Question: Regarding disability parking spaces (808ne.ws/926kline), you mentioned that there are requirements for width, etc., but didn’t specify exactly. Please supply this information. I don’t think my workplace is doing this right, but I don’t want to say anything until I am sure.
Answer: In its guide to designing accessible parking spaces, the state Disability and Communications Access Board lists the following minimum dimensions:
>> Accessible parking spaces are 8 feet wide.
>> Van-accessible spaces are 11 feet wide.
>> Access aisles for either type of space are 5 feet wide.
>> An alternate design allows a van-accessible space to be 8 feet wide if the adjacent access aisle is also 8 feet wide. Adjacent aisles, which can be shared between two accessible spaces, provide room to deploy vehicle-mounted lifts and/or use mobility devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, etc.
>> Access aisles can be on either side of the accessible parking space, except for angled van-accessible parking spaces, which must have access aisles on the passenger side of the parking space. This is because wheelchair lifts are typically on the passenger side of vans.
There also are requirements about the number and location of accessible stalls, pavement markings, vertical clearance, signage and other factors, but we’ve limited our answer to the scope of your question, as we did Thursday, when the question was about parking at disability stalls that also serve as electric vehicle charging stations.
For complete information, you can read DCAB’s guide, called “How to Design an Accessible Parking Space,” at 808ne.ws/guide.
Q: How long does it take the flu shot to work? When is the best time to get it?
A: It takes about two weeks after a person receives the flu vaccine for antibodies that protect against flu infection to develop, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The federal health agency recommends being vaccinated by the end of October but cautions that the onset, peak and end of flu season varies from year to year.
The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older.
Q: A friend who is not poor at all pays nothing for school lunch. How can this be?
A: You didn’t name the school, but one likely explanation is that your friend’s children attend a public school that participates in the Community Eligibility Provision pilot program, which offers breakfast and lunch free of charge to all students.
Nearly 70 Hawaii public schools participate in this program, which is backed by the federal government. It’s designed to serve schools where at least 40% of the students are low-income, but doesn’t exclude kids from wealthier families from receiving the meals.
Auwe
If you were going to put something out for bulky pickup, that means you thought it was trash. Don’t try to “donate it” instead, just because you no longer get monthly pickup. You make work for any charity that wastes time having to deal with your trash. Take it to the dump yourself. — A volunteer
Mahalo
On a rainy day I was digging around in my car for my umbrella in the parking garage at the corner of Nimitz and River streets. Because it was dark in the garage, I couldn’t see anything. A parking security guard was passing by, so I asked her if she had a flashlight. Even with the use of the flashlight on her phone, we couldn’t find the umbrella. She then offered me hers, insisting gently that I take it. She sure saved me from a drenching. I couldn’t find her when I returned, but I entrusted her umbrella to a nearby business. Thank you, kind lady. — Beverly
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
