Quality of Life: Accessible Parking

Finally.

Illinois police are cracking down on people who illegally park in handicapped spaces or use parking tags available only to disabled drivers during a holiday stings at shopping malls.

‘Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all ‘round the mall, the shoppers were pushing for the best parking of all.

If you will be one of those shoppers, know this: Someone might be checking your parking etiquette. And it won’t be the jolly guy with the big white beard.

Today the Secretary of State Police will launch their season-long effort to keep handicap parking spaces near shopping malls open for the people who need them.

Accessible parking is an quality of life issue for most disabled people. I have been a paraplegic since suffer a injury to spinal cord in 1999. The Americans With Disabilities Act has made daily life more accessible. I am able to go to school, stores, movies, restaurants and so on without worrying if I am able to access the places I have to go. Some locations are better than others with their accessibility, but still I try my best to live an independent life.

Some people have a total disregard of accessible parking and how it affect disabled Americans.

Police warned her not to park in a fire lane, so Erika Coleman pulled into a nearby parking space designated for disabled drivers.

Bad idea.

The 35-year-old Chicago woman isn't disabled -- and the parking space she chose Friday at Oakbrook Center was being watched by the same officers who had just told her to move her car. [..]

Coleman was more upset than remorseful after getting ticketed -- a citation that could cost her up to $500 and lead to her driver's license being suspended for a month.

"I was running in for a second,'' she said, explaining why she pulled into the handicapped parking spot. "I came here to get cigarettes. There shouldn't be a problem.''

You are right, there shouldn't be a problem. You should respect parking laws. The things people take for granted amazes me. If I could walk again, I would park in my driveway and walk to the store. I can not speak for every person who uses accessible parking but, my main concern is not parking the closest to the store rather it's having enough room to get out of the car. My quality of life considerably improved since I was able to drive again. Accessible Parking allows me to live a more independent life.

So, the next time you are driving and thinking about park in an accessible parking spot only for a few seconds don't do. You are setting up barriers which makes life more difficult for the disable only for luxury of parking nearest to the store.