For many Forest Parkers, overnight parking is easy – they either park their car in a garage or a driveway, or they get a permit to park in one of the municipal lots.
But for residents like Joshua Castile, the current setup poses additional challenges. He is deaf, but under the current regulations, this isn’t the kind of disability that will allow him to park on the street. Because he doesn’t have a garage at his building, he has no choice but to park at the village parking lot more than four blocks away.
Castile raised the issue during the Jan. 8 village council meeting. Speaking through the interpreter, he explained that for someone with his disability, a walk home after dark can be treacherous. He can’t hear the honking cars behind him, or any other noise that might warn him of danger. Castile urged the village to consider moving toward permit parking, or some other change that would not only accommodate deaf individuals, but help members of other minority groups that might be worried about their safety.
While the village hasn’t committed to any course of action yet, officials expressed wiliness to discuss the issue.
At the meeting, commissioner of streets and public improvements Michelle Melin Rogovin told Castile that she will follow up with him, and director of public health and safety Steve Glinke took him and his interpreter aside later during the meeting.
Under the current village parking regulations, residents who want to park their car overnight must either park on their property, in their driveways or garages, or get a permit to park on one of the 17 village-owned parking lots that allow overnight parking.
In a follow-up email, Castille told the Review that when he originally reached out to the village with his concerns last fall, they suggested he apply for a state-issued disability parking placard. He was allowed to park in front of his building in the meantime. Castile said that it took the state two months to process the application.
“My application was denied because I do not have a mobility issue,” he said.
The disability placard application form lists 16 medical conditions or disabilities that would make a person eligible for a placard. Hearing issues are not on the list, and while there is a blank to fill in a medical condition or a disability that’s not on the list, the form specifies that whatever the applicant writes in must be something that affects mobility.
Castile told the Review that when he reached back to the village after getting rejected, they said that there was nothing they could do, and suggested bringing his concerns to the village council.
In his comments, he emphasized the “unique challenges, especially when it comes to my personal safety” he faces as a deaf individual.
“I don’t qualify for a disability parking placard, which means that I’m effectively forced to park 4 to 8 blocks away from my home, at a municipal parking [lot] after dark,” Castile said. “This is a genuine cause for concern. Walking that distance in the dark poses a significant risk, because I can’t hear if someone approaches me from behind. I understand the need for regulations, but I urge you to consider the impact on individuals with disabilities. Calling 911 becomes ineffective when you can’t hear on the phone.”
He added that the current regulations “limits the time I can spend with my friends and family.”
Castile suggested that Forest Park explore creating parking permits, similar to what’s already in place in Chicago and the nearby Village of Berwyn. He said he believes that something like that would not only benefit deaf individuals, but members of other minority groups who may worry about walking home safely at night. Castile pointed to U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics data showing that, over the past 20 years, people with disabilities accounted for 26% to 27% of all violent crimes.
“Other marginalized groups, particularly Black, indigenous people of color and trans residents also face elevated risk of harassment and hate crimes during late night walks, especially after rising political tensions that we’re seeing,” he added.
Castile said that he was optimistic that something will eventually come out of it.
“The village has been very responsive and I appreciate it,” he said. “I will say that I hope that we can actually make changes to the system, at the very least for those who have disabilities that aren’t just [mobility-related]. I do believe this change will be well- received and I look forward to working with the village.”