Blue Badge

rolopolo_2

I just had a quick look at Crocks Cafe. This is another thread in the Disabled section on MoneySavingExpert. I have to say first impressions were very good. The posts seemed positive and supportive. I may stay a while, though I'll have to visit later after I've given the kids their tea.

Thanks to everyone here who gave me advice about the Blue Badge. I'll need to have a good think about everything that has been said before I decide whether or not to apply.

idvi

rolopolo wrote: »

Yes, that is how I found here! I thought it might be a good place to find out about disability rights.Sadly, this thread hasn't turned out to be as constructive as I thought and seems to have been hijacked by someone whose agenda is not to help other disabled people. (sorry idvi I know it was your thread originally.)

I'll need to have a good look through the other threads before I decide if this Forum is for me.

Sadly this has not been a good reflection of how disabled people treat each other.

i agree with what your saying but maybe we just need to stop baiting people like that who come here just to cause hassle and just ignore them

besides which, i will definetly keep everyone here update of all developments, i promise

i dont like to call myself 'severely' mentally disabled, but imo i probably am. so if there are other people who are so severe that life would be made much easier with a blue badge but arent sure i hope they get the info they need from this thread (final outcome remains to be seen), but fingers crossed

fyi all, i sent all of the information to the blue badge team leader at the council, including information from other councils, the dept of transport 2007 study (a few pages back) and the blue badge national eligibility pdf file (which says somethin about behavioral and mental issues)
also provided medical evidence (psych report from a couple of months ago)

they have everything they should need. even if i dont get it its the principle of the letter they send which made it sound like i have no mobility problems and people mental health problems cant be affected. even if i dont get a bb, i want there team leader to acknownledge that people with mh issues have mobility problems (otherwise so many wouldnt get dla low rate mob!)

also the fact they dismissed my application without even writing to my gp. they just assumed my mobility was fine because i was claiming on mental health grounds not physical. its just lazy at the end of the day on there part.

its almost not about the bloody badge now lol, its the principle!

:T

pwales_2

Skeenfleent wrote: »

I wouldn't feel OK with myself applying for a blue badge, even though I suffer from Aspergers Syndrome-induced social anxiety which sounds similar to what you experience.

The way I see it, considering that it's not essential for my mobility, by applying, then further appealing and that kind of thing, I'm helping put pressure on an already over-stretched service, which helps no-one.

I personally feel rather fortunate NOT to have physical diability and mobility issues, and the annoyance of being mentally uncomfortable when travelling is NOTHING compared to what it's like having a 'real' problem moving around.
I was nearly injured in a major way in a hit-and-run traffic accident once, and imagined the possible outcome if I hadn't been so lucky (death/major disability).
I got back on my bike very soon afterwards. It wasn't easy, but nothing is.

Mental Health issues are real problems, but what I'm saying is that the blue badge system is designed for people with great physical problems and that's it. Hence why your application was rejected I would imagine. Just because you CAN claim something doesn't always mean you should, but that's just my opinion.

Also, think about it this way - those fellow ill people who don't enjoy public transport like me spend even more time on aforesaid public transport when people are blocking the road with their cars parked on yellow lines. This happens all the time in London, for example, and is most often simply a selfish act by the driver without a blue badge. Then there's the subjective blue badge users and whether fair or not it does have the same effect on other traffic.

So, get a badge if you can, but why not get a bike instead - then you avoid people and move quicker through the streets than on foot so can get away from the source of anxiety? I far more enjoy cycling than walking for just that reason.

(I have Aspergers Syndrome which is a disability/neurological condition, whereas depression and anxiety is an illness, I have both, claim for the illness and know what I'm claiming for and what I'm not and respect that. We could be living in sub-saharan Africa, no benefits there).

spot on ! :beer:

rolopolo_2

Good luck idvi. I'll pop on occasionally to see how you got on.

idvi

if anyone needs any further info:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/259428/281009/bluebadge.pdf

excellent pdf file outlining everything and anything about eligibility

Indie_Kid

idvi wrote: »

fyi all, i sent all of the information to the blue badge team leader at the council, including information from other councils, the dept of transport 2007 study (a few pages back) and the blue badge national eligibility pdf file (which says somethin about behavioral and mental issues)

They know the criteria already.

pwales_2

idvi wrote: »

if anyone needs any further info:



excellent pdf file outlining everything and anything about eligibility

good link told me alot
see below
Explanation
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman][FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]If you are applying for a badge under this criterion you will need to show that:[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman][FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]• you are unable to walk; or[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]• you have a physical disability that means you are unable to walk very far without experiencing severe discomfort; or [/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]• the physical effort needed to walk could damage your health.[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]People with a behavioural or psychological disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment causes very considerable difficulty in walking all the time. Your local authority will probably ask for you to be assessed by a medical professional, such as a physiotherapist or occupational therapist.[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]thats why they said no[/FONT]
[/FONT]

idvi

pwales wrote: »

good link told me alot
see below
Explanation
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman][FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]If you are applying for a badge under this criterion you will need to show that:[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman][FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]• you are unable to walk; or[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]• you have a physical disability that means you are unable to walk very far without experiencing severe discomfort; or [/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]• the physical effort needed to walk could damage your health.[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]People with a behavioural or psychological disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment causes very considerable difficulty in walking all the time. Your local authority will probably ask for you to be assessed by a medical professional, such as a physiotherapist or occupational therapist.[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica 55 Roman,Helvetica 55 Roman]thats why they said no[/FONT]
[/FONT]

i dont get your point

'not normally apply' is worded in a negative way - but i interpret that to mean that also, they do know that there will be some applications based on that, and they will consider them. i would say i do have considerable difficulty walking in public places because of the reasons.

its subjective and its open to interpritation, but its also not unheard of and they dont say 'no' out-right.

:T

Domina356

rolopolo wrote: »

I am a bit nervous about posting to this thread as there seems to be a lot of people who are not very supportive of people with different types of disabilities. Can I ask please that people do not flame me for asking this question.

I have been registered partially sighted for a number of years now due to a degeneritive untreatable eye condition. I lost my driving licence over 12 years ago. It took me several years to get up the courage to apply for DLA as I found it hard to admit the extent of my disability. I was awarded DLA with the lower mobility component.

Recently I have started to find my eyesight is getting worse. I am now at the stage where I struggle to walk down stairs and have to hold the handrail and go extremely slowly because I cannot make out where stairs stop and start. This can cause a lot of tutting from people behind me on the stairs which I find a bit upsetting. I am also frightened of falling down stairs. I also find in multi-storey car parks that I need to wait for my husband to take my hand to guide me as I struggle to see because they are often quite dark.

I have recently been thinking that a Blue Badge would make a big difference to me when it comes to parking in multi-storey car parks as the bays are generally on floors with easy access out to shops often without needing to go up and down badly lit stairs.

But I am concerned from reading these posts that even if I do get a Blue Badge, people might abuse me for having one. The problem with being partially sighted is that it is such a hidden disability. I look normal (whatever that is) to most people and it is only when I meet things such as crowds, badly lit areas, bright sunshine, stairs and low/high obstacles that my disability becomes apparent. Then if I slow down, people often assume that I am being rude or stupid.

Has anyone who is registered partially sighted had any success in applying for a Blue Badge? And if so, how has their experience been of using one?

Thanks

My OH is registered as partially sighted, and appears to have a degenerative eye condition similar to your own (apart from having other issues). He recieved a BB as he is on HRM/HRC DLA and our local council use this as part of their qualifying criteria.

Again, as his disability is "hidden", we often encounter hostility from others, despite the difficulties he faces in mobility - in its broader definition - not just ambulation.

I would not dream of (ab)using the BB if he was not present with me, as people with genuine difficulties often have trouble finding spaces as and when required.

I wish you luck, and wish some of the other posters a little more tolerance.

idvi

sh1305 wrote: »

They know the criteria already.

the esa people know the esa medical criteria.. doesnt stop them screwing people over lol