Barcelona is facing fresh criticism after a parking sign in the Navas neighbourhood was found to still use the outdated and discriminatory term “minusvàlid”. The sign, at Bofarull Street, 38, was photographed on 22 May 2026, according to TOT Barcelona.
The wording sits at odds with Spain’s constitutional reform of Article 49, approved on 15 February 2024, which requires the use of “persona amb discapacitat” (person with a disability). It also conflicts with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, approved in 2006 and in force in Spain since 2008, which uses “persons with disabilities”.
Official language in Catalonia has moved away from the term for years. The Catalan government has avoided “minusvàlid” in communications since 2013, while later legal changes, including the amendment to the fourth book of the Catalan Civil Code on 23 October 2019 and the Law on Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination on 30 December 2020, also use “persons with disabilities”. The preamble to the 2024 constitutional amendment said the 1978 text needed “an update in its language and content to reflect the values that inspire the protection of this group, both nationally and internationally”.
The Municipal Institute for Persons with Disabilities, known as the IMPD, says public bodies should work from a human rights perspective and use universal accessibility criteria. The City Council also provides inclusive communication manuals with guidance on appropriate language, according to municipal sources. For more Catalonia-wide reporting on public policy and civic issues, see News.
Barcelona councillors have also reacted. Neus Munté, a Junts councillor and former Catalan minister for welfare and family, called the continued use of “minusvàlid” “inadmissible” and said the sign must be changed quickly. Eva Baró, an ERC councillor, said she was surprised that there is still such a lack of care around functional diversity in public spaces, and urged the council to act.
The issue was first highlighted three years ago by Toni Sanz, a local police officer from Molins de Rei and judicial expert, who posted about the sign on LinkedIn. He told TOT Barcelona that changing the term is part of avoiding stigma, but said it will take time for the language to disappear from everyday use. He also criticised what he described as negligence, apathy and indifference in public administrations.
The case comes after another recent report by TOT Barcelona on Barcelona City Council’s disability parking cards. For two years, the council issued cards with a ten-year validity, despite a Generalitat decree of 28 November 2023 setting a maximum of five years. The council said that during 2026, new cards will fully comply with the five-year limit and that public information will be provided.