Are supermarkets doing enough about accessible parking? DMUK’s new survey aims to find out

A graphic design with a black background depicting parked cars in parking bays that are parked correctly and incorrectly according to the accesible parking bays. The words Baywatch and Campaign are on the image

25/07/2025

For many disabled people, finding an available, accessible parking bay remains a persistent challenge, and leaves people feeling at risk of being judged or harassed, particularly for people with hidden disabilities.

With little evidence of enforcement, disabled motorists sometimes feel pressured to put their personal safety at risk by challenging disabled bay abuse. Our friends at Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) want all disabled motorists to feel safe, confident, independent, and respected.

DMUK’s recently launched Baywatch campaign highlights the ongoing abuse of disabled parking bays and Blue Badge misuse in supermarket car parks, calling for greater operator accountability.

The campaign invites disabled motorists, and those who travel with them, to complete a short survey each time they visit a supermarket between Monday 21 July and Friday 15 August, providing data on any issues they encounter. The campaign focuses on six major retailers - Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl.

The last Baywatch campaign received over 1,000 responses. We encourage our community to show their support and help gather as much information on accessible parking as possible by taking part in the survey this year. Participants will also be entered into a prize draw to win one of two £50 M&S gift cards.

Bookmark the survey this summer and take part as many times as you can during the campaign via this link www.surveymonkey.com/r/BDWGZTT

Please show your support for Disabled Motoring UK and help them achieve greater accountability in both public and private parking.

Did you know?

Demand is rising sharply, with 52 Blue Badge holders competing per accessible bay and nearly three million badge holders across the UK, including a 10% increase in England last year. These issues reflect a wider accessibility gap across public spaces and car parks, disadvantaging millions of disabled consumers nationwide.

40% of customers have been forced to leave car parks because there were no available suitable spaces. This is very disappointing considering 36% reported non-badge holders occupying accessible bays, according to a recent Confused.com report (June 2025). This is an increase from DMUK’s 2019 Baywatch campaign which reported 20% of bays were being abused.
4 in 10 disabled people said they can’t visit local shops because they are inaccessible. (Purple Pound)
Nearly 1 in 10 people admit to parking in disabled bays without a permit, often due to- lack of spaces, being in a rush or “will only be a few minutes” (Confused.com June 2025)
Over two thirds (67%) of Blue Badge holders have never had their Blue Badge officially inspected (Baywatch 2022)

According to DMUK, in the UK, 1 in 4 people are disabled, and supermarkets are losing over £500 million a month through a lack of accessibility (The Purple Pound). By gathering real-world data, DMUK can present this to the parking operators and supermarkets to show the need for prosecution and encourage them to change their attitudes towards abuse and misuse.

Community feedback

“Accessible parking bays aren’t just a nice-to-have - they’re a lifeline. Without them, so many disabled people are shut out of everyday life, whether that’s getting to work, buying food, going to appointments, or just being part of their community. When bays are misused or not properly enforced, it sends a really clear message that our access and independence aren’t a priority. Baywatch matters because it’s not just raising awareness - it’s holding people to account and pushing for real change.”

Dr Shani Dhanda, award winning Disability Inclusion & Accessibility Specialist

“I went to a supermarket, which had 25 blue badge bays, all were full, only 10 cars had badges the rest had no badges on display, the supermarket said the car park was policed by a private company. I had to try parking elsewhere, it caused problems when my wheelchair lift blocked the car park access road.”

DMUK member

“A father and adult daughter got out of a car which had no blue badge. My daughter politely asked if they had forgotten to put the BB on display, the abuse that followed was disgusting. I then approached the man and received the same. Security witnessed it and did nothing. I thought it was going to get physical, I walked away.”