Disability Blue Badge

KMK

I would welcome advice please.

My husband aged 69 has just had a 2nd knee replacement.After his first op. 5 years ago we obtained a temporary badge to help him cope with getting in and out of the car and accessing the shops etc.

This time we seem unable to get a badge, and using normal bays is not easy, as he needs extra space to get in and out and the bays are often a long way from the building. I have to reverse out to let him get in and then he slowly is able to access the car. This holds everyone else up and people can be so impatient, although they can see he has a stick.

Is there any way round this?Unless a disability is permanent there seems no chance of qualifying for a badge any more.Have I got it right?

GlasweJen

KMK wrote: »

I would welcome advice please.

My husband aged 69 has just had a 2nd knee replacement.After his first op. 5 years ago we obtained a temporary badge to help him cope with getting in and out of the car and accessing the shops etc.

This time we seem unable to get a badge, and using normal bays is not easy, as he needs extra space to get in and out and the bays are often a long way from the building. I have to reverse out to let him get in and then he slowly is able to access the car. This holds everyone else up and people can be so impatient, although they can see he has a stick.

Is there any way round this?Unless a disability is permanent there seems no chance of qualifying for a badge any more.Have I got it right?

Pretty much, you can apply via the council with support from your GP or orthopaedic department but I imagine as the knee replacement is usually done to enhance mobility he won't qualify as by the time they process the payment and make up the badge he will be back to having normal movements.

lemontart

get the form and take it to your gp to help fill in, that is what my mother in law did

teddysmum

lemontart wrote: »

get the form and take it to your gp to help fill in, that is what my mother in law did

But was her case longstanding ? The gentleman concerned should soon be back to normal, like someone who has problems with a broken leg. The latter wouldn't get a blue badge.

McKneff

Drop him near the door, go park. When you finished, pick him up at the door

50Twuncle

There is an appeal procedure - I used it (after being turned down without even being assessed, 2 years ago) - I was sucessful in my appeal !

Pop_Up_Pirate

KMK wrote: »

I would welcome advice please.

My husband aged 69 has just had a 2nd knee replacement.After his first op. 5 years ago we obtained a temporary badge to help him cope with getting in and out of the car and accessing the shops etc.

This time we seem unable to get a badge, and using normal bays is not easy, as he needs extra space to get in and out and the bays are often a long way from the building. I have to reverse out to let him get in and then he slowly is able to access the car. This holds everyone else up and people can be so impatient, although they can see he has a stick.

Is there any way round this?Unless a disability is permanent there seems no chance of qualifying for a badge any more.Have I got it right?

To be honest, the best thing to do with replacements is to walk as much as you can.
Walking will help strengthen the knee and will aid recovery.
It will also help to reduce long term limping.

retiredandskint

When I had my knee replaced I contacted the supermarket's that I regularly visited and explained the problem. They all allowed me to park in the blue badge bays and I just let Customer Services know when I arrived.

I don't know if this would work in a large retail park but you could phone and ask.

pogofish

teddysmum wrote: »

But was her case longstanding ? The gentleman concerned should soon be back to normal, like someone who has problems with a broken leg. The latter wouldn't get a blue badge.

Thing is, people do get caught by this.

When I became disabled, the surgeon's attitude was - "You won't need to get a badge because we'll have this all sorted by surgery in around four to six months.!

Three and a half agonising years later, I finally had my first of three operations - during which time my impairment had gone from bad to very severe and although finally, after nearly six years and three operations, I am finally seeing a decided improvement, I'll never have the mobility I used to have and in the interim I could have made very good and genuine use of a badge.

pogofish

retiredandskint wrote: »

When I had my knee replaced I contacted the supermarket's that I regularly visited and explained the problem. They all allowed me to park in the blue badge bays and I just let Customer Services know when I arrived.

I don't know if this would work in a large retail park but you could phone and ask.

You can insist.

Blue badges have no absolutely meaning in private car parks - They only apply on public roads and in publicly regulated parking. Away from that, its the Equality Act 2010 (came into force 2012) that applies and that puts the onus squarely on the shops/car park operators to provide reasonable adjustments for all suitably disabled people regardless of badge.

So once you inform them that you have a condition covered by the act, they have to make the appropriate adjustments or you can sue - and the penalties for not doing this are potentially quite hefty.

teddysmum

pogofish wrote: »

Thing is, people do get caught by this.

When I became disabled, the surgeon's attitude was - "You won't need to get a badge because we'll have this all sorted by surgery in around four to six months.!

Three and a half agonising years later, I finally had my first of three operations - during which time my impairment had gone from bad to very severe and although finally, after nearly six years and three operations, I am finally seeing a decided improvement, I'll never have the mobility I used to have and in the interim I could have made very good and genuine use of a badge.

As your condition emerged to be possible long term, you could probably have reapplied, but a knee replacement is not expected to be long term ,as with a broken leg.