ADA & STATE OF CALIFORNIA REQUIREMENTS

PURCHASE OF FUEL (Business & Professions Code 13660)
"California State law requires service stations to refuel a disabled
person's vehicle at self-service rates, except at service
facilities with only one employee on duty."

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While the requirements of the ADA for a gas station with two or more attendants to pump gas for a recognized Disabled Person at self-serve prices is clear, there is no blueprint for either the Disabled Driver(s) or the Station Attendant to clearly communicate that a Disabled Driver is asking or requesting help from the attendant.

There currently is no known mutual identification system that has been accepted by the Disabled Community or the Oil Industries/Gas Stations relating to the requirements of the ADA that satisfies this unique need to visually communicate.

Stations over the past years are being built larger, with more islands, with more gas pumps, and other attractions-such as a snack store, or fast food attachment, making it more difficult to get the attention and communicate a need from a motor vehicle to an attendant at the station. A uniform method of identifying a disabled driver across the country is needed to be adopted nationally.

A truly disabled driver honking their vehicle horn appears rude and disruptive; however the disabled driver often confined to a wheelchair sees this as his or her only option to get the attention of the gas station employee. In related cases, Disabled Drivers wave their Disabled Parking Placard from their car assuming it is recognized during hours of poor lighting or inclement weather often defeats the efforts of the driver. Flashing headlights in a busy gas station is also often misinterpreted. Generally speaking, this type of beckoning call for help in this manner is generally interpreted as socially unacceptable and simply misunderstood by the attendant. From the famous movie "Cool Hand Luke" "What we have here is a failure to communicate".

Most modern gas stations have a structure overhead which contains electrical lighting for the purpose of safety, which echoes a horn blast in this confined area and is often deafening. Our field research shows the Disabled Driver incessantly honking his car horn is viewed as being loud and rude. When an attendant does not respond to the honking horn, the disabled driver makes the assumption that they are being ignored and considers the attendant uncaring as well as rude. Often lacking any response, the disabled driver leaves the station in a huff, and no one other than he or she is aware of a complete lack of breakdown in attempted communication that inherently results in hard feelings. If the attendant was aware of the situation, I am confident he would volunteer his services.

Handiplate Research & Development has been working towards the goal of Improving the National Disabled Parking Program since 1994.

A LETTER FROM A GAS STATION MANAGER: CLICK HERE

A COMMON SENSE APPROACH

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Between the passing of ADA and the additional state laws pertaining to the Disabled, it is accepted by everyone that if a gas station has more than one attendant on duty, upon the disabled person identifying himself or herself, the gas station attendant is required by law to pump the gas for this disabled person and charge SELF SERVE gas prices. As Oregon and New Jersey are the only two states that do not permit SELF SERVE gas stations, this affects the majority of the 196,000 gas stations in our country, and our research has shown a disturbing lack of communication and confusion coupled with frustration.

Currently, for lack of any information, the disabled driver enters a gas station, and routinely honks his horn or flashes his headlights for attention. In most scenarios, they are ignored out of ignorance of the attendant not being aware of the purpose of the disturbance and the disabled driver speeds off in frustration. Our research has shown the gas stations will gladly help any disabled person pump gas, assuming they are actually aware the person is disabled.

The photographs show what we feel through our research to be a common sense, bulletproof method of communication to the gas station attendant that the driver is disabled and requesting assistance. The small circular blue blinking light displayed with the permanent placard, and a red circular flashing light displayed with the temporary placard. The flashing circular lights slip easily over the glass passenger window, and will have the International Disabled Logo superimposed over the lens of the light to further clarify communication. When the flashing light adjacent to the placard being displayed in the manner shown, the attendant will without question, be aware that his or her assistance is being asked for in a quiet, friendly, polite, traditional manner. At this point, there is a definite communication for this specific purpose.

Disable Parking Central's goal and purpose is to
aid the disabled and the gas station attendants.

PICTORIAL ADA REQUIREMENTS: CLICK HERE