What counts as disability?

KxMx

skcollobcat10 wrote: »

I once met an old woman sprawled across a disabled space waving a blue badge in front of me. So I waved my one at her, she had the cheek to be keeping the space for her husband who was driving around the car park.

Both walked into the supermarket quite the thing and went into the cafe, never even bought shopping. I meanwhile let her have the said parking space although I was in an electric wheelchair totally unable to walk and really did need the space, I thought to myself, won't be long before they pop their clogs might as well let it go.

I appreciate that it seems in your case you had more need but really you should know that there can be many things wrong with a person even when outside they look and walk fine. You don't know how much pain they are in or if it is a case of them being lucky that day to get out.
After all this couple applied with whatever proof they had and got given a badge.

Being in a wheelchair/ sticks doesn't mean you exclusively belong to the disabled group.

black_paw

jjules yes i had one ..doctor very nice

intranicity

To young to be disabled/not looking disabled.

I get odd looks all the time, I'm 45, drive a nice car and park in Blue Badge bays. I don't use a wheelchair either but it does annoy me that people abuse the bays, especially at supermarkets, It would be great if Tesco's and the others actually policed these bays.

Luckily, when people see my blue badge, and I explain that I'm a War Pensioner, with a spinal injury, and the fact I don't use a stick is because it cause's me more pain and I can afford a new car because I get it on War Pensioners mobility supplement, they normally look sheepish and wish me a good day.

I've been asked on several occasions by traffic wardens to see the photo on my badge (Which I wish they would do far more often, to the 'Old' disabled as well as the young......

Only real problem I had was when a Community Support Officer said that there had been a complaint that I shouldn't have/be using my Blue Badge, after showing her my photo and explaining, she turned to her collegue and said "Oh, he has a Blue Badge and theirs nothing we can do!!!" I wasn't very amused :mad: by this and pointed out that didn't she mean, "Thanks for your help Sir and have a good day....."

THERE IS FAR TO MUCH ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM and it does need policing, but it also needs to be polite when you are disabled!!!

Minniecat

My nephew has Dyspraxia, and my sister receives DLA for caring for him as he is unable to care for himseld.

Ian5

OK you lot, if you are disabled and have a blue badge it is obviously your duty to LOOK DISABLED when you get in or out of your car.

However the blue badge stuff is a strange set of rules:

My mother had a blue badge for many years (suffered from RA) this meant that we could park near by, but as she could only walk 20 or 30 feet, she used a wheelchair and as a result with Dad or me pushing didn't need to be that near to wherever she was going, although we needed a good sized gap between us and the car next door for her to get into her wheelchair.

My 15-year old son also has a blue badge (different condition - HMS / JHMS why me!!!) he looks normal and does not like using the badge because people will see him as different, he however can not walk very far, although physiotherapy says that he must try to build up his muscles, so he starts off walking but I often find myself returning to the car to get a wheelchair or borrowing one from a store or shopmobility, so for him we often need to park quite close (though never closest) and sometimes in blue badge parking.

The trouble these days is that everyone looks at people parking in disabled bays and complains that they don't need it, even disabled people who should know better.

My best story, me driving at age 18 (a militant age) went to pick up mum at the end of some meeting thing. Both disabled parking places full. One car with no blue badge, so parked behind it blocking it in. Went inside to find mum. Found her but she needed the toilet and asked me to get something from the car for her. I went back to car to find one very annoyed driver having a go at me for blocking him in. I pointed out to him that he was parked in a blue badge bay but did not have a blue badge displayed, he could not think of an answer to that so he instead told me that I didn't look very disabled. He was as quiet as a mouse when I returned pushing a wheelchair.

A person using a car with a blue badge may be disabled or may be the disabled persons helper, you just can not tell.

mitch161

i have a birth condition that has multiple symptoms, physical and mental all my life i have done everything to hide the symptoms to lead a normal life.

what i truly hate sometimes is that although it proves that all my strategies for "looking normal" work, having people approach me saying im not disabled and then me having to burst my bubble of delusion that im normal just to prove i have issues.

i wish there were a "on the spot fine" for disability discrimination. basically mark down a persons car reg that approaches you that uses negative behaviour about the subject of disability and get the police to send them a fine for causing due stress so someone with a disability.

E.G parking as near to shops as possible so after 50 paces i dont start showing pain. means that when i get out of car i can walk into store normally. i get negative comments or looks just because i park close enough to avoid pain.

i bet if i parked 300 yards away (other end of car park) by the time i reached the entrance of shop id be in obvious pain and then have people critisizing me for not parking closer.

there is no way of winning in this world, is there?

i am unemployed and decided to just go ont jobseekers. i wanted to avoid ESA / DLA as i hate having to admit there is something up with me. but then jobseekers start getting negative if i cannot accept certain jobs they offer.

sometimes i get tempted (jokingly, i aint that mental lol) to cut off my leg just to shut everyone up

andriana

Does anyone suffer post phlebitic syndrome and if so to you qualfily for disability allowance

ggugvrunt

I must say I am extremely surprised at how difficult many people find it to get DLA.
I had Guillain-Barre Syndrome about 5 years ago which put me in intensive care for 2 months followed by 3 months in a rehab ward.
When I was discharged I was in a wheelchair and someone from Social Services helped me fill in the application, there was no problem getting the higher rate mobility allowance.
I was re-assessed after a year by which time I could just about get around using one crutch and my allowance is now indefinite.
Reading some of these posts makes me feel a bit guilty since I can just about get around on my own. Bad days do have me crawling round the flat though.
I have never lied or exaggerated on an application and now have a motability car which helps a lot.
Maybe people just need to ensure they get the correct advice when filling in the forms.

fiendishly

Ggugvrunt, I'm beginning to suspect that it is the Care componant of DLA that is being targeted for savings, possibly because it is much more subjective. I receive High rate mobility, which was approved with a minimum of fuss just using my GP report. Many of the people on here are reporting that they have had atos doctors visit and dispute he amount of care they need.

nan_jones

It's nice to read everyones threads. I'm writing this whilst sitting in pain, as my knees need operating on. I have osteoarthritis. I don't claim for my knees, but my left wrist, which gives me problems.
My experience, when I decided to tell someone at work I was disabled, was that I was told I'm one of those drains on society. If I'm disabled, then what am I doing here, she said to me. Most people would say to report her, but I decided not to. I even decided not to stop her saying it, as once said, it can't be retracted. Will keep that comment for a rainy day.