It’s all-too-common a frustration: The driver of a wheelchair-accessible vehicle pulls up to a disabled parking space only to find it occupied by a vehicle without the requisite placard or plate. Or the striped loading zone next to the parking space has been taken over, in part or whole, by another vehicle.

The Save Our Spots program is designed to educate the public on the importance of disabled parking spaces and those striped zones next to them.

“One of the biggest barriers to inclusion for wheelchair users continues to be misuse or abuse of accessible parking spaces, specifically related to the access aisle,” BraunAbility says on its Web site. “The issue ranges from a mild annoyance to a major barrier. For example, an independent driver who cannot deploy his or her ramp into the access aisle because someone has blocked it in will have to wait for the offender to return before they can enter their vehicle. It’s not just a significant inconvenience; it’s a reminder that even with the right equipment, disability inclusion is ignored by many still today.”

As summer travel season gets underway, BraunAbility is offering free “Save Our Spots” tickets as teachable moments for parking offenders. The blue and orange “tickets” say, “You’ve Put Me in a Tight Spot,” and explain why the striped loading zone needs to be kept clear.

Fill out the registration form on the BraunAbility Web site to receive three packs of Save Our Spots tickets (with 25 tickets per pack).