In the preface of my new book about our special-needs son Peter Boone, He Made Us Better: A Story of Faith, Family, Friends (and Football), I said that there was no way I could begin to tell all of the stories I’d like to tell. What follows here isn’t so much of a story as a plea—to be sensitive to those around us with physical disabilities.
In this world, few things make me angrier than the widespread, shameless misuse, by able-bodied individuals, of the provisions that have been made for those among us with significant physical disabilities. During Peter’s life, we encountered countless instances of such abuse, things like:
– Having to park far out in a regular parking spot, because all of the handicap parking spots were filled, many by people with no disability whatsoever.
– On more than one occasion, Peter was “parked in,” when someone squeezed their vehicle into the spot clearly marked for handicap van unloading. As a result, Peter was literally blocked out of his van until that inconsiderate individual finally left the store or game.
– As a result of this, we bought Peter a parking cone, clearly marked with a handicap logo, to put in the van unloading space. The first time he used it, someone stole it.
– At athletic events, we increasingly ran into difficulties getting tickets for Peter, because many of the handicap seats had been bought up by non-disabled individuals. I was told by one ticket office official that they’d backed off their enforcement of handicap seating policies because of fear of lawsuits. It’s also been our experience that facilities adding more handicap seating leads to more abuse by non-disabled individuals.
– People who, by virtue of having a disabled family member, have a handicap plate, using that plate to park in a handicap spot, even with the disabled family member isn’t with them.
In both the book and this blog, I’ve endeavored to be as positive as possible. Therefore, I’ll spare you my rant about what kinds of people I think would show such a sense of entitlement and callous disregard for the rights of others, by abusing the provisions that have thoughtfully been put in place for those with physical disabilities. Or what I’ve thought about doing to their vehicles. (But please, feel free to use your imagination).
It strikes me a whole lot like if there was a pot of money labeled “For the Poor” sitting in a parking lot, and millionaires walking up and stuffing their pockets. Totally disgusting!
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So, for those of us fortunate enough to not yet need wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, or have other significant disabilities, how can we help?
– Never, never, never park in a space labeled for handicap parking. Even if you’re in a hurry. Even if it’s raining. Even if there are plenty of handicap spaces available. Those parking spaces marked for handicap parking are for individuals who struggle just to get from point A to point B. That doesn’t include you.
– Never, never, never squeeze your vehicle into a space marked for handicap van unloading. You may be stranding a person with significant physical disabilities for hours.
– Even if you have a vehicle with a handicap plate, don’t park in a handicap spot if you’re not handicapped yourself. These provisions were intended for someone with a disability, not you.
– If needed, adjust your attitude. Instead of thinking, “I’ll just park in this handicap spot because it’s closer,” think “I’m glad to do my part to keep those spaces available for those who need them so much more than I do. I really want those spaces to be available in case I need them someday. Besides, a few extra steps of exercise would be good for me.”
– Be thankful. There are countless individuals with disabilities who would love to be able to walk across a parking lot like you can. Whether you realize it or not, you’re very fortunate.
– If you see a need, offer to help. If an older person’s struggling to get a wheelchair into their trunk, or someone is otherwise obviously having a problem, offer your assistance.
And finally, for those able-bodied folks reading this who would never even think about parking in a handicap spot, thank you, and God bless you! It’s people like you who make this world a better place!
