JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 Expecting mothers have been able to apply for temporary disabled parking space permits since July 1st, but a Florida disability advocate is fighting back in court. <\/p>\n
Under a new state law passed earlier this year, expecting mothers can apply for a temporary parking permit that allows them to park in disabled parking spaces for up to one year.<\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n The idea was intended to make life a little easier for pregnant women, but Olivia Keller, who was born without arms at the shoulder and relies on a power chair to get around, argued that the effect in practice has just made it harder for people like her to go about their daily lives.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really kind of wreaking havoc on people who are already having to build extra time into our day just to compensate for finding parking,\u201d said Keller. \u201cI drive a van that has a ramp so I can get out of my car, and that requires a minimum of eight feet of clearance. If I don\u2019t have that, I literally cannot get out of my car. I\u2019m trapped.\u201d<\/p>\n In a federal lawsuit, she and her attorney Matthew Dietz allege the new law violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by loosening the definition of people with disabilities to include expecting mothers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just not within their power or discretion to change what federal law is,\u201d said Dietz.<\/p>\n Action News Jax asked some local residents what they think about giving expecting mothers disabled parking privileges.<\/p>\n Chandra Franklin said she thinks it\u2019s a great idea.<\/p>\n