Member for Scenic Rim, Jon Krause, together with his colleagues in Queensland Parliament have successfully heralded in changes to the law so that Disability Parking Permits may be issued to those who have impaired vision.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads is responsible for running Queensland’s Disability Parking Permit Scheme and those who are issued with a permit can lawfully access designated parking spaces.
Mr Krause has been pushing for this change through various representations to Ministers and the Government, saying that residents in his electorate have experienced firsthand the difficulties of day-to-day life with a vision impairment.
“Current eligibility for a disability parking permit is based on an applicant’s ability to walk. However, this falls short in helping those who experience short or long-term vision impairment.
“A Tamborine Mountain resident from my electorate, and well-known advocate for disability parking access for Queenslanders, Dr John Vance, sadly passed away last year before these changes to the law were enacted.
“I had the opportunity to meet with Dr Vance and discussed with him the need for Queensland’s Disability Parking Permit Scheme to include those who are visually impaired.
“Dr Vance, a compassionate advocate in his community, suffered from a hereditary condition that affected his eyesight.
“The LNP team listened to members of our community, including Dr Vance, and organisations representing vision impaired individuals, and their request to include those who have a vision impairment in the Disability Parking Permit Scheme. We pushed for this change to the eligibility criteria for a disability parking permit.”
Under the new changes, individuals who are permanently blind will be eligible to apply for a permit. Individuals who have temporary blindness will also be eligible to apply provided that their condition is of at least 6 months duration as certified by a doctor, ophthalmologist or optometrist.
Mr Krause said that changes to the Bill will improve the lives of permanently and temporarily blind Queenslanders.