Some disabilities are not obvious
Handicapped sign
I read Newsday's recent article "Handicapped tags abused" [IMHO, May 2]. As an orthotist, a medical provider of body braces, I would like to address the remark that people "who appear quite normal, and walk quickly from their cars to their destinations" have handicapped tags. I strive to enable every one of my patients to achieve that level of normalcy.
While a person might wear a leg or knee brace, or even an artificial limb, that might allow them to appear as stated above, it is not always the case. I myself use a brace when my knee is in a flare-up, but when I most often wear it over my pants, while most of my patients would never do that.
In addition, there are medical disabilities that are not physically obvious: arthritis, heart problems, diminished lung function, poor circulation and so many more.
So while you can see me wear a brace, you can't always see "the handicap" that someone bears. If a physician declares that a person needs a parking permit, that should be enough for the rest of us.
That said, I do agree that there are abuses of these accommodations in parking. As stated, using somebody else's tag, using expired tags, or using a tag when you are no longer disabled are all abuses.
I have seen Suffolk County police, and Islip and Brookhaven code enforcement officers enforce these regulations with gusto (as they should).
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