Accessible and Reasonable Parking Accommodations

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Policy Number:
UW-6107
Old Policy Number:
TS-18
Responsible Office:
Transportation Services

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

Transportation Services provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to have equal opportunity to participate in the university’s parking program. The university provides accessible parking in accordance with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

This policy defines the process for faculty, staff, students, and visitors with accessibility needs (temporary or permanent) to park on campus. While the cost for parking is covered by the individual customer, the cost of reasonable accommodation is covered by the university.

Definitions:
Disability
With respect to a person, a disability is a:
  • Physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (i.e. reading, writing, learning, breathing, walking, hearing, seeing, bodily functions such as cell growth, etc.);
  • A record of having such an impairment;
  • or, Being regarded as having such an impairment.
Reasonable Accommodation
An auxiliary aid, service, adjustment, or modification that provides qualified individuals with a disability equal opportunity to participate in the university’s parking program.
A reasonable accommodation does not:
  • Result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a program, service, or activity;
  • or, Pose an undue financial or administrative burden to the university.
University Disability Authority
The following university entities with disability subject matter expertise charged to ensure compliance to applicable laws protecting individuals with disabilities:
  • ADA Coordinator in the Office of Compliance;
  • Divisional Disability Representatives (DDRs) in consultation with the Employee Disability Resources Office (for employees or job applicants); and,
  • McBurney Disability Resource Center (for students, special students, guest auditors, prospective students, visitors, and program participants).
Accessible Permit
A parking permit offered directly by Transportation Services as a reasonable accommodation for employees, retired faculty with employment appointments, and students with a state-issued disability permit to park in designated disabled, unreserved, and unreserved timed (e.g., ParkMobile) parking stalls anywhere on campus during peak and off-peak hours.
Scope:

This policy applies to all qualified employees, students, program participants, and visitors with disabilities needing a reasonable parking accommodation.

Policy:
  1. General Information
    1. Transportation Services is authorized to charge for parking, including accessible parking, under Wis. Stat. § 36.11(8e) and Wis. Stat. § 346.50(2a).
    2. Employees and students with a currently valid state-issued disabled permit (e.g., Department of Transportation) from any state may apply to purchase a UW Accessible permit directly from Transportation Services.
    3. Employees may apply to purchase an annual UW Flex Accessible permit directly from Transportation Services.
    4. Employees, students, and program participants may purchase a temporary UW Accessible permit directly from Transportation Services.
    5. Program participants and visitors unable to provide timely notice about the need for a reasonable accommodation for an event should contact Transportation Services directly about any potential resolution.
    6. All individuals needing a reasonable accommodation other than an accessible parking product issued directly by Transportation Services must contact a University Disability Authority.
  2. UW Accessible Permit and UW Accessible Stall Information
    1. Permit holders with temporary or annual Flex UW Accessible permits must pay to park based on the hours of control for the facility. Refer to UW-6125 Flex Parking Permits.
    2. A temporary UW Accessible permit unrelated to disability but necessary due to an employee’s or job applicant’s pregnancy will be provided without the need for written authorization from a physician but will require approval from a University Disability Authority. All other requests for a temporary UW Accessible permit will require written authorization from a physician and will be valid for up to two months, or the time frame indicated by the physician, whichever is less. The temporary UW Accessible permit is issued at no additional cost to annual base lot and flex permit holders. Those without a current permit will be charged a monthly fee. If a temporary permit is needed longer than two months, whether for an employee or job applicant’s pregnancy or an individual’s disability, the employee/job applicant, student, program participant, or visitor must contact their University Disability Authority.
      1. A base lot or flex permit holder who receives a temporary accessible permit will have their base lot or flex permit held by UW Madison Transportation Services until the temporary UW Accessible permit expires or is returned.
    3. A temporary UW Accessible moped permit will be provided at no additional cost to annual moped permit holders with written authorization from a physician. The permit will be valid for up to two months, or the timeframe indicated by the physician, whichever is less.
    4. Caregivers and/or attendants are eligible to use the issued UW Accessible permit and associated UW Accessible parking stalls when they are accompanying the person with a disability to whom the UW Accessible permit was issued.
    5. UW Accessible stalls may be used by vehicles without an assigned UW Accessible permit for active loading and unloading of a person with a disability. The vehicle must be relocated to an appropriate parking stall when not actively loading or unloading.
    6. Annual or temporary UW Accessible permits must be hung from the vehicle's rear-view mirror or displayed in a plastic pouch on the inside lower left-hand corner of the windshield. Remove all items from mirror or window blocking the permit from view. Entire permit must be visible when the vehicle is parked on campus.
    7. UW Accessible moped permits must be visible when the vehicle is parked on campus. An acrylic holder (shield) is available for customers to secure a UW Accessible moped permit to their vehicle.
  3. Permit Restrictions
    1. UW Accessible permit holders may park in UW Accessible signed parking stalls, unreserved (non-signed) permit stalls, and unreserved timed parking or metered stalls anywhere on campus. Individuals with state-issued disabled placards or plates may park in signed state disabled stalls and timed parking or metered stalls. Payment is not required in timed or metered stalls that are at least 30 minutes in duration. Payment is required for metered stalls with a time restriction less than 30 minutes.
    2. UW Accessible moped permits are valid in any moped lot on campus.
    3. UW Accessible annual or temporary permits expire at the end of each parking year on August 31.
    4. Temporary two-month UW Accessible permits (moped or vehicle) cannot be renewed or extended without a valid State DOT disabled permit or unless approved as a reasonable accommodation by a University Disability Authority. 
    5. UW Madison Transportation Services reserves the right to cancel any UW Accessible (annual, moped, or temporary) permit if during the verification process the State DOT disabled permit is found to be invalid or registered to a different owner.
    6. All UW Accessible permits are for the exclusive use of the permit holder and may not be transferred, sold, or loaned to anyone else for their use.
    7. UW Accessible moped permits are valid in moped stalls only.
    8. Parking permit holders must also follow standard UW-6112 Parking Permit Terms & Conditions.
  4.  Reasonable Accommodation Determination
    1. The University Disability Authority is responsible for determining disability eligibility.
    2. The University Disability Authority will coordinate the decision to accept, deny, or modify the requested accommodation in consultation with Transportation Services and the Facilities, Planning and Management’s Facilities Access Specialist.
    3. When an approved accommodation involves a specific parking stall, Transportation Services will work with the Facilities, Planning and Management Facilities Access Specialist to determine the appropriate stall designation, usage parameters, and to implement the approved accommodation.
  5.  Parking Accommodation Renewal or End of Accommodation
    1. Approved parking accommodations will be reviewed periodically by the University Disability Authority to determine current needs.
    2. Students must reapply for parking accommodations each parking year, which runs from September 1 until August 31 of the following year.
    3. Accommodations approved for employees or students no longer affiliated with the University are automatically cancelled. 
Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:
External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Assistant Vice Chancellor of UW-Madison Transportation Services
Policy Manager:
Director of Parking Operations
Contact:
Assistant Director of Parking Services -- David Berland, david.berland@wisc.edu, (608) 263-6667
Effective Date:
04-01-2001
Revised Dates:

03-01-2003, 12-01-2003, 03-01-2004, 03-01-2005, 03-01-2006, 10-01-2006, 03-01-2011, 04-01-2013, 07-01-2015, 03-01-2018, 02-01-2021, 06-21-2023, 02-09-2024, 07-01-2025

Retrieved:
07-18-2025 19:50:46