A housing complex in Brisbane’s Bowen Hills has removed all of its disabled car parks after receiving complaints from residents that they were ‘discriminatory’ to able-bodied people. We truly are living in batshit times.
According to the ABC, the disabled car park signs were water blasted, with the disabled parking symbol completely removed. This leaves the housing complex with no places left for disabled people to park.
ABC spoke to Richie Goodacre, 31, a resident of the complex who lives with cerebral palsy, and uses a wheelchair. The parking spots that Goodacre and his neighbour (who also requires a wheelchair) used were placed under the shade, making it convenient for anyone who takes time getting out of a vehicle.
Understandably, it’s a very shitty time for those who used the disabled parking spots, as now they are required to park in further spots, or spots far down the street.
According to Goodacre, the Queensland Department of Housing called him up to inform him that the parking spots were going to be removed, because residents have been complaining that they were “discriminatory to able-bodied people.”
“I didn’t have the energy to argue with them at the time,” Goodacre told the ABC.
“To listen to the complaints of able-bodied people … as opposed to people who need the car park the most, is kind of a slap in the face, really.”
Donna Goodacre, Richie’s mother, told the ABC that she believes the removal also came as a fix-all action against disabled residents who complained about able-bodied people using the spots despite not needing them.
“[The parking spots] were there when Richie moved in … but the policy had changed because I think people are complaining about being discriminated against, which is ironic,” she said.
“Rather than deal with the aggression, I guess, that occurs when people ring housing to say there is someone in my car park, they’ve decided to remove the whole lot and not even leave one, which I think is just morally wrong.”
Queensland’s Minister for Housing, Leeanne Enoch, told the ABC that the issue is currently being reviewed, and that she believes the decision to remove all of the disabled parking spots was the “wrong decision.”
Definitely looks like the wrong decision to me.
