A charity is reminding motorists to leave accessible parking spaces for those with blue permits, as part of its wider efforts to start a national conversation on disability issues.

Beyond Inclusion, which provides social engagement opportunities for those with support needs, said in a statement it recently “witnessed first hand” someone leaving their car without a permit in an accessible bay in Hamilton.

The charity, which released a photo of the car with a blurred licence plate on social media, said: “Accessible parking is a right, not a convenience.”

Beyond Inclusion’s founders Brianna Ball-Roach and Rebecca Lawrence said accessible parking misuse was a “violation of the law” that “directly impacts the safety of people with disabilities, who are considered a vulnerable population”.

The pair said a post they made about the alleged parking misuse was taken down from one local Facebook forum.

They claimed that was indicative of a lack of willingness here to publicly discuss disability issues, despite Bermuda having adopted the extension of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities a year ago.

“At a national level, we have committed to protect and uphold disability rights,” the statement said.

“Yet the public continues to act as though accessibility concerns are optional, inconvenient or not relevant enough to address openly.

“If we cannot even discuss accessible parking misuse, one of the most basic accessibility issues, how can we claim to be moving towards genuine inclusion?”

The Corporation of Hamilton states on its website that designated disabled parking bays on city streets and car parking lots are identified by the international symbol for the disabled — a blue wheelchair — and are for use “solely by disabled persons who have a disabled persons parking permit from the City of Hamilton”.

Misuse can result in a vehicle being ticketed.

The Human Rights Commission conducted a public survey for a Disability Inclusion Report it released this year and 5 per cent of respondents said disabled parking spaces were often occupied by those without disabilities and needed to be better policed.

The commission also held a community conversation for people with disabilities, disability support professionals and public and private sector representatives.

One of the most popular recommendations for promoting disability inclusion from participants was for “more appropriate parking amenities, eg, adding additional disabled parking spaces that allow for safe access …”

Lisa Reed, the commission’s executive officer and a member of Beyond Inclusion’s board, said: “Without addressing a specific case or scenario, the Human Rights Commission’s Disability Inclusion Report provides the findings and recommendations of a public consultation to understand the lived experiences of people with disabilities and identifying the barriers they face in Bermuda.

“The report indicated that legislated rights alone are not enough. Implementation, accountability and collective responsibility are essential.”

Ms Reed encouraged anyone who believed they had been discriminated against to contact the Human Rights Commission by visiting its office at Milner Place, Ground Floor, 32 Victoria Street, Hamilton, calling 295-5859 or e-mailing info@humanrights.bm.