What’s Your (Accessible Parking) Sign?
Posted by Megan on Monday, April 12th, 2010We first heard from Sister Karen Zielinski when she passed along heartfelt praise for her new Entervan on a customer survey response. When we found out she’s also a freelance writer who has lived with MS for 35 years, we thought she’d be a natural addition as a guest blogger on AbilityVoice. She’ll be chiming in from time to time on disability issues and mobility problems and solutions. Welcome aboard, Sister Karen!
For over 10 years, I just parked my accessible vehicle in any handicapped parking space I could find. Wherever I saw the little white figure on the blue background (the universal handicapped sign), I’d park and remove my electric cart from the back hatch of the van, paying little attention to words like “van accessible” or the larger yellow diagonal stripes on the pavement next to the parking space.
My parking strategy has changed considerably since I traded up to a BraunAbility Entervan, which features a fold-out ramp that I enter from the side. Now I’m always looking for the “van accessible” parking spaces because I need more room to drive up the ramp (seven feet, according to the technician at my dealership).
I’m now realizing that much of the public needs to take the same Handicapped Parking 101 course that I could have used. I have to laugh sometimes when people park too close to my ramp side, just like I probably did before my side-entry van. I’ve been blocked in at the grocery store more than once. Even when I parked way out by the light poles, one lone car managed to block my passenger side! Then I have to head back into the store, have management page the owner, and wait as they relocate the vehicle. It’s not uncommon for a teeny sports car to squeeze in on the diagonal stripes of accessible space too.
Given my past experiences, I am now on a mission! I try to respectfully educate drivers whenever I can about not taking an accessible van spot when it’s not needed. I’m always courteous and friendly; I simply tell people why that spot is for vans with ramps. People respond kindly-most of them did not know about these van spaces. I didn’t before I drove my Entervan!
Struggles with parking are just one more side effect of being a wheelchair user. I’m sure we all have stories to tell, but if you have any creative solutions to being parked in, blocked, etc., please pass them along!
Tags: BraunAbility, entervan, wheelchair van
April 14th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I have a rear-entry lift, so only occasionally have trouble with someone parking too close to allow access to the lift. But I often have trouble with people parking so close to the passenger side that I can’t get my chair to the door or open my door enough for me to get in.
What we need is some sort of buoy to place outside the vans to remind drivers to leave us room to access our vehicles. Or maybe a flag that extends from the van toward the needed space. People don’t see the window decals that asks for space, but they’d notice something unusual like a buoy or flag that extends out from the van. Maybe something in safety orange….
April 16th, 2010 at 7:33 am
Hello Nancy,
Great ideas - take a look at this earlier blog for one customer’s solution to this problem: http://bit.ly/dQsyG
Jack
April 16th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Nancy,
when people park too close, it is really frustrating! Some friends of mine in Texas have two orange traffic cones they place whenn the y park. But with the wind here sometime in Ohio, and people taking things, I have not pursued getting orange cones.
I have gone into stores and had them page the culprits who parked incorrectly!
peace
Karen
April 16th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Jack,
I read your post about making our own flag and placing it on the van. I will do it and I hope it works! Right now, I have my Red Wings’ hockey flag on the other side of my van!
peace,
Sister Karen
April 16th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Karen,
Anything placed outside the vehicle needs to be attached to it in some way to keep the wind and “sticky hands” from carrying them away. Also, a pictorial warning would be nice since 20% (Yes, *20%*) of American adults are functionally illiterate.
Nancy
April 16th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
You are right!
June 15th, 2010 at 12:36 am
I’m personally not wheelchair-bound, but I transport wheelchair-bound people and I have a rear-access van. 98% of the time, I just drop off people at the lobby and hope people don’t park directly behind me even when I’m opening the rear of the van to drop the ramp, or I just park in a parking stall near the entrance and let them out there.
We do have a “keep clear - wheelchair accessible” sticker on the rear door and flash our lights, but people still park too close to us when we have to parallel park.
June 15th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Adrian,
thanks for you comments. I started using a flag which I had painted “ramp extends need 8 feet clearance thanks” on the passenger side. Just yesterday someone parked in the aisle near my space. I think I need to go on a mission to educate people…
Karen