The Waterstone Village shopping mall teamed up with Senecio, a non-profit for the differently-abled, to show how it feels to have prime parking taken!
The Waterstone Village is a shopping mall located in Somerset West, Western Cape. They have had an increase in able-bodied customers taking advantage of the designated disability friendly parking bays. From people that are inexcusably rude to their parking attendants to people that simply feel it’s their right to park where they want to.
So to combat this problem the shopping mall got in contact with Senecio, a non-profit organisation that has been working with the differently-abled since 2008. Their aim is to create a better quality of life for children with physical disabilities in the Western Cape, South Africa.
They teamed up with Little Angels, a home for children with special needs. Together they decided to turn the tables on able-bodied drivers. They took over prime parking spots, not the disability friendly parking bays, but actual spots that people without a disability are “entitled” to.
“We used all the prime parking spots and put wheelchairs and walkers on the spots. We added posters to the wheelchair or walker, with all the typical excuses we’ve heard before.”
“I’ll just be 5 minutes…”
“I’m just drawing money.”
“Be right back.”
They then set up a camera to capture people’s reactions. Some people stopped to read the signs while others blatantly ignored them and continued to park wherever they pleased!
We’d like to challenge other shopping centres to do the same. Stand up for those who can’t and make the world a better place. The Senecio & Little Angels team are happy to help. Just pop us an email on info@senecio.org.za or give us a call on 021 852 3856.
Watch the reaction video below,
by 
Do it at all the shopping centres please no respect for the dissable the need xtra space to get out thats why parking is bigger people dont understand this the wheelchair is for wheelchair and theirs only a few parking spaces at these shops everybody from old people pregnant lazy people and backpain peolpe insist on parking here
that is why I give these patients a medical letter to reccomend that they do get the authority to help them with the parking in dissabiity bays.
Ek sien hier by ons parkeer die polisie, die geldwa, die ambulans, en die wat te sleg is om daardie ekste myl te loop die met hul pajero’s, 4×4 voertuie en grand karre
Well done Warestone Village Mall!!!!…it really irks me when arrogant people think they can park in a disable parking bay just because they can. If more Malls step up and be serious enough to make make a difference, half the battle will be won.
I once saw a young man that had had to park behind cars using the special bays and as the attendant approached him, he started to assemble a wheelchair for his use and then lift his legless body across to the chair. Rarely have I seen a more independent disabled young person .
He only needed the ATM but will have had to do all this again, to do his shopping when the parking space was vacated by a seemingly perfectly healthy couple . Shame on them!
I really find you comment rude towards people with pain. I know somebody who was in a severe car accidnt and he almost lost his mangled,disfigured right leg. He fought to keep his leg. He strugles to walk due to pain and a shortened leg. You are very rude to say someone like him should not be driving! I hope that this never happens to you.
Please roll out this initiative to other places as well as this is the best idea EVER.
At the end of the day, 10 out of 10 for the mall that is trying to look out for the interests of those that need the bays. I recently encountered a shopping mall in CT (in fact owned by a huge facilities management company) that have decided that they will no longer fine, or clamp vehicles and just allow anyone to park in these disabled bays as they “don’t have the resources to fine or clamp vehicles”.
Speechless behaviour!
Love the idea but we refer to this as disability parkings and the word handicap does not exist anymore. If you really care about the rights and needs of disabled people you should know better.