Can i ask for a disabled/dedicated bay at work?

wazza

If it all goes well I will be starting work soon. Went to the office where I will be working. Parking is limited and have noticed there is no disabled parking bay. It is a small firm. If the car park is full I have to park miles away and get a bus to work. It is based in a retail park.

Can I ask for a disabled/dedicated parking space? I can't walk for long distance and the office is not on the bus route.

wealdroam

wazza wrote: »

Can I ask for a disabled/dedicated parking space?

Yes.

spiro

wazza wrote: »

Can I ask for a disabled/dedicated parking space?

Ask yes, get one - who knows. Firms are under no legal obligation to provide parking at work. The problem for the firm may be that if they provide one they may have to provide more (depends on current staff) and at some point they will say no because of % of staff who do and dont have a blue badge.

Did you not think to ask at the interview?
I presume you have a blue badge.

marlot

Yes you can ask. And no blue badge is needed, though lots of companies seem to think it is.

neilmcl

marlot wrote: »

Yes you can ask. And no blue badge is needed, though lots of companies seem to think it is.

May or not be needed but it would go to show that the OP would normally be entitled to disabled parking.

pogofish

neilmcl wrote: »

May or not be needed but it would go to show that the OP would normally be entitled to disabled parking.

Nope - The Blue Badge Scheme only applies for on-road and public regulated parking. It has absolutely no bearing on private parking.

Its the Equality Act that applies here and that applies to any suitably disabled person regardless of badge.

wealdroam

pogofish wrote: »

Nope - The Blue Badge Scheme only applies for on-road and public regulated parking. It has absolutely no bearing on private parking.

Are you saying that an employer cannot restrict access to their private parking bays, or some of their bays, to blue badge holders only?

I cannot believe that.

pogofish

Absolutely.

Go and read the guidance notes on any issuing authority website - This is made quite clear.

There is also a thread here where someone got clarification from EHRC and I have similar clarification from EHRC Scotland over my own disability situation. Slightly different regs apply north of the border and legal bays can be applied for but instances of legal bays are very rare indeed and almost always apply to residential situations, not workplace/other parking.

Mrs_Arcanum

wealdroam wrote: »

Are you saying that an employer cannot restrict access to their private parking bays, or some of their bays, to blue badge holders only?

I cannot believe that.

Privately owned disabled bays have no legal standing, they are provided as a courtesy and nothing more.

custardy

Did you raise the issue at interview?

antrobus

Mrs_Arcanum wrote: »

Privately owned disabled bays have no legal standing, they are provided as a courtesy and nothing more.

As far as the general public is concerned, yes. However an employer might choose to make adherence to certain parking regulations part of the contract of employment, and therfore would be able to 'enforce' such regulations against its own staff.