Parking Lot
Proper Term for Handicap Parking: "Accessible" & ADA
Cojo
May 30, 2026
6 min read
Walk any commercial lot and you will hear it called "handicap parking." Look at the federal standards that govern that same space and you will see "accessible parking." Both point at the blue-striped stall near the entrance, but the words are not interchangeable in 2026, and the difference matters more than most property owners realize. Using the right language signals that you understand the rules, and in a few situations it carries real legal weight.
This guide clears up the terminology, explains where the older word still legitimately appears, and walks through how Oregon's permit and placard system fits the picture. If you are new to this topic, it is a good on-ramp to our pillar on ADA parking compliance in Oregon, which covers the technical requirements in full.
The Americans with Disabilities Act and the 2010 ADA Standards use "accessible." The reserved parking spaces are "accessible parking spaces." The symbol painted in them is the International Symbol of Accessibility. The route to the door is the "accessible route." The federal framework deliberately built its language around access, what the space enables, rather than around a label for the person using it.
"Handicap" has fallen out of favor in disability-rights language because it centers a limitation rather than the access the space provides. The shift toward people-first, access-focused terminology is now standard in federal regulations, professional practice, and advocacy. For a property owner, the practical takeaway is simple: when you write a sign spec, a maintenance request, or a lease clause, "accessible parking" is the term that matches the law and reads as informed.
The word has not vanished, and in some contexts it is still the correct, official term, so do not assume every use of it is a mistake.
So the rule of thumb is contextual: use "accessible parking" for the spaces and the standards, and recognize that "disabled person permit" or "placard" is the right frame when you are talking about the credential hanging from a mirror.
Terminology connects to a real legal system. Only vehicles displaying a valid disabled-person parking permit or plate may use accessible spaces. In Oregon, eligible individuals apply through the state for a permit, and the credential, not the vehicle, carries the authorization. That is why a space can be legally occupied by any car as long as the proper placard is displayed and the permit holder is being served.
For you as a property owner, this matters in two ways. First, it is the permit, not the paint, that makes a park legal, which is why posted penalty signage matters for deterrence. Second, you generally cannot demand to inspect someone's permit yourself; enforcement of placard misuse runs through law enforcement and parking enforcement, not the property owner directly. Your job is to provide compliant, well-marked spaces; the credential system handles who may use them.
In most day-to-day situations, calling it "handicap parking" causes no legal harm. But terminology becomes load-bearing in a few places:
What is painted in the stall is the symbol, not a word. Getting that symbol right, correct proportions, orientation, and color, is governed by the accessibility symbol stencil spec, and getting the whole layout right falls under Oregon ADA striping requirements.
When you are writing it down, use this:
Keep that list handy for sign orders, maintenance tickets, and lease language. It is a small thing that makes your paperwork read like it was written by someone who knows the rules, which is exactly the impression you want if a question ever arises.
Whatever you call it in conversation, the spaces have to meet the standard: right counts, right dimensions, right slope, right symbol, right signs. Cojo Excavation & Asphalt stripes and signs accessible parking to current Oregon and federal requirements. See our professional striping services, or request a free quote and we will assess your lot.
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