Disabled Persons' Parking Badges Act 2013

Richie-from-the-Boro

gingergee wrote: »

Lol, I mean if it's mega windy,I live on exmoor so it can be bad (occasionally). I was using it as an example of why some with disabilities require the badge even when not in receipt of dla mobility part. Parking closer to an entrance on a windy day is what I was getting at. Maybe irrelevant as such but highlights issues with bb. Sorry if my post offended, I didn't mean it to.

- not offended, nor did I intend to offend hence the big green grin
- I was having a light hearted 'poke' at the written suggestion that non-BB spaces triggers seizures
- whereas I assume full size spaces don't

You are correct, all people regardless of means tested or non-means tested who have a blue badge have the same rights and entitlements. The previous bad practices with BB fraud [mainly perpetrated by BB holders] will 'wash out' over the next couple of years with the new scheme, more spaces and more policing of those spaces will be the result.

That's a much better place to be than BB users have been in the past.

gingergee

Ah lol, I see! Thought I'd out something wrong is all!!! Sorry x
I actually didn't realize disabled spaces were bigger? Der lol. I use the ones closest to doors mainly. But can understand them for those with chairs etc who need the room.
Still, they are issued for reasons, making them hard to obtain is just another form of discrimination.
X PS how did you put the green thing on? I've lost my smiles? Stupid kindle!!!

M00minMama

I do think councils still need to consider people not registered for DLA/PIP. Think how long it will now take before you can even begin an application for PIP, let alone the waiting time for assessment.

I applied for a blue badge a couple of months before going on to DLA. I could have applied for it but resisted being labelled. There certainly needs to be a more stringent policy of assessment than when I applied. I was shocked how easily mine was issued. I was prepared to be assessed, provide evidence etc but literally had a 10 min phone call, gave my medication list, how far I could walk and why then got told I would be sent a badge in the post.

I'm shortly getting a WAV delivered for my Powerchair i will still need a disabled bay to get in and out of the vehicle but will be happy to take the bay furthest from the doors!

My own experience is that we as badge holders ( good, bad, old, young and everyone inbetween) need to show the level of courtesey we expect from other badge users. Bearing in mind the abuse that my husband has endured as my able bodied driver when he parks to collect me with the badge, and can be seen leaping out of the car and running to the entrance of the hospital.:p

dori2o

M00minMama wrote: »

I do think councils still need to consider people not registered for DLA/PIP. Think how long it will now take before you can even begin an application for PIP, let alone the waiting time for assessment.

I applied for a blue badge a couple of months before going on to DLA. I could have applied for it but resisted being labelled. There certainly needs to be a more stringent policy of assessment than when I applied. I was shocked how easily mine was issued. I was prepared to be assessed, provide evidence etc but literally had a 10 min phone call, gave my medication list, how far I could walk and why then got told I would be sent a badge in the post.

I'm shortly getting a WAV delivered for my Powerchair i will still need a disabled bay to get in and out of the vehicle but will be happy to take the bay furthest from the doors!

My own experience is that we as badge holders ( good, bad, old, young and everyone inbetween) need to show the level of courtesey we expect from other badge users. Bearing in mind the abuse that my husband has endured as my able bodied driver when he parks to collect me with the badge, and can be seen leaping out of the car and running to the entrance of the hospital.:p

It's not just councils and blue badges.

This problem of councils/companies/employers/organisations/charities using DLA/PIP as the 'universal' identifier for determining whether or not someone is disabled needs to change. Especially with the detremental changes being applied to disabled people in the name of Welfare Reform.

A lot of help that is provided to people, such as free/reduced entry to attractions/days out, help from charities, public transport costs, even things like adjustments made in the workplace, are reliant on the person being 'registered disabled' despite the fact there hasn't been a disabled register for a number of ears.

What 'registered disabled' means to these companies, is those who are in receipt of DLA.

As the immoral changes to disability benefits take a grip over the next 4 ears or so, many many disabled people are not only going to lose their benefit, but also the other things that come as a result of claiming disability benefits, so they will be hit in more ways than one.

Despite what some stupid people may think, not being awarded DLA or PIP does not mean you are not disabled, and IMO every disabled person is entitled to those extra bits of help that those who get DLA/PIP, and so things need to change somehow to acknowledge and offer help to those disabled people who do not claim, or have been rejected for DLA/PIP

sunnyone

M00minMama wrote: »

I do think councils still need to consider people not registered for DLA/PIP. Think how long it will now take before you can even begin an application for PIP, let alone the waiting time for assessment.

I applied for a blue badge a couple of months before going on to DLA. I could have applied for it but resisted being labelled. There certainly needs to be a more stringent policy of assessment than when I applied. I was shocked how easily mine was issued. I was prepared to be assessed, provide evidence etc but literally had a 10 min phone call, gave my medication list, how far I could walk and why then got told I would be sent a badge in the post.

I'm shortly getting a WAV delivered for my Powerchair i will still need a disabled bay to get in and out of the vehicle but will be happy to take the bay furthest from the doors!

My own experience is that we as badge holders ( good, bad, old, young and everyone inbetween) need to show the level of courtesey we expect from other badge users. Bearing in mind the abuse that my husband has endured as my able bodied driver when he parks to collect me with the badge, and can be seen leaping out of the car and running to the entrance of the hospital.:p

I have a Paravan which is a WAV based on The Chrysler Grand Voyager, the side ramp is 6 ft and you still need room to dismount/turn from the ramp which makes most disabled bays too narrow so I park in two adjacent bays far from the shops with the supermarkets permission, the distance dosnt matter and someone who might need the disabled bay more may get to use it.

In council car parks I park in end bays or on street bays (my ramp comes out from the passenger side) but sometimes I do have to use disabled bays and I have to park as far over to the left as possible without going over the lines/stopping other disabled people accessing their cars.

In my DMUK mag three months ago someone with a vehicle like mine couldnt understand why people got upset when they took up two disabled bays! How ignorant can you get, have they never had to go home because they couldnt get parked? I have and I would never do anything that ignorant, I am rarely alone and in an emergency me and my powerchair can be unloaded before pulling into a bay if my husband is with me.

Richie-from-the-Boro

M00minMama - - "needs to be a more stringent policy of assessment"

- tests were run last year in 8 BB COE's in the UK
- the results from the pilots mean it has already begun

Those 'fast tracked' to a BB via PIP Enhanced Mobility Component will have national guidelines. All other BB applications including Standard Mobility Component will be re-tested on a case by case basis. Those not 'fast tracked' will also have national guidelines set out by the DfT who are responsible for the legislation that sets out the framework for the scheme. The 'tests' will be similar to the PIP descriptors applied, but tested by their local authority.

Walking, one foot in front of the other / pain / breathlessness / gait / distance / speed / manner / aids etc are all tested, usually by occupational therapists and physiotherapists working for the local authority in question.

Role of central Government - The Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible for the legislation that sets out the framework for the scheme.

Role of local authorities - Local authorities are responsible for the day-to-day administration and enforcement of the scheme.

They are responsible for determining and implementing administrative, assessment and enforcement procedures which they believe are in accordance with the governing legislation. Whatever the local arrangements, it is important that there is effective communication between the teams that issue Blue Badges and those that conduct on-street enforcement. It is the responsibility of each local authority to ensure that badges are only issued to residents who satisfy one or more of the eligibility criteria set out in the legislation that governs the scheme.

Under no circumstances should anyone who does not satisfy at least one of the criteria receive a badge. All members of staff who deal regularly with applicants and badge holders should be included in the local authority's Disability and Equality Awareness training programme. Such training will help staff to understand the importance of the scheme to those who may rely upon it to access goods and services.

REM : Anyone can apply for a blue badge, anyone, with or without DLA or PIP. Check your eligibility here.

M00minMama

I fully agree that disabled shouldn't be restricted to receipt of particular benefits.

I have been lucky enough to grow up in a family who were one of the first to provide respite care and had family members work with special needs education. As an able bodied person I worked in industry for many years and took on an additional disability liaison role and championed inclusive-design principles.

I nearly always encountered those who considered people were only disabled if they had an official registration or certificate and if someone didn't 'deserve' that then they couldn't be disabled.

Education is definitely needed. It is amazing how quickly people can understand the impacts of their action/ behaviours/designs on people with disabilities. For public and private sectors offering good service means attracting and retaining happy customers or service users.

Education in the workplace also spreads out into the community.

time2save

Be_Happy wrote: »

Sorry if I am reading this wrongly, but if you google Disabled Persons' Parking Badges Act 2013 this has nothing to do with the medical qualifications for the badge, but is how Local Authorities, etc can administer the use of the badge, recalling badges after misuse, etc. The aim of the act seems to be dealing with the misuse of the badges already issued, nothing to do with the grounds of original issue.

Yep it is, my bad

teachergirl

Just a quick update. My sister wrote to the assessors and my dad was reassessed on Saturday and given his blue badge back:j Whilst I am really pleased about this I cannot help but think what a massive waste of the taxpayers money this has been and how it has caused my father a great deal of undue stress. Surely a doctors note would have made the whole thing unnessesary.

JS477

teachergirl wrote: »

Just a quick update. My sister wrote to the assessors and my dad was reassessed on Saturday and given his blue badge back:j Whilst I am really pleased about this I cannot help but think what a massive waste of the taxpayers money this has been and how it has caused my father a great deal of undue stress. Surely a doctors note would have made the whole thing unnessesary.

One word......POWER!!!

Unfortunately it goes to the heads of some people who work for councils!!