When my wife was eight months pregnant and suffering from painful complications I approached BYU on-campus parking to get her a closer parking spot in order for her to have a shorter walking distance to class. I was told that “being pregnant does not make her handicapped,” and that, therefore, she could walk.
Brigham Young University is known for being a very family-friendly campus and does not discourage young married couple from having children while still in college. Being a private university, where the majority of students are of the LDS faith, BYU supports and upholds the teachings of prophets and apostles. The First Presidency of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated that “Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind.” One would think BYU would support its young pregnant women and accommodate them while they attend classes.
We were informed that the only way to get a closer parking spot is to receive a temporary handicapped parking pass from the DMV, which requires documentation from a physician. Most OBGYN practices have a policy against signing such forms. After much effort, we were eventually able to gain the appropriate documentation to gain parking privileges for a few weeks until she was unable to continue attending classes. It is my hope that BYU will one day support maternity parking.
David Martin
Henderson, Nevada