Disability 101: That Handicapped Parking Spot Thing

First of all, we aren't using the "H" word anymore. The term is now accessible parking. So let's talk about the accessible parking spot thing, in particular, the issue of people using accessible spots without the appropriate placard.

I know, you'll "just be a minute". But I want you to know what that might mean to a person with a disability who now can't get into that accessible parking spot. Let me tell you about an incident that happened to me a few years ago.

My MS was brand new. My symptoms of massive fatigue, spasms, pain and difficulty walking were overwhelming. I had lost my career because of it. I was struggling with my replacement desk job because of it. And I was a single parent.

I couldn't keep up with things that needed to be done at home. I was so exhausted when I came home from work that I would just collapse, totally wiped out. I had to get done what I could on the weekend because I was incapable of accomplishing anything during the week after work.

My usual grocery shopping plan was to park in one of the accessible spots in front of the store and to use my cane to get myself into the customer service area to get to an electric scooter.

Grocery shopping at this point was difficult. I usually did okay getting into the store. But then even with a scooter, I would wear out quickly. As I became more and more fatigued, my brain would stop working and I would become confused and have a hard time making decisions.

Soon I would be throwing anything into the basket, hoping that I would come up with enough food to last the week and that I wasn't overdrawing my checking account. With the small basket overflowing, I would pile some stuff on my lap.

Why didn't I ask for help from the store employees? I didn't because I was too gosh-darned stubborn. It was a stubbornness born of fear. If I can't handle grocery shopping, how am I ever going to live independently and take care of my daughter and myself? I had to be successful at this grocery shopping trip or I would fall into despair about my future.

Back to the day of our incident, I was approaching my local grocery store for my usual Sunday shopping trip with a certain measure of fear, stubbornness and determination. My store had only three accessible parking places that were anywhere near the entrance. I discovered they were all full, as happened quite frequently because three is not enough.

What really hurt was that one of the cars taking one of those three accessible parking places had no disabled license plate or parking placard. The parking lot was full and there was no spot within walking distance for me.

Then my fear overtook my stubbornness and determination and I was in tears. I couldn't even manage a shopping trip. What was to become of me?

There was no coming back tomorrow after work. I wasn't capable of it. I had to shop or we would not have groceries. So I circled around the parking lot, waiting for one of those spots to open, crying the whole way and trying to pretend like I wasn't so no one would notice. And I circled and I circled. Finally, one came open.

Please think before you park in the accessible spot. If you are "just going to be a minute", is your convenience worth putting me through what I went through?