have perceivably been lost. So essentially, speak with a HandicapMD doctor about poor vision blindness and getting your handicapped parking permits placards.




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