Having Kids Isn't Really A Disability

Westfield Hornsby is currently completing an upgrade for some but a downgrade for many on their parking facilities. They are increasing the number of “Parking with Prams” car parking spots from a small few to half levels of these specific places.

In the past, disabled parking spots were put in shopping centres near the entrances to allow for easy access for disabled people. In the recent years it seams that the “Parking with Prams” spots are becoming increasingly popular.

A number of shopping centres used to require the display of a permit for parents with prams, however it seems in the new spots at Hornsby, they are not even enforcing a permit. Westfield are making it increasingly easier for mums with young children to go shopping at their centres and inconveniencing all the other shoppers who think that they can’t park in these places. All the normal parking places are very often full, and there are tens of “Parking with Prams” spots available. At Hornsby, they are now even installing electronic signs to indicate where and how many “Parking with Prams” spots are available.

A reason that pops to mind when I think about why they are introducing these new spots is that mums with young children are big spenders. They want to get out of the house, so they go shopping. The children are always growing so they go shopping for new clothes. They seem to grab things off the shelf because it is cute and they’d love it for the baby. It seems to me as though Westfield are providing these spots to the people who bring in the most money. From a profit aspect, this is a great idea, however they are irritating many other customers who don’t have young children, because they can’t find ordinary parking spots. Surely this would drive many other shoppers away, which would lead to a drop in business eventually.

What Westfield is doing is showing the shoppers who they are really wanting to look after. They are not providing many spots at all for disabled people, in fact some of the “Parking with Prams” spots are closer to the entrance than the disabled spots. People are not disabled by children whatsoever. They chose to have children and they chose to take on the responsibility of looking after children whilst still completing all the day to day tasks. Disabled people did not choose to be disabled. People who are disabled should be provided with the necessary facilities so they can go to the shops and do what they want to do without feeling as though it is going to be difficult for them to utilise the centre.

Maybe instead of introducing more and more “Parking with Prams” spots, Westfield can think about some of their other customers and provide extra disabled parking spots. I don’t think approximately 4 or 5 disabled spots surrounded by around 40 or 50 “Parking with Prams” spots is very reasonable at all.