"Did you know that not everyone who parks in a handicap navigates a visible disability? In fact, it can be quite easy to judge the situation and assume that the person is parking there illegally.
In order to park in a handicap spot, someone must have a legal plate or placard and be approved by the Registry of Motor Vehicles with medical documentation from a physician that they experience one or more of the following (from Massachusetts law): - cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, or cannot walk without the assistance of another person, prosthetic aid, or other assistive device, as a result of a described clinical diagnosis
- has certain severity of cardiovascular or pulmonary disease
- blind to certain acuity
- limb loss or permanently lost the use of limb(s)
Some people may have assistive devices in the vehicle that you don’t see yet.
Some people don’t have any aides and can only walk a short distance.
Some people need the space to fully open the door to get in or out without falling, instead of squeezing sideways through tight space.
Some people have adaptations or aides that you don’t see under their clothes.
Some people may feel okay when they arrive, but by the time they leave the location they need adaptations due to experiencing fatigue, pain, or other symptoms.
Some have needs that we may never know about.
So, next time you see someone park in a handicap spot, but they don’t “look” like they navigate a disability, remember to not judge the situation.
Video: Ali, a white female with long curly dirty blonde hair and navy blue glasses wearing a purple T-shirt and a black skirt, getting out of the car and a handicap parking spot. Text on the screen reads "if someone parks in a handicap spot, but walks out of the car,". Video switches to another adult female with a black tank top and purple shorts, taking wheel wheelchair out of the trunk while text reads "some disabilities are invisible and you don't always know the whole scenario. More in caption".
Shoutout to my mom @sueflu who goes along with my "let's record something" antics"
