Florida’s legal protections for people with disabilities are essentially the same as provided by federal law. However, the state does require accessible parking spaces to be longer and wider than under federal law. The Florida Commission on Human Relations handles housing discrimination complaints under state law and will also file your complaint under federal law if applicable.
Who do I contact if my accessible parking rights are infringed in the state of Florida?
If your landlord or employer isn’t providing enough accessible parking, we encourage to use the forms on our Resources page to request that they add more. This is usually the first step in straightening out any accessible parking problem.
To file a complaint, you must contact the Commission and speak with a staff member who will then direct you on how to file a complaint with the Commission’s Housing Unit. Your initial call or letter must be within one year of the discriminatory incident. Florida also asks that you fill out a Housing Discrimination Questionnaire in order to initiate a claim. While it is unclear if doing so is mandatory (i.e., if you make your complaint in person), doing so will help you make your case more clearly and may prevent unnecessary delays. The Commission intends to provide an email filing option in the near future, which will most likely appear at this site once available.
Florida has several local-level agencies on human rights or civil rights that may be able to provide you with additional guidance and support. For a partial list of these agencies, see the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s list of Florida resources here, the list of legal aid services and local government agencies here or search “Florida” at this site.
The information contained in these pages is for informational purposes only, and it’s no substitute for legal counsel.