I’ve now been disabled for three months, and recovery is painfully slow (no puns intended). Disabled I am, housebound I am not, and my wife has been driving me around. As I don’t have a blue badge, this means I am effectively locked out of much of the infrastructure which is supposed to “enable” people with mobility problems, and she often has to drop me off somewhere before parking, as I need the door fully opened to get in and out of the car. Knowing that my recovery will be a fairly long process, I applied for a blue badge, and a few days ago had my over the phone assessment.
After answering all the questions, I was told that I am not disabled enough to get one, as apparently I’m still breathing. I questioned this and was told I could appeal, but I don’t think it will be of much use as I do not have emphysema or any other breathing difficulties. The lady doing the assessment tried to stick to the script when I questioned the result, stating that the purpose of the scheme was to help “people with mobility problems access their community”. Apparently a broken hip isn’t a mobility problem, or at least enough of one to qualify.
When I explained that to get in and out of a vehicle I require the door to be fully opened to rotate myself in and out, I was told that Transport Scotland set the rules, and this is not to be taken as a consideration. “In any case” she said ” kerbside disabled parking doesn’t come with additional space at the side, it’s the same size as a normal parking bay.” That’s right, but “kerbside” usually opens onto, you know, the kerb. Because I cannot get a blue badge I cannot use disabled bays in supermarket car parks or shopping centres, where they do provide additional room to get in and out of a vehicle at the side. It’s been a particular bugbear of mine in the past, when I see young, fit people in sports gear parking in disabled bays and casually throwing a blue badge onto the dashboard, that they are keeping people who have genuine mobility problems from accessing disabled parking.
There really should be a system in place where people who have had major surgery which will have a serious impact on their mobility should be given a temporary blue badge on discharge from hospital on the authority of a GP, not a “computer-says-no” type with a checklist designed to weed people out. I’ve been given great support from many different people, on trains, on airlines, in hotels and restaurants, yet the one bit of help which would be of the greatest aid, day in, day out, I cannot get. Roll on the appeal.
The Airdrie Rambler 
it’s essentially because it’s temporary that they won’t allow you a blue badge. But I fully agree with you that a scheme for temporary disabilities is a really good idea!
I did read that the Blue Badge could be awarded for conditions which may last around 12-18 months, and I did meet that criteria. Apparently if you can walk 50m unaided then all bets are off, irrespective of how painful those 50m might be.
Oh yeah, I know about that. 50 yards is nothing though! They were the same with my mother for ages but, eventually, she got her blue badge.
I agree that there are a lot of very undisabled looking people with blue badges. I knew a guy at work who had a blue badge for mental issues – to my mind, he shouldn’t have been driving then!
I had the same problem I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the Pancreas and liver ans was told by social work I was disabled enough for a blue badge but when I applied and got a phone call consultation I wad told because I live in an upstairs and downstairs house I don’t qualify so when I started Chemo I appealed and got the badge and no question about the type of house
I was asked if I had handrails, and I have two so I told them that I can get down stairs using the assistance of the handrails, but as I could walk further than 50m without a break then I do not qualify. I do think that GP’s and Consultants should have a say in whether there is a necessity for someone to have a badge, be it termporary or permanently.