Students at Cal State Long Beach seeking a handicap parking permit may be surprised to find that in order to receive their handicap placard they must first pay for a regular parking permit.
Parking permits for the academic year cost $271.50, according to CSULB’s website.
Students with temporary or permanent disabilities must buy a permit, according to Lily Kaufman, a student assistant at Disabled Student Services.
Junior biochemistry major Erika Torres said it is unclear if the policy is fair.
“I’m torn on this issue,” Torres said. “By giving disabled students special treatment, they might take it offensively.”
A student seeking to obtain a disabled permit must first provide a doctor’s note explaining the disability and for how long the handicap permit is needed for to Parking and Transportation Services, Kaufman said.
“Some students come in with a broken leg and just need a temporary handicap permit,” Kaufman said.
Students who have disabled permits are allowed to park in faculty lots, according to Kaufman.
If a student is permanently disabled and has a state-authorized handicap placard, CSULB will recognize it, Kaufman said.
Some students, like freshman civil engineering major Rae Obnimaga, think disabled students should get parking permits for free.
“Whether they are permanently or temporarily disabled, they [handicapped students] should get permits for free,” Obnimaga said. “If a student is temporarily disabled, they shouldn’t get free parking for the entire year.”
Lyzette Salway contributed to this report.