As a disability advocate, few things make me angrier than people without the proper hangtags (or license plates) parking in, or otherwise blocking, accessible spaces that are supposed to be used only by people with disabilities. I see it often. It doesnāt matter if someone is ārunning into the storeā for 2 minutes. If they donāt have the proper tags or plates, they shouldnāt be parking in an accessible space. Period. It doesnāt matter what the weather is like or how far away the nearest appropriate spot is. That accessible space also has a curb cut so that anyone who might benefit from it can use it, so blocking accessible spots/curb cuts is also on the āDo Not Do Thatā List.
Apparently, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott may be the latest people to ignore this bit of courtesy:
Kylie Jennerās latest Instagram photo with Travis Scott has landed her in trouble with a leading disability organization.
On Sunday, Jenner, 21, posted a picture of the couple posing by one of their cars in what appears to be an underground parking lot. A sign indicating a disability accessible parking spot can be seen behind them. And on Monday evening, disability inclusion group The Ruderman Family Foundation condemned the photo.
āAccessible parking is meant for people with disabilities who need it,ā said Jay Ruderman, the foundationās president, in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. āAs a role model to many, this is an opportunity for Kylie Jenner to use her celebrity status to help society understand why accessible parking is a basic right for people with disabilities to be included in daily life.ā
The Instagram had also prompted outrage in the comments section. (Note that some used the term āhandicapā or āhandicapped,ā which is no longer in use.)
ā@kyliejenner what gives you the right to park in a handy cap your [sic] just out of line thatās for disabled people,ā added another.
āAs accessibility advocate I am disappointed you appear to be parked in front of accessibility parking spaces,ā someone said.
āAre we ignoring the fact that theyāre parked in handicap,ā another person observed. āOr maybe itās just the angle.ā
āI guess celebrities can park wherever they want?ā another follower wrote.
As I said, this sh-t annoys me big-time, so I am thrilled that they are being called out for it, assuming that they are parked in the space and itās not just the angle of the photo. Someone else may have been driving (who snapped the photo?) and should have known better, too. If Kylie or Travis or another passenger has an actual need for accessible parking, they need to make sure to display the hangtag. We canāt see the windshield, so perhaps itās there, but Iām going to assume that itās not until I read otherwise. On a related note, the article reminded me that Kylie posed in a wheelchair for Interview magazine back in 2015. Iād blocked that garbage out.
As a disability scholar, Iām actually pleasantly surprised that People commented on the fact that the words āhandicapā and āhandicappedā arenāt used now (which isnāt strictly true; they are used in very specific ways). The magazine is absolutely right, though, that the words should not be used to refer to peopleās disabilities, which was the point here. They also shouldnāt be used to describe locations that are designed for people with disabilities, like parking spots or restrooms. Designated parking spots and restrooms are āaccessible,ā because they provide/enable access for people with disabilities. Hopefully, Kylie and Travis will see this as a āteachable moment,ā and they, and any of their Instagram followers who may have done the same thing will think twice next time and leave those spots for people who are legally permitted to use them.
Iām sorry, but Iām not going to be critical of word choice for people who are calling this nonsense out. Their hearts are clearly in the right place.
How? The sign is visible through their car door, and they have clearly parked beside the designated spot. No one’s heart is in the right place for calling out people who have done nothing wrong just because others have.
Obvious solution: First off, more exclusive spots. People do not understand that those spots are not inherently for permanently disabled people, but for anyone who may be in temporary need of closer spaces, aka sick people, pregnant women, physically, mentally, or otherwise less-abled people, people who have been injured or who aee recovering from surgery, etc. Boatloads of buildings are still not even ADA accessible, so big surprise that people are not provided adequate parking, and big surprise that virtually zero enforcement happens. There is another obvious solution: Have actual enforcement of these codes.
Not a solution: throwing trash at people who have done nothing wrong. From the picture it is obvious that they have parked *beside* the spot, and while posing for a pic in and of itself was OBVIOUSLY temporarily blocking the space, it is also OBVIOUSLY very visibly highlighting the fact that they are not bloody well parked there.
I cannot believe I have to defend these people, but this is just stupid.
Commenter above meant the people using the word āhandicapā I believe – those are the people with their heart in the right place
Yes it is doubtful that they actually parked in the space
These spots are meant for people with tags that qualify them. You can’t just decide you need one today. You must have a medical reason to use it. If you don’t have a medical condition that a Doctor gives you the tag for, you DON’T use an accessible spot ever. My husband has a lung disease and is unable to walk more than a few feet. Without the use of an accessible spot, he is unable to utilize daily life. This is not for someone who is pregnant or not feeling well. It’s for someone who needs it to be able to function. Rant over now.
Born-again- You completely misunderstood what “a random” was saying so rant wasn’t really necessary.
@born again,
The photo is taken from the side, so of course you can see the sign. If you follow the lines of the car you can tell they are impeding on the accessible parking spot, and it is not OK. Life can be difficult enough for those with mobility concerns; they shouldn’t have to yield their parking spaces to able-bodied people behaving like entitled brats…or people defending their bad behavior.
Sommolierlady, I misunderstood nothing. These spots are neccesary part of life for some people. There are not enough spots. People using them that don’t require them are blocking people who need them. It’s maddening to have an appointment and have to cancel it because some thoughtless person wants to save a little time. There should be more spots but for people who need them.
Honest question ā is it the same rule for bathroom stalls? I often use the bigger stalls when Iām with my kids and one time, a woman with her mother in a wheelchair started yelling at me through the door, saying the stall was reserved for disabled people. Iād thought of it as a space that disabled people know they can use, not as something hands-off for everyone else, like a parking space would be.
My rule of thumbāif itās labeled for use by persons with disabilities, donāt use it unless you *are* a person with disabilities. You may think youāll only be in a stall for a minute or two, but you could be keeping someone who really needs the facilities from using the one stall available to them.
Usually the handicap accessible stall is the only one with a changing table.
My 2 year old refuses to use the “big potty” and so I have to cart a little potty chair for her everywhere and the bigger stall is the only one that works. I always try to make it quick. I’ve also seen parking spots for expecting mothers and thought after lugging a newborn and a heavy car seat that the spots should really be for expecting and new moms because it was easier for me just being pregnant lol.
MC yup. Sometimes it’s the only place in a public bathroom you can bring your kid to change, because it’s the only changing table location
I don’t use that stall if I have the others. But unlike the parking, i don’t think it’s legally required to be only in use for one group. If there’s a line out the door, people will use that stall too. Although if someone has a wheelchair or cane etc, Id hope people would let them go to the front of the line and give them first opportunity to that stall.
I use the big stall, I cannot stand tight spaces. The regular stalls make me feel too closed in and I start feeling anxious. But only if there isnāt someone with a w/c or walker waiting, then I suck it up and make it quick.
Saying āIām only a minuteā is no better than people who park in accessible spaces to run into a store āfor one thing!ā You are still taking a space from someone who might really need it. A cramped stall to you may mean discomfort, but kindly suck it up. You using the small stall and leaving the large one open might be the only thing keeping a person from a humiliating accident.
My MIL needed use the accessible stall and she did not expect it to be open 24/7. She understood that when there is a line, every toilette counts.
I read a Dear Abby once where a disabled woman described her experiences, that people will bring in a trove of kids and take lots of time while she’s begging them to let her in leading her to having accidents. So I always think of a desperate disabled woman crying because she has had an accident because of selfish people. I think everyone uses those stalls, but I try to be aware when I do that I am not in someone’s way
And, this is not relevant, but WHAT is she wearing?
Of course I didnāt read the original article but I imagine the children would have also had accidents.. Iām imagining more than one toddler since you said children. Parents donāt usually take multiple children into a bathroom stall unless itās their only choice.
In the circumstances I was describing, I absolutely place an adult woman’s dignity in higher regard than I do a small child’s.
However, the facts of a certain situation will always matter as to the reasonable way to behave. I’m not advocating never using those stalls, just saying to be aware
Oh my gosh – I remember that exact letter. It broke my heart!
@ Tasha — it’s funny how things stick you, huh? I know I had to have read it in the 90s sometime
I think it’s fine if that’s the only stall available, or if it’s an employee restroom and you know nobody disabled is working.
I figure the accessible stall is for everyone to use, it just has a bigger door and a rail to make it accessible. And as stated above it is sometimes the only one with a changing table.
You’re kidding, right? Yeah, it is SO not just to make it easier for everyone. SMH.
Aang – it is labelled, and the other stalls are not. That is for a very good reason. If you do not have disabilities, you do not use that stall. People with disabilities do not have the option of using the other stalls, you do. The only exception is when there is only a changing table in that stall.
Hey, look, until I ended up in a wheelchair, there was stuff I didnāt even think about as an able bodied person. Two key things I now know.
1. Accessible spaces are not just about proximity. If you are in a wheelchair and transferring, you need your car door to open fully – hence the extra space. So no space means you are prevented from getting in or out – and therefore further disabled or excluded.
2. As well as the excellent points already made here by others about the longer time it can take a disabled person to disrobe/get on the toilet, the vast majority of those with spinal cord injuries are incontinent due to the nerve damage. That means we often canāt wait as a normal person can. Our sphincters are no longer our friends. So, please, donāt use the disabled bathroom if you are not disabled.
Mums with kids – I hear you. Baby changing facilities should be provided separately. Not lumped in the disabled bathrooms.
I have mobility problems from a car wreck that require me to use the handrails in the accessible stalls. At my work, there are 7 “normal” stalls and one accessible one. It’s really rare to have more than 3 stalls in use at any given time, but i can’t tell you how many times i almost had an accident waiting for someone to finish their phone call in the accessible stall. It doesn’t help that also my bladder has nerve damage from the car wreck, so when i have to go, I HAVE TO GO. Several times, i’ve nearly broken a hip using a normal stall without handrails because the wait was longer than my bladder could tolerate. That would be a fun workplace accident for OSHAA, hmm? In public places, when there are lines to use the stalls, i limp over to one of the accessible ones and wait outside of it in my own line since it really is the only one i can use safely.
I’m also the mother of 3, the youngest having severe developmental disabilities. I get the family going together in the large stall; i did it before my accident, and i still do with my youngest. The best restrooms have multiple stalls with handrails to accommodate more people like me.
Tldr: if there are no other stalls available or you have children who cannot be left by themselves, it’s ok to use the accessible stall. Otherwise, please don’t. What might seem a really short time to you can feel like an eternity to someone who urgently needs to go that already has to factor in extra time to disrobe, get maneuvered into position, etc.
I absolutely hate it when the change table is in the only accessible bathroom stall. I feel terrible using it when someone might need it quickly due to a disability, but often they leave no other choice. It’s hard to think of a solution, because I do also think that babies and toddlers deserve privacy when they are being changed and small bathrooms often don’t have space for two accessible stalls. I love places that have separate family washrooms!
I wish all stalls could be accessible. When I had my knee surgery, I had a temporary parking permit and needed to use the accessible stall and often it was the messiest stall and I always had to wait.
It depends – if your child is young to the point that you have to hold them on the toilet seat and the regular stalls are too small to fit then you really have no choice. If you both fit in a regular stall then use one
I think it’s use the stall, Unless there is someone with a disability in line (or who walks in). If you were walking in give them the spot, otherwise they have priority to skip the line, wait by the ((only)) stall they can use and… yep.
If someone has a bunch of kids with them and is ignoring the person the stall was designed for and they can’t get there attention… I mean be an ally and Say Something to the offender. What a thing to teach kids.
It is the same. Please don’t use those anymore. You could end up keeping someone who needs to use it – it can lead to them not holding it in and being humiliated and mortified. Your “I’ll be quick! 1 minute at most” feels like more for someone who needs the space, the rails, and time to disrobe.
If you need a changing table then voice your concerns to whomever runs the public restroom and demand a table be installed. I know being a mum can be hard, especially if you have more than once child under the age of 5.
I go by the airlines who consider kids, especially two and younger, as persons with disabilities. Itās why one gets to check car seats and strollers free of charge (I asked years ago). As children are unable to do certain things autonomously, they are disabled (in a different way from our normal thinking) until they are older. And, as stated above, usually the only changing table is installed there.
@Ripley, children under the age of 2 can sit on a parents lap. Children 4 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Children 5 – 14 may fly on some non-stop flights using the unaccompanied minor program. None are considered disabled, they are all considered minors.
People with disabilities who fly are covered under the ACAA, and minors are not.
Having children isn’t a disability, neither is needing to take them to the toilet. I used to work with people with disabilities and many of them had stories of being publically humiliated because they couldn’t get into the accessible toilet due to able bodied people using it. Thinking that you needing a bit of room to deal with your children trumps that makes you incredibly selfish. That airline analogy also shows you have no idea what having a disability is actually like and co-opting it so you can continue to be selfish is frankly really gross.
I never use the accessible stall unless it’s URGENT and there’s no one else waiting or on their way to the restroom. If you have any other option, don’t use it, leave it available for those who can’t use a standard stall.
I briefly had to use a wheelchair after an injury, and at an event got in line behind a bunch of women who were all queued up to use the single accessible restroom, because they didn’t want to wait at the main one. Not a single one of them offered to let me go first. An event employee came over and yelled at them and made them move. They moved, but none of them apologized.
I’m a pretty empathetic/compassionate person, and I spent a lot of time early in my career working on ADA compliance in buildings, but actually living that experience for a few weeks is pretty eye opening. The number of people who were rude or oblivious was kind of astounding. I can’t imagine dealing with it day in, day out.
It is absolutely ok to use the handicap stall providing there is no one waiting to use it that can’t use a regular stall. If you think you are doing the right thing by holding up a line of people by not using an open stall than common sense is not your friend. That said anybody in line that needs that stall goes to the front of the line for it.
No, it’s not ok, and it’s not ‘common sense’. If you do not have any disabilities, you do not use that stall. There are going to be people with further medical issues that make it hard or impossible for them to wait for the person who can use a regular stall to finish up.
Glad to see this asked. I was in an airport last month and there was a line forming at the restroom door. The accessible stall was open, and I used it….but I was very conflicted as to whether I was doing the right thing. It seems odd to make a line of 15 woman wait twice as long to move through the bathroom because they are letting one stall sit vacant.
Seeing the comments here has made up my mind. If this were to come up again, I wouldn’t use it. I had not considered some of the aspects commenters here mentioned. Like the fact that a person could have issues where they need to go NOW or risk an accident, or even just the aspect of the extra time it takes for them to get undressed and onto the seat etc, that is going to make their need more urgent than mine…most times. (hey, we have all had that one time where we didn’t have a second to spare) .
All that said, there clearly isn’t a law in place here, and I wouldn’t judge someone ELSE for using the accessible stall, it certainly is not equivalent to taking a parking space in my opinion
I also think that the fact that they often house the only changing table in the restroom DOES send out the message that anyone can use that stall when needed.
In general, the accessibility stall should be avoided at all costs unless it’s the only one open and there’s a line. To me, biological functions are in a different category than parking – you have no legitimate reason you can’t park a car and walk a few extra feet, but urination and defecation are not body functions over which we have full voluntary control, particularly if that person has a GI/Urogenital disorder. So if it’s what is available, you do what you have to do. This being said, basic courtesy should be extended to people for whom that stall is the ONLY option.
Good LORD that is a lot of airbrushing/photo editing. Especially in that āpretty in pinkā solo shot.
Curious .. did she have plastic surgery on her chin.. itās oddly pointy.
People automatically jump to surgery, lmao. Do you know what can be done with filler these days? Non-surgical nose jobs, cheeks, nasolabial folds, temples, you can build a jawline with well-placed filler. All without the pain and recovery time of surgery. Given her known love of injectables, that would be my first guess if sheās had any recent work done.
@random
Injections are definitely defined as surgery. Anything that is subcutaneous so it cracks me up when people say they haven’t had it. It is still foreign and ‘situated or applied under the skin’.
Her chin is pointy because of photoshop. When she’s on their show you can see her chin is not pointy like that. She changes her whole face shape with photoshop.
I would love to know how much time all of the edits take.
Fillers are not surgery. They are alterations, absolutely. But letās not confuse a surgical procedure with an injectable please. Juvederm isnāt exactly a trigger point lol.
I am STILL calling her work surgery because imagine the injection spots and ALL that molding!
Made her nose really tiny.
The JenDashians are such aholes. This seems totally in character. Thanks for the terminology update – I wasn’t aware of this.
I’m glad people called them out. It’s too bad she’ll either ignore it, say they didn’t realize it was there or worse, issue some faux apology in which she utters their stock excuse of “I’m always learning”.
It cracks me up that people keep trying to make her into the one that is different from the rest of the family somehow when she is just as ignorant and entitled as her mother and sisters.
Thank you, theyāre all trash.
Its really hard to tell from the photo if they are parked in the accessible spot or are simply parked next to it. The sign looks like its more to the right of their car so I’m not sure.
Based on the placement, it looks like they’re taking up 2 spots, at least one of which is the accessible parking space. I would bet money they’re way over the line
Ugh, defending her makes me feel gross, but in every parking garage I use, you’re supposed to pull in, not back in. If that ridiculous car is pulled in nose first to a spot across from the accessible spot, it could be the angle.
Or, Occam’s Razor, they DGAF and parked where they shouldn’t.
With this family it was more than likely done on purpose to get extra attention.
The thing that gets me is that these are not spontaneous postings. These photos are approved at least by a PR person and probably a few more people to ensure this million dollar brand is in tact. Someone must have noticed. So I kind of think this was an intentional way to stir controversy,
I would not be surprised if she actually has a hang tag. If a doc will pump silicone into a minor, one will write for a tag.
Co-sign this. I worked with a physician who had to be ācounseledā by the practice owner (another physician) because he was rubber stamping any request for a placard. For him, it was enough that they ASKED for the placard, no real evaluation needed. That was ten years ago, so maybe laws have become more restrictive, but I wouldnāt be surprised if she does have a tag.
Also co-sign. A family member of mine has one for mobility issues (but had a placard long before he truly needed it). He will lend it out to other family members to help them get “good parking” and it infuriates me that people will happily take it. He repeatedly tried to offer it to me to use when we were at Disney and my husband and I refused to take it because we are both very able bodied and were appalled at the thought.
This family will do anything for attention. She posted this airbrushed/shopped photo on purpose.
The only reason I read this article is because I wondered what in the world an āaccessible spotā is. I swear ppl mess with the English language just to start fights between the generations but I digress. Thereās no way to know from this IG pic if they had someone with them that qualified.
I just googled our licensing in my state and itās referred to as ādisabledā rather than accessible. Eventually we wont be able to use the word disabled (apparently deaf people hate it because it translates to broken in sign language). Anyway Iāve decided we need to quit using our words all together and just use pictures because we all know what the wheelchair bound image means.
I seriously thought āusing an accessible spotā meant they were oversharing about their supposedly hot sex life!
Thatās too funny! I kind of thought it meant a place to charge their phones and wondered why that made the news!
Wheelchair bound is also not something people say in 2019. It doesn’t even make sense, unless we’re going to start calling people who use cars “car bound”. It’s a mode of transportation.
Right? For most wheelchair users the chair liberated them, it didn’t bind them.
It bothers me when a man holds a woman in a supposedly affectionate chokehold. And it’s not clear if her hand on his arm is to touch to be close or to pull it away from her neck.
Thank you!! The choke-hold, the face sheās making. Is she bored? Or plotting to escape? Itās a terrible image on many levels….
Also it looks like they parked in someone elseās spot.
yes, is that picture supposed to be romantic? EW.
Agreed. It’s a super creepy photo.
Things like this infuriate me too, as do people who will may have a placard in their car because they drive family members who need the accessible spots, but then use the placard for themselves because they are simply lazy (don’t feel like walking, it’s too hot/cold, I’m doing a lot of shopping, etc). I used to do convention planning and one of my clients had several attendees with various disabilities. We had an ADA checklist to use for site visits, and it is amazing how many supposedly “accessible” facilities were, in actuality, not. Once you’ve had to measure toilet heights in public restrooms, order Hoyer lifts, monitor restrooms and parking lots to make sure the spaces/stalls were open for folks who needed them, you get a whole new perspective.
Amy Van Dyken, the Olympic swimmer who was paralyzed in an accident a few years ago, will periodically do “teachable moment” posts on her IG about this very issue. Recommend everyone take a look as it’s quite informative. Also amazing how many service industry people (delivery drivers, postal service, repair people) don’t think twice about blocking multiple spots “for just a minute” and get really ugly to her when she calls them out.
Depending on where they are working delivery drivers are under a lot of stress. In some cities they would not get anything delivered if they weren’t parking where they are not supposed to…simply because people are blocking parking spaces with their cars who could easily use public transport.
Sorry, they do not get a pass because they are “under a lot of stress.” I think the person who validly needs the accessible spot is under a lot more stress. I work in an industry where drivers are making deliveries in all sorts of challenging spaces and on tight deadlines and they all know not to block accessible spots and ramps.
They really aren’t any more important than anyone else. We’re all busy, we’re all under stress, we all hate dealing with parking.
Photoshopped to the max, so youād think whomever alters her photos to make her look like a CGI character would have just removed the parking sign…
Exactly. This was intentional to create more post engagement. Itās the Kardashian/Jenner playbook.
Yup news has been slow with the K/J’s lately. They needed some controversy. I’m wondering are they all currently getting some new “work” done on their bodies and are hiding out? They’ve been wayyyy too quiet lol.
I get so mad when people use spaces reserved for people with disabilities. My first apartment was close to a corner with a disability ramp. I had to call the city’s towing company DAILY to remove cars blocking the ramp.
We need to have more empathy and pay attention. We take our bodies and abilities for granted and those with disabilities are invisible to some people.
Cee you are my idol. A good friend of mine was paralyzed in his 30’s in a freak accident in the wilderness and I witnessed it. (Mother Nature is a b****). I get livid when people I see able bodied people take the handicap parking spot without a handicap placard or plate. its WRONG.
If Kylie is parking in that space as it appears she is, she is a super jerk and I won’t buy anything she creates ever again.
That’s amazing, Cee. Good for you for making sure the ramp was always accessible to those who really need it!
Thank you for being a disability scholar and for advocating for accessibility. Very cool šā¤ļøššš½
Garbage people being garbage.
They have nice bracelets. Thatās all Iāll say.
“Hopefully, Kylie and Travis will see this as a āteachable moment,ā
That’s adorable that you think they are capable of learning or teaching anything but narcissism.
For those saying it’s not a big deal to use “handicap” versus “accessible” because people’s hearts are in the right place or that it’s a generational argument āĀ please consider what people with disabilities (like me!) prefer. It’s fine if people don’t know better or if they used to call it something else when they were younger, but times have changed and it is important to learn and respect the preferred language. I know a lot of people get up in arms about “political correctness” but there are words we previously used for different races and for people with mental disabilities that are simply not acceptable anymore because they are considered derogatory by the people being called those words. It’s not about being politically correct, it’s about being kind.
Kylie REALLY needs to stop with all the face-tune and photoshop. She doesn’t look like that in real life !
His facial expression really get me. What are their horoscope signs out of curiosity?
I also hate it when people park in accessible spots. I drive my aunt around sometimes. She used to have mobility issues and has a placard. She used to have mobility issues, but not so much anymore after various surgeries, pt, and exercise. Once she asked me why I donāt park in the accessible spots anymore, I told her itās because I would rather save the few spots for people who really did need them.
I’m sorry, I get the outrage, but f*cking LOOK AT THIS PICTURE. This is like Peak Instagram Trash Chic here. “Let me chokehold hug my blank faced, neon pink vested girlfriend in front of a car door in a poorly lit parking lot to express our love.” 10/10 would mock again.
Also, since we’re discussing accessible spots…please don’t leave your shopping carts around them. That concrete sidewalk and the blue lined areas are there for a reason, and it’s not for shopping carts!
Iām disabled and have a handicapped tag. I canāt tell you the number of times an entitled individual, food delivery person, etc. has parked in a handicapped spot that I desperately need. And if you park in area with the diagonal lines you are still a jerk. Most people do not realize what it takes to get out of a car and into a wheelchair. The diagonal lines area next to the handicapped spot is vital to have enough room to do so.