Handicapped parking spots often piled with snow

SALT LAKE CITY — Finding a parking spot can be tricky after a major snowstorm. Many spots are covered in snow and ice, and mountains of snow can be seen all over the lot.

It can be even harder for people who rely on accessible parking spaces.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires businesses to clear these parking spaces and entrances to their buildings. But Maggie Anderson said she and others with disabilities have noticed that many parking spaces are often covered with snow and ice, making it difficult and sometimes dangerous to try and get inside a business.

Anderson, a graduate student in social work at the University of Utah, suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident 10 years ago. She said many people still do not think about the rights of people with disabilities.

Anderson, who said she just wants to be as independent as possible and be able to maneuver as part of the community, took photographs following a recent snowstorm in Salt lake City because she could not park in several lots.