Hugo—our wheelchair accessible van—has removed the physical stress of boarding Robert and our two scooters into our vehicle. It has also added a new challenge—finding van accessible parking. The trouble arises because the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) only requires one out of every six accessible parking spaces to be van accessible i.e. to provide an adjacent access aisle wide enough for a
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side ramp to be deployed. The ADA allows two van accessible parking spaces to share a common access aisle but, when the access aisle is on the side of the van opposite to the ramp, precision driving is needed to reverse into the space.
As a result, we need to allow more time when planning an outing. For one thing we might need to drive around the parking lot waiting for and praying that a van accessible space opens up. Parking in a regular accessible space doesn’t solve the problem because unless we can put down the ramp we can’t exit or reenter the van. So with extra time here’s how we have handled various parking predicaments.
In one large parking lot, we frequently find a van accessible space in the parking lane furthest away from the entrance, but then we need extra time for Robert to scooter into the building at a speed slow enough for me to walk beside him. In another large parking lot with no far away van accessible spaces, we have straddled two regular spaces thereby forcing neighboring vehicles to park in the next space over and leave us space to put down the ramp.
Smaller parking lots can be tricky and parking depends on the layout. At one of Robert’s doctor’s offices we have parked in a regular space that borders the driveway. At a dental office, I parked two wheels on the sidewalk to make room for the ramp in the parking space. When visiting Robert’s brother in a rehabilitation facility, I risked getting towed by parking in the driveway and putting the ramp down on the sidewalk.
At an imaging center, I had no choice but to park in a regular spot next to an open space. But when I went inside I asked if they had a red cone I could use to reserve this space. They didn’t, but assured me that if someone parked next to me they’d find the driver and get them to move their car when I was ready to leave. At a durable medical equipment appointment, the manager did ask a driver to move her car so we could deploy the ramp to get back into the van. Of course, asking someone to move their vehicle is only an option at a venue where it’s possible to find the driver!
Thank you for resisting the temptation to park in an access aisle.
You might also want to read:
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- “Minimum Number of Accessible Parking Spaces.” U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. https://www.ada.gov/resources/restriping-parking-spaces/#minimum-number-of-accessible-parking-spaces
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- Angela Muir Van Etten. “Finding Hugo: Our Wheelchair Accessible Van.” Blog post. September 26, 2022. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/finding-hugo-our-wheelchair-accessible-van/
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- Angela Muir Van Etten. “Vigilante Policing of Disabled Parking Spaces.” Blog post. February 8, 2021. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/vigilante-policing-of-disabled-parking-spaces/
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- For a subscription to my weekly blog on dwarfism and disability issues, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com/blog/
3 replies on “Van Accessible Parking Predicament”
You always bring to light things I never considered. Your and Robert’s patience and ingenuity are amazing
Most parking spaces are already too narrow for anyone with a slightly larger vehicle trying to get in and out of their motor vehicle. We do volunteer driving for the older generation – many who need walking frame or other assistance. I agree 100% that the Accessible Parking spaces (not including the very few van spaces) are often also too small to help the passenger in and out of the vehicle – something that definitely needs to be looked into by the local Councils.
Thanks for sharing the need for more room in regular accessible parking spaces.