Peace on Earth, Good Will to all Men...Unless you have a Disability

Not wanting to start 2011 off on a low note, however below is a letter I submitted to our local newspaper in hopes it will be printed...

New Years Day 2011, my friend and I decided to take his mom and her disabled friend to the rescheduled fireworks at Quidi Vidi Lake. We thought it was a brilliant idea, especially since the city had erected temporary disabled parking spaces at the end of the grocery store parking lot, facing the lake.

When we arrived at 6:40 we checked with the two city workers at the entrance-way who confirmed that the disabled spaces were still there. However when we attempted to park the vehicle, our disabled parking permit clearly visible, most if the parking spaces had been taken by non-disabled cars. My friend who was driving, exited our vehicle, permit in hand, asked the drivers if they would move. He was flatly denied by more than one driver! Fortunately one car did move and we parked. He then spoke with the city workers to advise that there were few disabled permits on the vehicles and was assured that someone would be by to check on it. Incidentally, we never did see anyone from the city enforce the disabled parking rule.

We settled in to watch the fireworks; quite disgusted that not only did people disrespect the parking restriction, but when asked to accommodate, outright refused to do so. In fact, the occupants in the car next to us who refused to move, proudly displaying a LIVE LOVE LAUGH stencil on the trunk, got out of the car to watch the fireworks, completely unhindered by a disability. When they returned to their car, we questioned why they parked in a disabled parking area. We were told that they felt completely justified to park there, as there were other vehicles in the area without permits. She also asked why our disabled passenger did not get out of the car herself to watch the fireworks! Newsflash – because unlike this insensitive woman, our passenger cannot walk! We asked if she was aware of the difficulty faced by people with disabilities, and she informed us she actually works with disabled people!

Another disappointing fact of the evening was the lack of control and enforcement by the city of St. John’s to accommodate those with disabilities. Our passenger was fortunate to have my friend to get out of the car and ask people to move. Had someone arrived who used a wheel chair but was able to drive, they would not have been able to get out of their car and ask the violators to move. The city of St. John’s prides itself on being accessible; however this was definitely not the case for the fireworks event. There was no enforcement of the city to ensure accessibility, even though staff was on site, and had been informed of the problem.

We all see them – people parking in disabled spaces, jumping out of their vehicles to run into a building. I have to wonder if they had to spend even one day with restricted mobility, what would happen. In the rare occasion when someone gets a ticket, they should also be forced to live a day with a disability, just to see what it is like not to be able to pop in and out of the store for a quick run! It just may change the world, one insensitive driver at a time.