The Parking Problem No One Talks About
Let’s talk about something that seems small—until it’s not.
Parking.
More specifically, the daily battle of finding accessible parking as someone with a disability.
If you’ve never had to think about it, I get it. But as a mom in a wheelchair, let me tell you—parking is a nightmare. Not because we’re being picky. Not because we’re lazy. But because the system is broken, and it’s hurting real people.
Handicap Parking: Always Full, Always Frustrating
We spend so much time driving around and waiting for a spot.
Why?
Because there simply aren’t enough.
Take Costco, for example. A massive parking lot… and yet only a handful of handicap spaces. Every single time I go, those spots are full. Every time.
Or Kings Island, a huge amusement park with an entire dedicated lot for disabled parking—and even that’s always full.
And don’t even get me started on hotels.
Some of them max out at four handicap spaces. Four.
Here’s the thing: that might sound fine—until those four are taken and the rest of the lot is filled in randomly. Now my husband has to drop me at the front of the building and go park who-knows-where. I’m sitting alone, waiting, just so we can enter together. All because someone decided four spots was enough.
Do They Even Know How Many of Us There Are?
I truly wonder—who is making these decisions?
Because from where I’m sitting, it doesn’t feel like any real research is being done. Or if it is, it’s not being used.
There are millions of disabled Americans, and whether someone is in a wheelchair, uses a cane, or deals with a hidden disability, if they have a handicap placard—it’s because they need it.
And yet we’re treated like an afterthought.
Why I Sometimes Park Further Back—And Why I Can’t Always
When I can, I choose to park further back or in a regular space. I do it hoping someone else who needs it more can take the designated spot that day.
But here's the reality: I can’t always make that sacrifice.
Wheelchair users need room to open our doors fully—space beside and behind the car. We need curb cutouts. Flat ground. Accessible routes. And not just in theory—in real time.
That’s not a preference. That’s a need.
We Need Real Reform—and Real Compassion
Parking needs a redesign.
Literally.
🛠 Here are some ideas that would make a real difference:
Reserve end-of-aisle spots specifically for wheelchair users with a hash-out space beside the car
Reevaluate space-to-handicap ratio in large lots (Costco, amusement parks, hospitals, churches)
Enforce placard misuse penalties more strictly
Educate businesses on universal design and actual mobility needs
And maybe most importantly:
We all need to be a little more aware.
If you don’t need a placard, please don’t use one.
If you can park a little further, please do.
If you’re making decisions about parking design, please talk to people like me.
Because I promise you—we are not being considered nearly enough.
We Deserve Better
I’m not just asking for convenience.
I’m asking for dignity.
For inclusion.
For the ability to show up at Costco, or a hotel, or a hospital and not have to plan for how many circles we’ll have to drive before I can get out of the car.
People with legs often take them for granted. And I get it. But next time, maybe pause before parking up front.
Because someone who can’t walk from the back of the lot… shouldn’t have to wait for the rest of us to learn compassion.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
