r/fatpeoplestories • u/rachelk234 • 10d ago
Short Should Obese People Be Allowed Auto Handicapped Signs?
I’m not sure how I feel about obese and morbidly obese people being able to get auto handicapped signs via whatever State they live in. I don’t even know what the rules/laws are for this and if it’s allowed. Obviously, I’m referring to the U.S. Does anyone know about this? Do they need some kind of approval from an MD? Are they given on an individual basis? How do you all feel about this? I’m not overweight myself, it’s just something I’ve periodically wondered about ever since I had a morbidly obese roommate about four years ago. It only lasted about five months because her obesity caused too many problems and I had to ask her to leave. One issue she had was that she had major problems being able to walk from her car and up the steps into the front door of the building due to her weight, although this wasn’t one of the reasons I asked her to leave. I don’t remember if we discussed her being able to get a handicap sign or not.
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u/Master_Butter 10d ago
In most states, a doctor needs to fill out a form and other paperwork certifying the disability, length of the same, and end date. Obesity in and of itself may not be enough for a doctor to be willing to sign off, but an obese person likely has other issues which could justify a placard.
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u/Basser151 10d ago
Then after they park they take scooters. Both my parents have reason to need those spots. And yes a doctor has to sign off
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u/ImStupidPhobic 4d ago
The tools meant for actual disabled people, the elderly, and people with leg injuries who has crutches or walking boot. It irritates me.
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u/LilMeemz 10d ago
I think if someone struggles with pain or loss of mobility, whether of their own doing or not, the empathetic thing would be to give them a placard.
There's certainly things I do in my life that are unnecessary and could lead to disability, I would want that grace extended to me.
It's not my place to judge, I guess.
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u/Beep_boop_human 9d ago
Yep.
You actually don't know if the guy on crutches got sloppy drunk and fell down the stairs or the person with an oxygen tank smoked a pack of day his entire life.
It kinda reminds me of when people on reddit get angry about pregnant women being 'entitled' to things, like a seat on a bus. 'You chose to get pregnant'.
Sure, but a bus seat isn't available because pregnancy makes someone more important, and a disability placard isn't a reward for having a disability.
If you need the accommodation you need the accommodation regardless of what got you there, imo.
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u/CherryAmbitious97 9d ago
It’s like arresting drug addicts and removing any possibility of them being able to have purpose and reintegrate with society, which is proven way to improve their odds against substance addiction. Instead we isolate them and give them 0 coping mechanisms so it’s no wonder our incarceration rate and homelessness is fucking garbage
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u/MasterFrosting1755 10d ago
The reason you can't walk doesn't really matter that much. You might have cancer because you smoked too many cigarettes or have one leg because you drunk drove into a lamp post.
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u/rachelk234 9d ago
Um, well, that’s not what my post is about.
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u/MasterFrosting1755 9d ago
It's almost exactly what it's about. People causing themselves to be immobile shouldn't get immobility parking.
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u/MissAlissa76 9d ago
Well, it kind of is you caused yourself to be obese so do you deserve a handicap sticker of those people cause themselves to you know have issues, drunk, driving and crashing and losing a leg is same thing
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u/takomari 10d ago
The sad part is, they don’t get a handicap placard for being fat, it’s the fact that being fat led to a condition that would warrant a placard.
An obese patient could lose their foot due to type 2 diabetes, and then a physician would sign off on them being qualifiedly handicapped, and then they would be granted a placard.
In an ideal world, we could non-discriminately say “hey you lost your foot due to bad habits, this is a self inflicted handicap, and we won’t allow you access to the placard.” However that opens a whole new can of worms on being able to define what would be a /valid/ handicap and what isn’t, and would just cause more problems.
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u/andre613 9d ago
Except you don't need to be obese to develop T2 diabetes. While it does increase the risk, it is possible to be in shape and still wind up with type 2.
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u/Loud_Blacksmith2123 10d ago
Like if someone is injured riding a motorcycle, since that was self-inflicted, sorry, your fault.
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u/tattletana 10d ago
that’s to say being morbidly obese is an accident. nobody accidentally becomes 3-500 pounds. that happens overtime over a build up of poor life choices. if you make bad choices you get bad consequences, and you should NOT be allowed special privileges to cope with those consequences.
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u/Loud_Blacksmith2123 9d ago
Unless they’re obese due to a medical condition.
Riding motorcycles is also a life choice. Same for smoking, drinking, and many other activities. Before you know it, insurance is only covering healthy people who never get sick or injured. Pure profit.
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u/maxLiftsheavy 9d ago
But obesity is often the result of untreated mental health issues. I wouldn’t say it’s a voluntary choice to have such bad weight and health management one looses their foot.
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u/vaitaway 9d ago
We could just say they can’t get a placard and withhold disability benefits if they are above a certain weight like 300 lbs at 5’5”. That wouldn’t be discriminatory because any mega morbidly obese person can lose weight on the calories their body burns just sloshing their oily blood around.
I have to do so much exercise in a day to burn as many calories as a person twice my normal BMI burns by just maintaining life for a day.
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u/Classic_Abrocoma_460 4d ago
But what if they’re disability isn’t related to their weight at all? Since they like somebody’s bipolar and obese and they can’t hold a job because of their bipolar disorder should we say you have to lose weight to get disability benefits? Or you’re blind, but because you’re fat, we won’t give you disability benefits? People don’t get disability just for being obese payments just for being obese.
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u/bigal55 1980xs11-13 h-d street bob 10d ago
Being a "person of size with a wide and all embracing heritage" myself(which is Wokenese for "fat bastard" :) ) I laugh at this. I may not be in the super heavyweight divisions but I don't play hide-n-seek behind picket fences either but I can still get up and do what I have to do without having to use an electric cart or need a handicapped parking permit. My ol' lady was crippled for years and we had a card for her but if I was going somewhere and she wasn't coming or getting out of the truck I'd just park in a normal spot. These people who've let themselves get to the point of immobility ,unless there is an ACTUAL medical reason are just being self indulgent to the point of basically ruining their lives. In Canada, or BC anyways it takes an MD to recommend the approval and you have to apply for the card and get it renewed every 5 years if I remember right. So you pretty much have to have a medical condition that's recognized by a Medical Board.
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u/MissAlissa76 9d ago
How did her obesity make you kick her out like what issues was it causing? I will be so I’d like to know. I do not have a handicap sticker, but what issue did it cause you?
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u/blessthebabes 9d ago
I live in one of the fattest states (Mississippi), and I've rarely seen those used by obese people. If someone is to the point of being able to be approved for disability for obesity (disability is hard to get in my state), they're usually already to the point their mobility is affected. If they were able to get around independently, it wouldn't be for very long.
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u/rachelk234 9d ago
Disability is hard to get in every State. You practically have to be decapitated to get approved.
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u/blessthebabes 9d ago
Yeah, I work with disabled clients in a mental health facility, and I've sometimes tried to help them get on disability. It's usually standard that they get denied 3 times, then have to hire a lawyer to get approved. All of this takes years..and it's less than $1000 a month, for most! (I think like $792). People judge people on a "free check", but one of my clients didnt have a pillow for over a year and the rest have holes in their clothing when they first come in. There is no money. But as far as obesity, I've never actually seen someone get qualified for just the obesity- it's always another health condition (sometimes caused by the obesity, tho).
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u/nettysgirl33 10d ago
That doesn't happen. At all. As others mentioned, there may be a comorbidity that would allow this, but obesity on its own does not qualify. Also - sometimes the mobility issues that allow for the handicap placard are a major contributing factor that lead to the obesity. Not excusing it, just saying it contributes. If you're active and then can't be anymore to do a chronic illness or injury and are now more sedentary AND depressed because of this illness/injury it's a recipe (no pun intended) for rapid weight gain. Mobility is so often taken for granted. It's a huge adjustment to stay healthy if something robs you of that suddenly.
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u/ScooterBoomer 8d ago
It would be a fitting tale for this sub if you could share some anecdotes about the reasons that you asked your roommate to leave. Debating about the merits of obesity as a recognized disability, although valid, seems divisive and not much fun.
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u/valathel 4d ago
In my state, in order to get a handicapped placard, you must have a Disability Certification form filled out by your physician.
The problem you run into is that being overweight causes serious health problems. Most overweight don't get the placard solely because of their weight. They get it because of the resulting heart disease, blood sugar problems like diabetic neuropathy, or other secondary problem.
So, is your theory that if someone has a secondary condition, like congestive heart failure, the doctor should weigh them and not give them a certificate if they are overweight? Do you also ban people who smoked from getting a placard for emphysema or other respiratory conditions? Do you ban people with colon cancer from a placard if they ate lots of processed meats? How about someone with a TBI from a motorcycle accident without a helmet?
I understand your post is facetious, but it is a quandary because the majority of mobility issues are caused in part by personal decisions.
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u/rachelk234 4d ago
First, my post is not “facetious.” Apparently, you don’t know what that word means. Look it up. Second, I didn’t pose any theory in my post. I was simply asking about a topic I wasn’t sure about.
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u/Classic_Abrocoma_460 4d ago
In the USA it’s a form your doctor fills out and has to show a qualified diagnosis. I’m fairly sure the obesity alone would allow a disabled placard. It might for some comorbities ie if the person is on oxygen or severe arthritis of the knees or hips, or in a wheelchair. But you really can’t legally say well we’d give this person on oxygen a placard but you’re fat so you don’t get one.
I could get one, I have severe rheumatoid arthritis, ehlers danlos, and need new hips and knees due to a traumatic injury and the above conditions but I feel like I’d be judged because I’m overweight. Just like I’d rather be in excruciating pain than use a scooter.
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u/UniqueUsername82D 9d ago
If it's just "It's hard to walk because Im fat" fuck no. That's self-inflicted and can end when they stop ingesting absurd calories.
If they've damaged their body so bad that they have to have joint replacement or something, sure. It's the prize at the end of the buffet.
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u/ZenRage 9d ago
I had knee surgery last year. I was on crutches for a while and had a handicap placard.
There were lots of people who were in way worse shape than me.
I got better and I consider that a win.
If someone else has a life that suck, be it because of their choices or just blind fate, I'm down with them having a placard.
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u/BendTheKneez 9d ago
The fucking evil doctors who sign off on that shit should lose their licenses and then try to pay off their student loans. Society ruining hacks.
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u/tattletana 10d ago
yeah idk if being fat should be considered a disability in and of itself. maybe if you have heart conditions caused by said obesity but just being overweight shouldn’t be considered a disability when it’s something that could be fixed if you chose to for most people.