JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Updated policies at Jacksonville International Airport state a disabled veterans tag does not offer the same privileges a handicap tag does. However, officials with Florida Highway Patrol say otherwise.
Veterans tell Action News Jax they are upset.
“I do not think it’s right,” disabled veteran David Abramowitz said.
“They are discriminating against the disabled veterans,” an anonymous disabled veteran said.
Abramowitz served as an army aviator for 31 years – jumping out of planes. Since then, he’s had a number of mental and physical disabilities.
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“My body is broke, I have no knees, I can’t run anymore, my back is really bad,” Abramowitz said.
He said to qualify for a disabled veterans tag, you have to be considered 100-percent disabled, and he is.
In October, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority changed how parking for disabled veterans works at JIA, catching many vets by surprise.
“I went for a 10-day vacation with my wife and I parked where I thought I was allowed to park, so I parked there,” Abramowitz said. “And when I came back out of there, obviously I had a big charge of about $200.”
If you have a DV tag without a wheelchair symbol you can no longer park in the valet, hourly/daily garages, or the daily surface lot for free.
People with handicap tags can park here for free. But FHP told me tonight, the DV tag and handicap symbol essentially mean the same thing. If you have a DV tag, you can park in a handicap spot.
“Shame on the airport – shame on them for behaving this way,” the anonymous vet said.
And they have strong words for the airport.
“They moved us further away because they want to be able to put people in those lots that are actually going to pay, and extremely unfortunate that we as veterans are paying for that,” the anonymous vet said.
Airport spokesperson Michael Stewart said the construction of a third garage has made it harder for everyone to find parking. He said, “The new policy still provides veterans with free parking, while also making the garages and surface lot available to all travelers.”
“I’m not sure the answer is sticking us in the economy and just riding a bus to get back,” Abramowitz said.
Veterans with the DV tags can park in Economy lots 1, 2 and 3 for free.
Each economy lot has ADA compliant shuttle buses that will drop travelers off at the airport entrance.
FULL STATEMENT FROM JIA:
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA) honors our region’s large military community, especially our disabled veterans. Per Florida law, JAA has been providing complimentary parking for Disabled Veterans displaying a DV tag when flying out of Jacksonville International Airport since 2016 as required by Florida Statute 316.1964(7).
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However, because the construction of a third garage has exacerbated parking availability at the airport, and an overwhelming number of vehicles with DV tags park in the garages and daily surface lot, often for extended periods of time, we have established a new parking policy.
The new policy still provides veterans with free parking, while also making the garages and surface lot available to all travelers.
Complimentary parking for Disabled Veterans with a standard DV tag (no wheelchair symbol) is now in Economy Lots 1, 2 and 3. Each economy lot has ADA compliant shuttle buses that will drop travelers off at the airport’s curbside entrance.
The new policy states that disabled veterans with DV tags displaying the wheelchair symbol on their license plate are welcome to park in the Hourly/Daily Garage, Daily Surface Lot or Economy Lots 1, 2 and 3.
Signage is posted at every parking entrance, on digital road signage and on the JAX airport website.
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