17 September 2019
Caitlyn Dieckmann
UCCS community members who experience temporary limitations with their mobility can apply for special permits through the Parking and Transportation Services office. Z-permits allow parking in locations that are near buildings to increase accessibility.
According to Jim Spice, executive director of Parking and Transportation Services, “Z permits” are a special parking pass that, when accompanied with the proper parking lot permit, allows students to park close to buildings whenever they are not physically able to walk longer distances.
“We came up with the concept about two to three years ago,” said Spice. “We were running out of ADA approved handicapped parking.” Spice said that space ran low because not every student required full ADA service for their parking spaces.
The ADA has requirements set for handicapped parking spaces including being located near the closest accessible point of a building, having a minimum of 98 inches of height clearance in van accessible parking spots and a minimum of one handicap accessible space for every range of 25 non-accessible spaces.
According to Spice, Z-permits are designed to accommodate community members who do not need every requirement that the ADA specifies.
Z-permits are acquired by printing a waiver from the Parking and Transportation Services website that requires doctor authorization and explanation.
“A Z-permit is free,” said Spice, noting that the permits still require parking pass purchases for the lot where the space is located.
Spice said that the first student who brought up the issue of limited mobility students that are not covered by the ADA was a pregnant student who had difficulties walking longer distances. Another student who has benefited from Z-permits had asthma and had difficulty with longer walks.
Z-permits were intended as a solution to short-term mobility limitations that did not exceed 100 days, however Spice said that the department is willing to work with a community member for long-term accommodations with proper documentation. More information on “Z permits” is available on the UCCS Parking and Transportation website at https://www.uccs.edu/pts/z-permits.