Frequently Asked Questions

Close to the Door is a mobile app that helps Disabled drivers and passengers find accessible parking spaces. With more than 500,000 parking locations worldwide, we show you detailed accessibility information that actually matters, like bay width, surface type, slope, lighting and whether there's a dropped kerb nearby.

Yes. Close to the Door is built for Blue Badge holders in the UK and the equivalent permit holders elsewhere — Disabled Parking Permit in Ireland, Carte Mobilité Inclusion (CMI) Stationnement in France, Behindertenparkausweis in Germany, Tarjeta de Estacionamiento in Spain, and the EU Parking Card across the rest of Europe.

The app helps you find accessible parking spaces with the specific details that matter when you're using a Blue Badge or equivalent — bay width, access aisles, kerb cuts, surface type and lighting. Each space's accessibility information is community-verified by Disabled drivers and passengers who actually use them.

Yes, you'll need to sign in with Google or Apple. This lets you save favourites, contribute spaces, vote on submissions and track your achievements.

Close to the Door is available on iOS and Android. You can download it from the App Store or Google Play.

We cover more than 500,000 parking locations worldwide, combining OpenStreetMap community data with official government datasets and community contributions. Our richest detail is across the UK, Ireland and Europe, and coverage grows as more people join and contribute.

Close to the Door is in early access. The core features are working but we're still refining the experience based on feedback. You may encounter occasional issues and we'd love you to tell us about them.

Open the app and it will show accessible parking spaces within 2km of your location on the map. You can also search for a specific address or place using the search bar at the top of the screen.

If you prefer not to share your location, you can search for any address manually and browse spaces in that area.

Three sources: official government datasets, OpenStreetMap and community contributions. Government and OpenStreetMap data is imported and verified, while community-contributed spaces go through a voting and review process before going live.

When you park in an accessible space, you can start a "parking session" to let others know the space is occupied. This helps fellow users plan their journey and avoid disappointment.

You can also report when a space is occupied, even if you're not the one parked there.

Tap on a parking space marker, then tap "I'm parked here". You'll need to be within 100 metres of the space for this to work. The space will then show as occupied to other users.

Yes, you can extend your session if you need more time. Tap on your active session and select "Extend". You can extend by up to 4 hours total, and there's a limit on how many times you can extend a single session.

If you find an accessible parking space that isn't on our map:

1. Tap the "Add Space" button
2. Position the marker at the exact location
3. Fill in the details: address, capacity, bay type, fees, and accessibility features
4. Submit for community review

Your submission will be reviewed by other users before appearing on the map. You'll be notified when it's approved.

Yes! If you notice outdated or incorrect information, tap on the space and select "Suggest Edit". Your changes will be reviewed by the community before being applied.

When someone submits a new parking space, it appears as "pending" and needs community verification. You can vote on pending submissions:

• Vote up – The information looks accurate and helpful
• Vote down – Something seems incorrect or the space doesn't exist

Spaces with 3 or more positive votes are approved and appear on the main map. Spaces with 3 or more negative votes are rejected.

Tap on the parking space and select "Report Issue". You can report things like:

• Space no longer exists
• Incorrect accessibility information
• Safety concerns
• The space has been permanently blocked

Reports help us keep the map accurate and useful for everyone.

You earn points when your contributions help the community:

• 25 points – When your new parking space is approved
• 10 points – When your edit to an existing space is approved
• Bonus points – For your first contribution and for unlocking achievements

Points reflect your contribution to the community and appear on the public leaderboard.

Achievements are badges you unlock by reaching milestones—like submitting your first space, maintaining a contribution streak, or helping verify a certain number of submissions. There are 13 achievements ranging from Common to Legendary rarity.

As you earn points, you progress through rank tiers:

• Bronze – Starting tier
• Silver – 100+ points
• Gold – 250+ points
• Platinum – 500+ points
• Legend – 1,000+ points

Yes! Close to the Door is designed to work with VoiceOver on iOS and TalkBack on Android. All interactive elements have proper labels and descriptions.

Easy Mode replaces the map view with a simplified list-based interface. It features larger touch targets, clearer layouts, and is easier to navigate with assistive technology.

Easy Mode automatically activates when a screen reader is detected, but you can also enable it manually in Settings.

Yes, we offer high contrast versions of both light and dark themes. These provide enhanced contrast ratios (7:1 or higher) that exceed WCAG AAA standards. You can enable high contrast mode in Settings.

Your location is used only to show nearby parking spaces on the map. We do not store your location history or track your movements over time. You can use the app without location permission by searching for addresses manually.

We collect only what's necessary to provide the service:

• Account info – Email and name (from Google/Apple sign-in)
• Your contributions – Spaces, edits, votes, and reports you submit
• Optional analytics – Anonymous usage data to improve the app (you can opt out)

We never sell your data. Read our full Privacy Policy for details.

Yes, you can delete your account at any time from Settings. This removes your personal information and profile. Contributions you've made (like parking spaces) may remain on the map in anonymised form to benefit the community.

Try these steps:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Make sure location permission is granted (or search for an address manually)
3. Zoom out—spaces appear within 2km of your search location

To start a session, you must be within 100 metres of the parking space. Make sure location services are enabled and you're close enough to the space. If you're still having trouble, try moving closer or check that the GPS has an accurate fix on your position.

Submissions can be rejected if the community finds issues with the information. Common reasons include:

• Duplicate of an existing space
• Incorrect location
• Space doesn't actually exist or isn't accessible
• Incomplete or inaccurate details

You can submit again with corrected information. Check the space details carefully before resubmitting.