It's Not a Big Deal

Disclaimer: This particular situation was not caused directly by the school. The vendor responsible for the bucket and where it was placed. But this did happen in the school's parking lot and involved a vendor working on school property.

Today was school picture day.

The picture vendor had their trailer parked out in front of the school. Nothing unusual about that. Schools have picture day, vendors show up, equipment gets set up, and everyone goes about their morning.

But there was a problem.

A handicap parking space was being blocked by a bucket filled with pieces of wood.

My wife approached the vendor and pointed out that the space was being blocked and that doing so was illegal.

His response?

“It’s not a big deal.”

Those words are what bother me the most.

Because maybe, to him, it wasn't a big deal.

Maybe he looked at that parking space and saw an empty spot that wasn't being used at that exact moment. Maybe he looked at the bucket and saw something that could easily be moved. Maybe he simply didn't think about it beyond that.

But that's the disconnect.

People who don't have to think about accessibility every day don't always understand how something that seems insignificant to them can have a very real impact on someone else.

For a person who uses a wheelchair, that parking space isn't just a parking space.

The access aisle next to it isn't just extra pavement.

A curb ramp isn't just a convenient piece of concrete.

A door that's wide enough isn't just a design choice.

These things are what make it possible for someone to get out of their vehicle, navigate a building, attend school, go to work, participate in activities, and simply live their life.

When you block one of those things, you aren't just blocking a parking space.

You're potentially blocking someone's ability to participate.

And that's why “it's not a big deal” is so frustrating to hear.

It may not be a big deal to you.

But you don't get to decide whether it's a big deal for someone else.

That's the part I wish people understood.

Accessibility shouldn't only matter when you're the person who needs it.

You shouldn't have to have a disability, use a wheelchair, or have a family member who does before you start noticing these things.

You shouldn't have to be personally affected before you understand why an accessible parking space needs to remain accessible.

And you shouldn't need someone to explain why blocking it is wrong.

The reality is that accessibility is often invisible to the people who don't need it.

They don't notice the extra distance someone has to travel.

They don't notice when a doorway is difficult to navigate.

They don't notice when a desk doesn't accommodate a wheelchair.

They don't notice when an accessible parking space is blocked.

They don't have to.

But families like ours notice.

We have to.

Because accessibility isn't an abstract concept for us. It's part of our everyday life.

And sometimes the hardest part isn't the physical barrier itself.

It's hearing someone say:

“It's not a big deal.”

Because what I hear in those words is, “Your needs aren't important enough for me to think about.”

And that is exactly why we will continue to speak up.

Not because we want special treatment.

Not because we want to make someone's day more difficult.

Not because we're looking for something to complain about.

We speak up because accessibility matters.

And until people start understanding that, we're going to keep having these conversations.

Because maybe that bucket wasn't a big deal to the person who put it there.

But for someone who needed that space, it could have been.