The University of Waterloo strives to provide accessible parking options for those who require accommodation. On campus, we have approximately 100 provincially licensed accessible parking spaces that are reserved for those who have a valid accessibility permit issued from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO Accessible Parking Permit) and a valid University of Waterloo parking permit. If you do not have these requirements but are looking for the closest option to your destination, please call Sustainable Transportation at 519.888.4567 ext. 33100 during business hours for information.
Each year, Sustainable Transportation, in collaboration with Employee Health & Accommodations, accommodates approximately 350 employees beyond the Ministry-regulated spaces. This guideline has been established to assist with navigating the process of obtaining alternative campus parking arrangements for persons with disabilities or temporary medical conditions. Therefore, requests for temporary parking accommodations will be reviewed each term.
Please note that the process below has been established to co-ordinate access to parking on campus for all users, while being mindful of requests for accessible parking required on a temporary or permanent basis.
Important information
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Accessible spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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You must have a valid parking permit or purchase daily visitor parking to park on University property. To use an accessible space, you must also have an MTO Accessible Parking Permit.
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Displaying your MTO Accessible Parking Permit without a valid University of Waterloo parking permit will result in a “fail to display” ticket.
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Employee Health & Accommodations approves temporary accommodations, and Sustainable Transportation can provide a temporary permit to allow individuals to park in another lot. Temporary permits do not warrant the use of an accessible space.
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If the area you want to park in is full, you can look for other accessible parking locations on campus using the campus map.
Visitor accommodations
Visitors with an MTO Accessible Parking Permit can use any accessible space on campus but must pay for parking. Find out more about visitor parking.
Employee accommodations
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If you already have an MTO Accessible Parking Permit, you can purchase a University medical permit from Sustainable Transportation’s office (GSC 1101). Sustainable Transportation will inform you of the closest accessible space to your work area.
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If you do not have an MTO Accessible Parking Permit and require temporary accommodation, you can apply for temporary accommodation with appropriate supporting documentation.
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Employee Health and Accommodations (EHA) will facilitate the request by verifying medical documentation. All medical information is collected and stored by EHA, ensuring it remains confidential and held in alignment with records retention policies and other relevant legislation. (More information on how EHA protects your personal information is available on EHA’s Consent and Confidentiality website).
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Once the verification process is complete, EHA will provide Sustainable Transportation with restrictions, limitations, and suggestions for accessible parking options (e.g. suggested lots or most accessed buildings). Sustainable Transportation will provide you with the permit options (e.g. monthly or termly etc.) for the identified accessible lot(s). You must pay for parking, and display your UW permit.
Find out more and apply for a temporary permit by visiting the Employee Health and Accommodations web page.
Student accommodations
If you do not have an accessibility permit issued from the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario (MTO), please contact the AccessAbility Office (first floor of Needles Hall), or by phone at ext. 35082. All student requests are handled through this office.