The politics of parking: disabled people's experiences of everyday oppression through encounters with strangers in accessible parking spaces

Kubenz, Vera Isabella ORCID: 0000-0002-0867-9260 (2026). The politics of parking: disabled people's experiences of everyday oppression through encounters with strangers in accessible parking spaces. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis explores the impact of disabled people’s encounters with strangers, in the context of Blue Badge accessible parking spaces in England. In documenting how these everyday interactions shape disabled people’s experiences of access to public space, I build on understandings of disability as social-relational phenomenon (Reeve, 2008; Thomas, 1999a). By focussing on supposedly ‘accessible’ spaces, I also contribute to critical perspectives on what constitutes ‘accessibility’. I consider how the UK’s political context of austerity has led to the surveillance and constant questioning of the ‘legitimacy’ of disabled people who are perceived to be receiving ‘perks’. I also explore the impact of the negative affects which circulate in parking spaces and the emotion work required to navigate encounters. My methodology brings together critical disability studies with feminist, queer, and postmodern approaches to challenge harmful binaries about disability and access, in favour of mapping the complexity of encounters.

To do this, I employ a two-stage mixed-methods approach. The first stage encompasses a content analysis of newspaper representations of the Blue Badge scheme, alongside a survey of over 300 Blue Badge holders. The second phase consists of 20 semi-structured interviews with disabled people. My findings expose the Blue Badge bay as a microcosm of the negative attitudes held about disability in an ableist society, meaning accessibility is always contingent on the ‘goodwill’ of others. Impossible stereotypes about what a disabled person should look and behave like lead to considerable anxiety in using accessible parking spaces. I also highlight the possibilities for solidarity and positive disabled identities in resisting these stereotypes. Encounters emerge not just as an individual experience, but as a communal one shared by and between many Blue Badge holders. Ultimately, my research highlights that while ableism and stigma against disability are pervasive, no space can ever be truly accessible.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):

Supervisor(s)	Email	ORCID
Clarke, Harriet	UNSPECIFIED	orcid.org/0000-0001-7226-4126
Garthwaite, Kayleigh	UNSPECIFIED	orcid.org/0000-0002-6554-4143
Stokoe, Ash	UNSPECIFIED	orcid.org/0000-0001-6504-5494