In the 25 years I’ve lived with a disability, I have never received a parking ticket for using a disabled parking bay. Until this holiday. On a recent trip, I was issued two fines — one in Franschhoek and another in Herolds Bay — for not having the correct disability parking permit.
This was despite the fact that I use a wheelchair.
A wheelchair that is not hidden.
A wheelchair that is very clearly visible.
What followed was not just frustrating — it was deeply disheartening.
A Holiday Detour No One Wants
Instead of enjoying time away, we found ourselves having to go to a magistrate to resolve the fines. Anyone who has ever been on holiday knows that this is the last place you want to be — but for a disabled person, it adds layers of stress, access challenges, and emotional exhaustion that most people never have to consider.
It was there that we were informed of something I, and many others, were never clearly told: In South Africa, disability parking permits are municipality-specific.
In other words, a permit that is accepted in one town may be completely invalid in the next.
Let That Sink In
This means that every time a disabled person travels, we are expected to:
- Apply for multiple disability parking permits
- Pay for permits that are not free
- Navigate different processes, rules, and timelines
- Or risk being fined for simply existing in public spaces
Once again, disability comes with an extra punishment — and an extra cost.
Not because we are doing something wrong.
But because the system is fragmented, inconsistent, and inaccessible.
How Is This Logical, Legal, or Fair?
Accessibility should not depend on your postcode. I struggle to understand how it can be considered reasonable — or humane — to expect disabled people to:
- Predict every municipality they may travel to
- Apply in advance for multiple permits
- Pay for the right to access basic infrastructure
- And then be penalised when the system fails them
This is not about special treatment.
This is about equal access, dignity, and fairness.
Disabled people already navigate a world filled with physical, social, and systemic barriers. Adding administrative hurdles and financial penalties only reinforces the message that our participation in society is conditional.
The Bigger Issue
This experience is bigger than two fines.
It highlights a broader issue: how easily accessibility becomes an afterthought, and how often disabled people are expected to carry the burden of systems that were never designed with us in mind.
A parking bay with a wheelchair symbol is meaningless if the rules around it actively exclude the very people it is meant to support.
It’s Time to Ask Better Questions
I’m sharing this not to shame or attack, but to start a conversation.
Why is there no single, nationally recognised disability parking permit?
Why is the responsibility placed on disabled individuals instead of on systems to be inclusive?
Why does equality still come with a price tag?
Most importantly:
How do we fix this?
Let’s Talk
If you are a disabled person, a caregiver, a policy maker, a municipal official, or simply someone who cares about fairness — I want to hear your point of view.
Have you experienced something similar?
Do you think a national permit is realistic?
What would a more humane system look like?
Change starts with conversation.
And silence only protects systems that are not working.
Let’s do better — together.
