Editor:
I believe the University of Utah is overcharging people who require disabled parking permits. I have a spinal cord injury and drive a vehicle specially adapted to my needs. I use a wheelchair to move around on campus. Wheelchair parking spaces are not a luxury to me, but a necessity.
If I could, I would pay the less- expensive fee and use the economy parking. I cannot, however, because it would be extremely time consuming and physically exhausting to push my wheelchair from the economy parking lot to my classes.
Many people who are disabled are going to school to get a new start on life. Some may be unemployed because they have a disability. It is unfair to charge these people who are looking for a new start $120 to park their vehicles.
Disabled parking spaces are located near buildings, but most people who use these spaces do so because it is a necessity. It is more time consuming and physically difficult to get out of my vehicle and into the buildings on campus than it is for most people even when I use disabled parking.
At Salt Lake Community College disabled parking permits are only one dollar for a school year. I use this example to show that other schools in the Salt Lake area recognize the difference between a parking luxury and a parking necessity.
The University of Utah should seriously consider changing the parking rates for disabled parking. It is the right and fair thing to do.
Paul RobertsGraduate StudentExercise and Sport Science