Blue Badge Rule Change To Allow For People With Hidden Disabilities

[Deskdiary]

Do people who are anxious really need to be able to park a bit closer to the shops?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/08/29/parking-permits-extended-people-hidden-disabilities/

[NellieMay]

Spath. I know its alright with you, but it doesn't make it right.

[pastafreak]

Spath...no, I don't drive. I came to the conclusion years ago that I would not be a confident driver. That was for a number of varied reasons. And now I'd not be able to afford it anyway.
Does my answer make my opinion of this issue null and void in your view?

[gness]

Nellie.....the answers to your questions are in the article.....
Lack of spaces? A logistical problem that needs addressing...x

[spathiphyllum]

Pasta quite the opposite

If you can drive but not cross the car park then that is an issue.

The fact you dont drive and would want the space makes sense.

[spathiphyllum]

My issue would be with people driving to a carpark, but not being ok with walking across the car park

[david small]

We’ve managed for years just using Blue badge for physical disabilities. Can’t walk far, or stand for long. Bringing mental issues into the mix muddies the water too much. My wife had, I stress had, acute agoraphobia, couldn’t even leave the house without accompanying help. Walking across a car park to a shop was irrelevant.

[woofgang]

I do think that people on here are getting mixed up about what the new blue badge permissions are for. Of course it won't be a help to everybody who has a hidden disability. I could however see it being a great help to people who need an escort or a carer to drive them...the two that are suggested in the article are people with autism and people who have brain injuries.

[NellieMay]

Down to political correctness gone mad.

[ummmm]

It's not just car parks though. Blue badge holders can park in 'permit parking only' spaces.

That would have come in very handy when I picked my grandmother up from her care home to take her to see my grandfather. I would have been able to park outside her care home and park very close to my grandfather's home instead of driving round and round looking for a 1 to 2 parking space and then having to move my car to another space. I was driving a lady in her 80s who suffered with dementia who thought she was in her 40s and got very stressed when she got out of breath walking.

[spathiphyllum]

Ummm, that situation in my eyes warrants a blue badge

[woofgang]

I don't think it would be allowed now but we used to have a department one at work. We used to do home assessments for people who were in hospital to make plans for their safe discharge including the supply and fitting of equipment. In three of the local small towns/villages, people live in flats over the shops on the high streets and they all had double yellow lines. having a blue badge meant that we could do the home visits and get people home from hospital.

[woofgang]

spath I am sure that your comment has really relieved ummms worries.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah I walk into street furniture
and fall off kerbs ( can be v v painful)

[spathiphyllum]

I hope it highlights that my views on this regarding anxiety don't correlate with my views regarding dementia or other mental illnesses.

[Peter Pedant]

o god talk about bossy boots and interferors
and people who get involved ( not so far covered)

I walked out of a disabled bog, and someone unkindly asked
well what is YOUR disability ?
and I said - colostomy - why do I have to answer questions like this?

[Peter Pedant]

dementia, driving
o god how many dead?

[ummmm]

The carer drives, PP!

[Ellipsis]

Blue badge bays are already heavily abused by the able bodied. Allowing those with "hidden" disabilities to park in them will make this abuse worse.

It's also not entirely clear why a hidden, mental disability requires parking in a wide bay close to the facilities. Other considerations (e.g. separation from crowds) may be more important.

I quite liked the "Purple Parking" idea but I think that name has gone to the airport parking company ...

[Deskdiary]

This is so open to abuse it is laughable.

On the basis that I have a guy at work that phoned (yes phoned) his GP from his desk and managed to get signed-off with "stress" on the strength of a phone call (I had no idea you could do that), if I was so inclined I reckon I could con somebody into believing I was anxious enough that I deserved a blue badge.

I simply refuse to believe an anxious person needs to be closer to the door of Sainsbury's and can then do their shopping.