Removing Disabled Parking Is Wrong

Letters to the Editor, Eastern Graphic – West Prince Graphic

Arguments have been put forward that the decision to remove accessible parking from the UPEI campus is an improvement in accessibility.

Simple logic tells us that reasoning is wrong. Forcing people with a disability to walk further is not better for them: it’s worse.

There is a Sesame Street lesson on near and far where Grover stands close to the camera and calls it near. Then he walks away from the camera and calls it far. The near and far concept is easy to understand.

We have disabled parking because people with disabilities have a hard time walking very far so the parking is near.

That logic is wherever there is disabled parking: parking is near the place people need to go. At shopping malls wouldn’t it look strange if the disabled parking was in far end of the parking lot? Of course, we logically expect to see it near the door.

So why is UPEI trying to re-write logic and common sense by pushing the disabled further away? Why did President Wade MacLauchlan and his executive team decide to remove accessible parking?

UPEI campus Quadrangle design – recreating Disneyland on PEI

The project to remove accessible parking is called Main Quadrangle Revitalization Project. The details are on UPEI’s main web page. Main Quadrangle, in my opinion, is a beautification project that will create a Disney World ideal campus look.

People with disabilities are not part of the culture of youth that pervades UPEI as it gets ready for the Canada Games 2009. We don’t look neat and pretty and photogenic.

The new Main Quadrangle will look like one of those ideal movies about Americana. There is no place in that vision for people parking their cars because they have a disability. They are being pushed out. There is still enough room for trucks and vans to come and park as they please.

People with disabilities are expected to walk further to make the campus more beautiful.

Stephen Pate
PEI Disability Alert
Charlottetown