Expectant Mother Parking vs. Accessible Spaces?

Accessible Parking is Not A Convenience, It’s A Civil Right

 

By Christina Clift

You might have noticed in some parking lots across Memphis and beyond, a trend has started to appear: designated parking spaces for expectant mothers placed right next to store entrances. At first glance, these signs may seem compassionate or even progressive. After all, pregnancy can be exhausting, uncomfortable, and physically demanding. However, when these spaces are added at the expense of accessible parking for people with disabilities, the result is not inclusion—it’s exclusion.

Accessible parking spaces exist for a specific and legally defined reason. They are not “close parking,” “special treatment,” or a courtesy extended by a business out of kindness. They are required to ensure that people with disabilities can safely and independently access goods, services, or possibly employment. When those spaces are reduced, replaced, or informally repurposed, people with disabilities are the ones who pay the price.

 

“Being pregnant doesn’t mean you should be entitled to extra perks or treated like an invalid, you’re just pregnant,” said Katina Johnson, a mother of four. “I see people getting out of vehicles parked in accessible parking spaces that don’t look like they have anything wrong with them. If they don’t have a disability then that’s wrong. People shouldn’t use these spaces just because they want a parking space close to the door. There are people with disabilities that really need those spaces.”

It is important to be clear: some pregnant women absolutely have disabilities. Pregnancy can worsen existing conditions or lead to complications that significantly limit mobility, stamina, or balance. In those cases, individuals may qualify for accessible parking and should be encouraged to speak with their healthcare provider. Doctors—not businesses, not store managers, and not sign manufacturers—should not be  the ones who determine whether someone meets the medical criteria for a disability parking placard or license plate. That system already exists, and it works when followed correctly.

The problem arises when pregnancy itself is treated as a blanket justification for special parking access. Pregnancy, by definition, is temporary. Disability is not always temporary, and for many people, accessible parking is the difference between being able to enter a building independently or not being able to enter at all. Creating “expectant mother” spaces by converting or crowding out accessible parking ignores this reality and undermines the purpose of those spaces.

Many businesses that install pregnancy parking signs do so without understanding accessibility requirements. Federal law sets minimum standards for the number, size, location, and signage of accessible parking spaces. These spaces must be closest to accessible entrances, include eight foot access aisles for mobility devices, and be clearly marked for use by people with valid placards or plates. When a business swaps an accessible space for a pregnancy-only space—or squeezes both into the same area—it risks violating both the letter and spirit of the law.

Even when pregnancy parking is added elsewhere in a lot, it often creates confusion and resentment. People with disabilities are frequently questioned, confronted, or judged for using accessible spaces. Adding more unofficial “priority” categories reinforces the harmful idea that disability must be visible, extreme, or comparable to another condition to be valid. That mindset hurts everyone.

If businesses truly want to support pregnant customers, there are better and more inclusive solutions. They can add general courtesy spaces that do not replace accessible parking. They can offer curbside pickup, delivery options, benches near entrances, or flexible assistance from staff. These approaches expand access without taking it away from someone else.

At Disability Connection Midsouth, we believe the answer to access challenges is not competition—it’s expansion. The solution is not fewer accessible parking spaces but more of them. Parking lots should be designed with the understanding that accessibility benefits everyone: people with disabilities, older adults, parents with strollers, and yes, pregnant individuals who may need extra support.

Accessible parking is a civil right rooted in independence and equal participation in community life. Treating it as optional or interchangeable sends the wrong message. Compassion should never come at the expense of equity.

We urge businesses, planners, and community members to pause before celebrating pregnancy-designated parking spaces. Ask whose access is being reduced, whose needs are being deprioritized, and whether the decision aligns with true inclusion. When we protect and expand accessible parking, we build communities that work better for everyone.