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The mother of a 12-year-old Dickinson Narrows’ girl was denied a handicap spot in front of their home by a city entity, but the decision was reversed four days after a lawsuit was filed.
“… I hereby direct that the application be approved due to the extraordinary circumstances present in this matter,” Philadelphia Parking Authority Executive Director Vincent J. Fenerty Jr. said in a statement Monday. “I further direct that the installation begin as soon as possible after consideration of the presence of utility lines and other installation issues.”
The authority denied Nil Sok’s request for a handicap spot in front of her Mifflin-Street home for her special-needs daughter April 30 citing the “applicant needs consent of neighbor,” according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.
“The application form includes a section asking whether there is consent of adjacent property owners, but the form does not condition grant of the space on the neighbor’s consent,” according to the lawsuit.
Confined to a wheelchair, Salina Sok, 12, has a rare genetic brain disorder along with severe physical and cognitive disabilities. The preteen also has epilepsy and has “too many seizures to count each day,” according to her neurologist. Her frequent medical appointments, transportation needs and potential emergency situations warrant a handicap spot in front of the Sok’s home on the 400 block of Mifflin Street, according to the lawsuit.
“Nobody in Philadelphia controls the parking space in front of their house or their neighbors’ houses,” according to the lawsuit filed by David Ferleger, of his own Jenkintown-based law firm. “Permitting a neighbor veto of space for a child with intense physical disabilities, who is otherwise qualified for the parking program, is without any reasonable basis.
The lawsuit deemed the denial in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Constitution, state law and city ordinance.
The status of the suit was unclear with the authority now obliging as Ferleger did not return calls before press time.
Contact Managing Editor Amanda L. Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
Also in this week’s Police Report:
Post-game skirmish
Witness wounded
Nightcap beating
Stickup bagged
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