FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 15, 2026<\/p>\n
TALAHASSEE, Fla. \u2013 Yesterday, United Spinal Association and others filed a complaint<\/a> in the Northern District of Florida federal court challenging a Florida law which lets anyone who is pregnant get an Expectant Mother Parking Permit and park in disability parking spaces.<\/p>\n Under the new Florida law, the only requirement to receive a pregnancy parking permit is pregnancy. The applicant does not need to show any mobility impairment or other disability. As a result, thousands of Floridians without disabilities are parking in accessible spaces that, under federal law, are reserved for people with disabilities. The complaint alleges that this violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which trumps state law.<\/p>\n People with disabilities already have a hard time finding accessible parking. \u201cEvery time we go out, we have to leave early for events or appointments,\u201d said Kimberly Harrison, a plaintiff in the case, \u201cSpots fill up fast.\u201d<\/p>\n Now disabled Floridians like Ms. Harrison have even more trouble parking. Recently, Ms. Harrison had to exit her vehicle and transfer into her wheelchair in the driving lane because the accessible parking spot she needed was already taken by a woman with a pregnancy permit. She was no longer pregnant and had her baby in the car. \u201cThe pregnancy permits last a year,\u201d Ms. Harrison explained.<\/p>\n \u201cMost people with disabilities have difficulty finding accessible parking spaces in their communities \u2013 and many skip medical, professional, and social outings because they are worried they will not be able to find parking,\u201d said Steve Lieberman, Senior Director, Advocacy & Policy with United Spinal Association, a membership organization of nearly 70,000 and a plaintiff in the case. \u201cAccessible parking is essential to the independence and well-being of people with disabilities, including our members with spinal cord injuries and disorders.\u201d<\/p>\n Even businesses are harmed by the new law. \u201cMy clients with disabilities are important to me,\u201d said Laura Abbott, a small business owner who runs a boutique hair and make-up salon called Laura J. Artistry. When she had to move her business, she searched for a location with no stairs, accessible entrances, and disability parking. \u201cI\u2019d like to tell my clients that I have an accessible parking space for people with disabilities right outside my entrance \u2014 but now that spot might be taken by someone with a pregnancy permit.\u201d She added that there are other nearby parking spots that could accommodate pregnant customers, but only one van-accessible space.<\/p>\n \u201cIn addition to violating federal law, the new law is not necessary,\u201d said Claudia Center, legal director for Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, and counsel for the plaintiffs. \u201cSomeone who is pregnant can already get a temporary disability parking permit in Florida if they have medical problems limiting their mobility,\u201d said Center. \u201cAnd Florida can pass a law requiring parking areas to have additional designated spaces for pregnancy \u2014 but they can\u2019t take the disability spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n Plaintiff Olivia Keller agreed. \u201cAlmost 98 percent of parking is not accessible to me,\u201d she said. \u201cMany of those spaces are probably fine for pregnant women but I need a van-accessible disability space.\u201d Keller can only enter or exit her modified minivan in a wide, van-accessible space that accommodates her ramp.<\/p>\n Ms. Keller brought the case last year on her own. After the court dismissed Keller\u2019s complaint, ruling that she had not shown a concrete injury, additional plaintiffs filed the amended complaint.<\/p>\n Federal standards require that parking areas have 2 to 4% spots that are accessible to people with disabilities. United Spinal and other disability organizations have urged federal regulators to increase the required proportions to 10%. The increase is needed as, on average, states issue approximately 10 disability permits for every hundred registered cars.<\/p>\n United Spinal and the three individuals ask the court to strike down the new law and rescind the already-issued pregnancy permits. In the alternative, the plaintiffs ask the court to order that the pregnancy permits are only lawful for separately designated pregnancy spaces.<\/p>\n The case is called United Spinal Ass\u2019n v. Florida Dep\u2019t of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, No. 4:25-cv-00450-AW-MAF (N.D. Fla.). Plaintiffs are also represented by James M. Slater of Slater Legal PLLC of Atlanta, Georgia.<\/p>\n \nResources:\n<\/p>\n \nMedia Contacts\n<\/p>\n Tina Pinedo
Communications & Operations Director
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
(510) 644-2555 ext. 5226
media@dredf.org<\/a><\/p>\n