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.

MATA SUV Parking Illegally

A Disheartening Incident: When MATA Vehicles Misuse Accessible Parking

At Disability Connection Midsouth, we believe in advocating for the rights and dignity of our community members. A core part of that advocacy involves ensuring that public spaces are truly accessible for everyone. Recently, we were confronted with a frustrating example of this need when a MATA-branded vehicle was found misusing accessible parking.

Accessible parking spaces are not a convenience; they are a vital resource. These spaces, along with their crucial access aisles, are legally designated for individuals with disabilities who have the required placards or license plates. They provide a safe and practical way for people with mobility challenges to get in and out of their vehicles and access the places they need to go, especially in the sweltering Memphis heat.

On Wednesday, August 13th, at a Kroger on Union Avenue, a MATA-branded SUV was observed parked illegally. Not only was the vehicle in a designated accessible spot, but it was also angled in such a way that it blocked the access aisle, a critical area for people who need extra space to deploy a ramp or maneuver a wheelchair.

This incident is particularly disheartening because it involves a public transit authority that is meant to serve the community. The misuse of these spaces by MATA staff shows a profound lack of awareness and respect for the very community they are supposed to serve. It undermines the trust we place in our public agencies to uphold the law and model respectful behavior.

It is important to remember that most drivers do the right thing and park appropriately. But one incident like this can make it hard to advocate for public transit when we see examples of what appears to be a lack of basic consideration for community needs.

We have reached out to MATA's Acting CEO, John Lewis, to request an investigation and to suggest a path forward. Our hope is that this incident can be used as a teaching moment, prompting MATA to provide retraining for its staff on their responsibilities to the community.

This isn't about one parking ticket; it's about a broader responsibility to create an inclusive and respectful society. We will continue to hold our public institutions accountable and fight for a Midsouth where everyone can move freely and safely.

If you witness similar violations, please document the time, date, location, and vehicle information. You can report these issues to the property owner or local law enforcement. For questions or to learn more about accessible parking, contact us at Disability Connection Midsouth.

Parking Problems Again?

Memphis issues with the accessible parking aisle.

By Sandi Klink

I don’t understand why people in 2023 can’t read parking signs or acknowledge that the crossed lines next to the parking spot mean DON’T PARK HERE!

Even before the Americans with Disabilities Act passed into law in 1990, accessible parking was a convenience needed by many seniors and people with mobility issues. “Handicapped parking” has been clearly marked and fine amounts have been posted for anywhere from $20 to $200 depending on the location but who enforces the fines? NO ONE! 

Security guards in most parking lots don’t enforce and allow people to park in access aisles daily. Many officers don’t even understand what an access aisle is! 

Just as a reminder, an access aisle provides clearance for an individual with a mobility aid to get in and out of their vehicle. For instance, I use a power wheelchair and an accessible van. The ramp deploys from under the floor after the ramp door has opened. It extends into the access aisle several feet and then I must have room to get off the ramp at the bottom, at least another 3 feet to turn. 

I am a very independent woman and am most often shopping, making presentations, attending church, town halls, etc. by myself. If I can find a van parking spot with appropriate access, I will park. But often of late I have exited my errand or work event to find that the access aisle is now full of a car. 

I do understand the frustration of needing close parking and not finding any, but denying access to someone else, making them wait for the car to move or going to shops or offices nearby to see if anyone knows who parked in the access aisle is more than likely to cause some flared tempers and inappropriate responses. 

Sometimes I have a family member or coworker who rides with me and can pull the van out and let the ramp out for me but not often. What would you do if your independent mother or grandmother were in a similar spot?

Not only old people, like me, use accessible parking spaces. There are lots of parents with growing children with disabilities who use wheelchairs and need the extra room for Mom or Dad to help them transfer out of the car without worrying about someone whipping a little car into that spot. 

One in four people in our area are people with some type of disability. Not all need an accessible parking space, but those of us who do should have that right. We should expect our rights to live, work and play and yes park to be observed and if not we must find ways to remind others that violating my civil rights may result in civil disobedience…