Pregnant? You might qualify for disabled car tags

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom. This editorial was written on behalf of the board by Star Tribune Opinion intern Noor Adwan, a 2023 graduate of the University of Minnesota.

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When state Sen. Julia Coleman was pregnant with twins, walking was incredibly painful and her mobility was limited — making even simple errands a monumental task.

"I just ended up paying extra to have everything delivered to my house," Coleman, R-Waconia, said.

But a law she worked to pass in this year's legislative session, a collaborative, bipartisan effort between the Legislature, the Council on Disability and policy fellows at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, clarifies the accommodations that people have access to during pregnancy.

Starting July 1, people experiencing certain pregnancy-related impairments — like difficulty walking — will be explicitly included in statutory language outlining who is eligible to receive disabled parking tags for their vehicles.

While people experiencing certain impairments related to pregnancy weren't excluded under the previous iteration of the law, they weren't explicitly included, either. Because of this confusing language, Coleman said many people didn't know that conditions related to pregnancy could qualify someone for disability tags — including herself when she was pregnant.

"When this came to my attention, it clicked right away in my mind," said Coleman, who has worked across the aisle on a number of issues affecting working mothers. "I, too, had no idea when I was pregnant with twins and barely able to walk around that this was something that I could have accessed."

Had she known about these accommodations while she was pregnant, Coleman said things would have been different.

"In my pregnancy in particular, I had to go to three or more doctor's appointments a week," she said. "The parking and walking into the clinic alone was something that I'd have to sit in my car, take a deep breath and mentally prepare myself for; the pain was so great at that time. But I think this would have helped immensely with that."

While this new language won't be reflected on application forms until later in the year, people experiencing certain impairments related to pregnancy can apply for parking accommodations right now. The application process is the same as it is for any disability. The pregnant woman fills out one half of the application, which is available on the Department of Public Safety website, and a health professional the second.

Leah Koch is an attorney and one of the policy fellows that worked on the project. She and her group — composed of Koch, Kayla Christensen, Njeri Clement and Mike Karbo — developed the idea based on the experience Mike's wife, Cristina, had going through her pregnancy in the United States. Koch said Cristina, who is from Costa Rica, was frustrated by Minnesota's lack of pro-family policies and infrastructure.

They also drew inspiration from Illinois, Koch said, the only state they found with a parking policy that explicitly included pregnant women. Dubbed Henry's Law, it allows people in the third trimester of pregnancy to use a disability placard for 90 days.

Being pregnant, Koch said, can be difficult and intimidating. But this policy might make it less so.

"Putting this in statute empowers women who are having a hard time accessing public spaces," she said. "This is another tool in the toolbox that they have to ensure their safety and health."

Pregnancy can be as challenging as it can be rewarding, but it doesn't have to be. There are steps that can be taken to support pregnant women through what is a uniquely vulnerable time in their lives. Making it clear that pregnant women do, in fact, have access to these accommodations is a no-brainer.

"This opportunity will go a long way for mamas out there in Minnesota," Coleman said.

People experiencing impairments related to pregnancy can apply for parking accommodations right now. To learn more about or apply for disability tags visit disability.state.mn.us/technical-assistance/disability-parking.