Applying for a Handicap Parking Placard in Chiriquí

[Bud]

We had a champagne experience in David about midday yesterday. I am applying for a handicap parking placard (already have one from Texas, but want to be completely legit here in Panama). We are smiling now because of how smoothly this process went; it took less than 15 minutes (once I had all of the necessary documentation). Here are the details in case you need to apply for a handicap parking placard.

First of all, the name of the government agency that deals with these matters is called SENADIS. That acronym stands for the Secretaría Nacional de Discapacidad. The David office of SENADIS is in Edificio Brencan. Brencan is literally facing the main town square in David, on the same side as the Catholic Church. It is a three story building, and the SENADIS office is on the secundo piso, oficina #27. (That means it is on the third floor, given that the ground floor is known as PB.) See more location information below.

Next is a scan of the documentation requirements:

There is no fee for this service. Apparently the placards are prepared in PC, and then shipped to the office in David. The agent told me that it will take about 15 days, and then to expect a telephone call to come by their office.

A few comments here about the process and how it worked for us. We stopped by our doctor prior to going to SENADIS (the first time), and the doctor wrote a "prescription" type document to indicate the medical basis justifying the application. We then took a copy of my driver license and cédula, and went to SENADIS about a week ago. We were not successful on our first visit, but only because they have a specific set of documents that are needed, and I did not know that in advance. See the scanned version of their documentation requirements as shown above. It turns out that the documentation needed is NOT onerous. Note that the medical justification must be a signed, original version, as no copies will be accepted. Obviously the other documentation will be copies.

On our second trip we had the required documents, and the total time in their office was less than 15 minutes. We left with a smile on our faces.

One comment about the medical justification that the doctor/doctora needs to provide. A general practitioner is not authorized to sign these kinds of applications. You will need an internist or other specialist doctor to sign the medical justification. At the current time there is only one doctor in Boquete, and that is Dra. Digna Virginia Diaz, who practices at the Boquete Medical and Associates (next door to La Reina). I would assume that there are many qualified doctors in David, but have no referrals to provide here.

Here is a map showing the location of SENADIS in David. If is directly facing Parque Miguel de Cervantes (the main parque in David), but the entrance is on the side street. For those who use Google Maps, the SENADIS office is located at 8.428777 -82.425734.

Here is what the entrance looks like, and again you will see a sign at that entrance with the Edificio Brencan name clearly on display:

[Keith Woolford]

It seems a bit ironic that the office of the National Secretary for the Disabled is on the 3rd floor.

[Bud]

Not a handicap friendly building in the least. Only one elevator, and a wheelchair would not fit in it, well certainly not a wheelchair that would accommodate me. The stairs were something that I would not be able to navigate.

What I did not understand is that there was one male employee at his desk in the far left of that office. He was in a wheelchair, and I did wonder how he got into the office.

[Penny]

Bud, it might be easier for people if you said the entrance to the Brencan building is across the street from the Slot Casino and next to a parking lot. The parking lot used to be $.50/hour but it's now $1.00 an hour. Still worth it.

[Keith Woolford]

If I'm not mistaken, I've climbed those stairs to arrive to the law offices of Sanjur y Angulo.

[Bud]

2 hours ago, Penny said:

Bud, it might be easier for people if you said the entrance to the Brencan building is across the street from the Slot Casino and next to a parking lot. The parking lot used to be $.50/hour but it's now $1.00 an hour. Still worth it.

Penny,

Just goes to show where our interests differ. My eyes do not even see a casino because I do not patronize them. I'll take your word for it that there is a casino across the street.

I do not recall seeing a parking lot next to the entrance to the Brencan Building. Maybe I need my eyeballs checked again.

[Bud]

11 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

If I'm not mistaken, I've climbed those stairs to arrive to the law offices of Sanjur y Angulo.

You are not mistaken, Keith. It is the same building. Same steps.

I believe Sr Angulo is on Piso 1ra.

[Bonnie]

1 hour ago, Bud said:

Penny,

Just goes to show where our interests differ. My eyes do not even see a casino because I do not patronize them. I'll take your word for it that there is a casino across the street.

I do not recall seeing a parking lot next to the entrance to the Brencan Building. Maybe I need my eyeballs checked again.

I've never known Penny to gamble, Bud. She's much too "frugal". I would suggest that she's just more observant than you.

[TwoSailors]

Is this law really enforced? Just curious. 

[Penny]

First of all, Dr. Angulo's office is adjacent to the SENADIS office on the upper floor. Second of all, I consider myself an above average black jack player. Having been booted out of two Las Vegas casinos for card counting puts me into that category.

[Bonnie]

1 hour ago, TwoSailors said:

Is this law really enforced? Just curious. 

Yes. I know someone who was ticketed for parking in a handicapped space.

[Bonnie]

1 hour ago, Penny said:

First of all, Dr. Angulo's office is adjacent to the SENADIS office on the upper floor. Second of all, I consider myself an above average black jack player. Having been booted out of two Las Vegas casinos for card counting puts me into that category.

I took a transatlantic cruise with Penny--two weeks on the ocean--and she never once went near the casino. So, as far as her being a crack blackjack player, I'll believe it when I see it on our scheduled cruise from Spain  in the fall. (I do have to admit that she's good at math, though.)

Edited May 27, 2017 by Bonnie

[Bud]

16 hours ago, Penny said:

First of all, Dr. Angulo's office is adjacent to the SENADIS office on the upper floor. ...

I have been in Angulo's office only about three times, and the last time was at least a decade ago. I recall looking out of the window and seeing the buildings on the side street, not the Parque. Perhaps he has changed offices during these intervening years. On the other hand, I could have been rip roaring drunk and hallucinating. 'Tis not that important anyway. Please forgive me if I have erred.

[Chiricana]

Does anyone have experience in renewing an expired handicap permit, i.e. Do all the requirements for the original permission have to be met again?

The SENADIS office has moved. It is now in a street-level office a few blocks from the downtown Romero but one block over (two blocks from the street along the central park) across from a large blue and white building and furniture store.

[Bud]

Yes, on the requirements for renewal. Mine was renewed earlier this year, and I had to have all of the same paperwork.

Unlike my original placard that was valid for two years, the renewed placard is valid for five years. I do not know if that is because it was a renewal, or if all placards are now valid for five years as a policy change.

The staff at SENADIS was/is extremely polite and efficient.

Total cost = $0.00, not including the doctor’s fee.

[Bud]

 Be advised that SENADIS recently relocated. Here is the link on Google maps for the new location of SENADIS, which is the agency that issues the handicap parking placards: https://goo.gl/maps/DjqDoqPtVFJZmj5P9
 

[Chiricana]

Thanks Bud. Good information.

[Chiricana]

Well, Bud, I'm happy for you that you had such a nice experience. Our experience applying for the original handicap parking permit also was simple and efficient. However, this time my now 79-year-old husband had to make four trips (from beyond Boca Chica to David) before the unpleasant woman in the SENADIS office would give him a renewal. Maybe a staff change since you were there? Jim is always polite and respectful and normally has excellent interactions with officials, but she was an exception. The first visit for the renewal application he went in, walking with a baston, and presented a signed and stamped statement from his neurologist affirming his incapacity, copies of his cedula and drivers license, and a copy of his original permit. She brushed it all aside and  handed him a copy of the requirements, highlighting the line that said the doctor statement had to specify the need for using a baston. After three trips back to the doctor's office (twice he wasn't there) to get the requested specific statement, a second  trip to SENADIS with all the written requirements in hand also met her refusal. A nice young man in the office helpfully wrote out exactly what the statement needed to say, so back again to get a third signed statement from the doctor, and back again to SENADIS. This time, dealing only with the nice young man as the woman refused to even look at or speak with Jim, the permit renewal was finally granted.

[Keith Woolford]

sorry to hear that Kendall