Watchdog Update: Handicap Parking debate

Provided/ Laura Kirkham

A hotel in Columbia recently stored crates of materials in a parking spot reserved for the disabled.

Last April, Laura Kirkham was a guest at Marriott Courtyard in Columbia and noticed these materials stored on a disabled parking space.

Kirkham said she uses crutches and that this was the only covered handicap parking spot at the hotel. She it would have been helpful to have this space available because it rained several inches during her stay. "Rain and crutches are a treacherous combination," she noted.

A hotel employee wrote her an email apologizing for the unavailability of the space, adding that three other spaces "are actually closer and more convenient for entrance to the hotel."

Michael Wells, a manager, told Watchdog that the hotel has 189 spaces total, five of which are for disabled motorists, including the one covered up. He said the hotel was only required to have four. He declined additional comment.

Here's a table that describes how many disabled spaces the American Disabilities Act requires.

Total Parking in Lot -- Required Minimum Number of Accessible Spaces

1 to 25 -- 1

26 to 50 -- 2

51 to 75 -- 3

76 to 100 -- 4

101 to 150 -- 5

151 to 200 -- 6

201 to 300 -- 7

301 to 400 -- 8

401 to 500 -- 9

501 to 1000 -- 2 percent of total

1001 and over -- 20 plus 1 for each 100 over 1000

Source: access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm