Van Accessible Parking.org

Parking Permit Holders Manual

User Manual for Van Parking Users (permit holders).

These instructions are intended for wheel chair users independently driving their side lift van alone.

You will find that other disabled parking users don't have a clue what a van accessible parking spot is used for. Usually the Van accessible parking spot is closest to the building so people who are still walking but have limited distance ability will always take the closest spot.

Unfortunately the ADAAG and other specifications do not limit van accessible parking spots to van only. Some businesses and college campuses do limit van spots to van's only.

Just for clarification a van accessible parking spot isn't just for any "van" type vehicle, but is designed for "wheel chair side-lift" vans. The ones with fold out platforms which lower the wheel chair user to the ground to roll off. Approximately 8 ft. of clearance is needed on the passenger side to get in and out of the van.

What to do when no van accessible parking spot is available? Several approaches are available.

1. If you have an able-bodied person with you, you can stop in the driving lane facing into a single available parking spot, get out, close the lift, and have the other person pull your van into the parking spot. And vice versa on the way back into your van. Sorry for the people you hold up but at least they will now understand why van accessible parking spots are critical.

2. In parking lots with curbs at the end of the parking rows, find two end spots back from the building and pull in there. Pull in at an angle blocking both spots with you front wheels closer to the curb and the rear wheels in the second parking spot. Be sure to allow enough room to get off your wheel chair lift without running into the curb.

In some cases you might get a parking ticket for using two parking spaces. Assuming you can even reach the ticket under your wiper, you can usually get out of the ticket the first time.

3. A variant of 2 is to park in one parking spot with an empty one on the passenger side. Then place a orange traffic cone in the empty parking spot to provide the side access. You could paint a wheel chair symbol on the traffic cone or make a sign if you want. I have just used the cone bare.

This works most of the time. However, once I did this and a taxi cab moved the cone and parked in the empty space I needed to use to get in my van. The driver was reading the paper and was quite startled when I just started to open my van doors with the rear switches and they hit the side of the taxi cab. That probably wasn't the nicest way to handle it but he figured out why the traffic cone had been placed in the empty spot.

Other rules and hints.

Don't let your kids and other family members use you parking permit without your presence. However, it is OK for a person to put your van in a disabled parking spot if they are dropping it off there for you to use when you leave a nearby business on your own.

If you find grocery carts in the access aisles be sure to speak to the store manager and politely ask him to have the employees check the access aisles at least every hour.