It’s Christmas time, which means colourful lights, peppermint, and baked goods. Unfortunately it also brings out the worst of humanity as we all flock to shopping malls and factory outlets. One of those people that I am going to address today is the disability police. Random people with no authority or insight deciding that just because they can’t immediately see the reason someone has a parking pass, that they must not need it or deserve it. So here I am going to list fifty reasons why someone will have a pass, but are invisible to see to the average bystander. Just because the symbol is someone in a wheelchair doesn’t mean that’s the only reason to park there.

A Westminster mother and her 10-year-old daughter found a note on their van that called them “lazy” and idiotic for parking in a disability spot. The typed-out note was placed on the van windshield after they parked at Target off Church Ranch Boulevard Friday afternoon. “I thought it was a flyer,” Naomi Barringer said. The small, white piece of paper wasn’t an advertisement, rather a note shaming the mother and daughter. “It says, ‘Greetings. I observed you parking in this handicap parking place today. It appears that you are not really handicap. Perhaps just in a hurry or worse, just plain lazy,'” said Naomi as she read from the note. Kaitlyn, 10, said she’s not lazy but is in pain often and needs the disability placard. “I was offended, I was hurt actually. I really didn’t know people thought of me like that,” she said. Kaitlyn has a rare genetic disorder called hypophosphatasia that leaves her bones weak and brittle. She was born with 13 bone fractures and has had dozens more since then. “I am disabled and they may not know that and I can understand that because I do look normal but I don’t think they have to do that,” she said. The three paragraph note continued with: “In case you don’t know, these spots are reserved for people who are truly handicapped and because of idiots like you, they have to park farther away or not be able to come here at all.”

1. Lower limb prosthetic – if they’re wearing pants and have learned to walk without a limp, you would never know
2. Osteomyelitis – pain caused by bone infection
3. General chronic pain – could happen as result from a trauma or injury and then persist
4. Hip replacement – especially immediately after the operation
5. Scleroderma – build ups of collagen in the muscles leads to stiffness and decreased movement
6. Organ transplant – as the body copes with the new addition, limited movement and difficulty breathing can happen
7. Partial recovery from trauma – a person who was severely injured may have progressed from a wheelchair, to crutches, to walking alone, but it still causes pain
8. Anemia – can cause light-headedness and fatigue
9. COPD – reduces lung capacity
10. Emphysema – if severe, shortness of breath and fatigue
11. Multiple Sclerosis – affects balance, movement and vision
12. Endometriosis – intense pain and cramps, especially during menstration
13. Vision loss or impairment – this can sometimes lead to a special pass for use as a passenger if they can’t drive
14. Sarcoidosis – cough, fatigue, stiffness
15. Peripheral Vascular Disease – damage to blood vessels, usually in arms or legs
16. Myotonia Congenita – caused problems with relaxing muscles after contracting them
17. Rheumatoid Arthritis – pain and decreased movement in joints
18. Parent of disabled child – if they have to carry them or their medical gear, it could be debilitating
19. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease – lack of blood flow to hip causes easier injury and slower healing
20. Lupus – can cause decreased movement
21. Cancer treatment – while not all cancers effect the use of legs or lungs, receiving treatment such as radiation may debilitate
22. Diabetic Neuropathy – nerve damage in feet and hands due to diabetes
23. Stroke – could cause partial paralysis and weakness
24. Dysmenorrhea – intense cramping during menstruation, could include dizziness and nausea
25. Pleural Effusion – also known as water on the lungs
26. Crohn’s disease – intestinal disease
27. Obesity – note that this may be a symptom of a larger medical issue
28. Osteomalacia – weakening of the bones
29. Labyrinthitis – inner ear infection causing dizziness
30. Ulcerative colitis – inflammation to intestines, rectum, or both
31. Cauda Equina Syndrome – caused by problem in nerves found in the lower back
32. Thoracic Spinal Stenosis – narrowing of the middle of the spine
33. Sciatica – weakness or pain in the legs
34. Brain tumor – can affect walking or balance
35. Hypothyroidism – can cause aches, pains, and swelling
36. Hypophosphatasia – abnormal development of bones and teeth
37. Porphyria – causes difficulty breathing, pain, numbness, sensitivity to sunlight
38. Chronic migraines – could be triggered by exposure to heat, cold, or light
39. Joint hypermobility syndrome – over extension of joints can cause pain and stiffness
40. Myasthenia Gravis – immune disease causing muscle weakness
41. Parkinson’s Disease – difficulty controlling body movements
42. Cystic Fibrosis – fatigue and chronic pain
43. Dystrophy- weakened muscles
44. Cerebral Palsy – affects functions of the brain and nervous system
45. Meniere’s Disease – inner ear disease that causes intense vertigo
46. Lumbar Spinal Stenosis – narrowed spinal canal causing pain
47. Throat cancer – difficulty breathing and exercising
48. Pulmonary embolism – artery blockage can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and coughing
49. Coronary artery disease – damaged blood vessels in your heart, cause of heart attacks
50. Ovarian cysts – especially when ruptured, can cause serious pain in pelvis

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the reasons why someone applied for and received a parking pass for accessible parking. The point is that I could put together this list of 50 conditions that make walking to a store or carrying shopping impossible. All of these conditions are completely invisible to the casual observer or at least require a closer look to realize. If I can come up with all of these based on my own experience and a bit of Googling, then your ignorance and ill-directed rage is completely unnecessary.

Just researching for this article has really angered me. So many cases of disabled people being harassed and having their property vandalized because they don’t look disabled enough. People are so ready to dole out insults and cruelty than to stop and think that they can no way understand everything that is going on in someone else’s life. You can’t look at a person for two minutes as they walk into a store and be able to diagnose them of any medical issue.

I also do realize that a lot of people illegally use these parking spots without a permit, and I don’t condone that either. But there is a way to handle this that doesn’t involve childish name calling. If you see a car parked in a accessible parking without a parking permit, record their license plate number, take a photo of the car, and report them to the authorities. Receiving a fine, demerits on their record, or suspension of their license will send a much more effective message then a condescending note anyways. But if they have a province/state issued permit, then their disabilities are absolutely none of your business.

PIN ME: