"Save My Spot" Educational Campaign Tells Drivers to "Respect the Stripes"

• Apr 04, 2016

How many times have you legally parked your vehicle in a disabled parking spot only to come back to see another car not-so-legally parked in the blue-striped area right next to you?

Misuse of disabled parking spaces is a topic that can make people with disabilities and their families seethe — because they know how few of those spaces exist in the first place, and how much they’re needed. Plus, they also know how often those striped areas, meant to give drivers and passengers valuable and necessary room to unload passengers and equipment, are blocked. For someone who needs that space to deploy a wheelchair ramp or to exit and remove mobility equipment and passengers from that side of the vehicle, having those areas blocked is the difference between a usable parking space and an unusable one.

The folks at BraunAbility hear these complaints so often that they’ve launched an educational campaign called “Save My Spot.” At braunability.com/handicap-parking-save-my-spot, visitors can view an animated video called Respect the Stripes, which explains exactly what those bluestriped areas are for (and why no car is allowed to park there, even if it’s displaying a disabled parking placard).

While you’re on the Web site, you can also download a free pdf of printable “Parking Notes” that you can leave on illegally parked vehicles. The notes explain, “You’ve put me in a bit of a tight spot,” and suggest the recipients visit the BraunAbility site to learn more about the rules and regulations regarding disabled parking spaces. After all, in the battle of parking spaces, every bit of education helps.