I am writing in response to Calvin Graden’s letter to the editor (“Set a time limit on handicap ferry parking,” July 17). Mr. Graden suggested a time limit be imposed on reserved handicapped parking spaces at the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal.

He stated that he was appalled that he couldn’t find a parking space to take his father to Seattle for a medical appointment. He said he found it amazing that handicapped people park early in the morning and work a full day’s work.

To add insult to injury he stated that handicapped individuals are not “financially handicapped” and should have to pay for “prime” parking spots.

I am not going to address discrimination against the disabled; I think most people understand the hardships faced by disabled individuals in the workforce and that they typically make less than their non-disabled counterparts. Discrimination against the disabled has taken place throughout history and unfortunately continues today.

What many people may not know is that disabled parking is free in any non-restricted spaces in the city parking lot with state-issued disabled placard or plates displayed.

So Mr. Graden could have parked in the city lot and displayed his father’s placard to take him to his appointment.

What I do want to address is the ignorance and attitudes of people towards disabled individuals at the ferry terminal. Disabilities are not limited to physical disabilities.

Because a person appears to be walking fine or without the aid of a cane or wheelchair, does not mean that they don’t qualify as being disabled per state requirements.

I understand wholeheartedly the frustrations of trying to get a family member with disabilities to and from the ferry terminal.

There is an area designated for disabled loading and unloading, but it competes with the taxi-cab drivers, who are unwilling to move.

For years, my father took my mother to and from the ferry to try and make the commute as easy on her as possible.

He also did so because she found it difficult to find a parking space close to the terminal.

Evenings became the big problem, with cabs taking up the disabled loading and unloading area there was nowhere else for my father or other drivers to pick up disabled passengers.

My father would try to get as close to the terminal as possible for my mother while staying out of the flow of traffic.

After years of abuse by commuters, drivers blocking the disabled spaces and the latest, a disturbing incident with a Bainbridge Police officer, my mother is now driving herself.

Every evening she is blocked in the disabled space while drivers wait to pick up off-loading passengers. If she asks them politely to move, they scream at her or flip her off.

Yesterday, someone left a note on her windshield telling her that if she was capable of walking down the ramp to the boat, she didn’t need a disabled placard. I can’t even comprehend what kind of person would do such a thing.

The ferry terminal facilities are outdated and the state is working with what it has. On that note, I think it’s fair to point out how hard it can be for disabled individuals to maneuver through the parking lot with speeding vehicles, uneven pavement, inadequate lighting and ramps that don’t appear to meet ADA requirements.

The disabled parking is located where it should be, as close to the terminal as possible. I think for anyone with a disability, walking up and down the ramp just to get to the boat is a feat in itself.

With city staff layoffs we are limited now to one part-time Parking Enforcement Officer. Under RCW 46.16.381(12)(a), a law-enforcement agency authorized to enforce parking laws may appoint volunteers, with a limited commission, to issue notices of infractions under that section and of 46.16.581.

I encourage the city to enact a program and accept volunteers to patrol and issue citations at the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal and island-wide for disabled violations.

I also hope visitors of the ferry terminal recognize the need for disabled parking and make an effort to be kind to others who would gladly give up their disabled placards and their “prime” parking spaces for a healthy body.

Kathleen A. Jones is a Bainbridge Island native who worked as a parking enforcement officer for eight years.