To expect school to have a blue badge space for parents?

[Dhalandchips]

My Ds is starting secondary school in September. He has a few transition days coming up soon and I'm expected to take him and collect him from reception. I am disabled and the nearest parking spaces are quite a distance away. Usually I can manage on crutches for short distances but this means I will have to get my wheelchair out and faff about. It's irritating that there's nowhere closer to park. There is space but of course at pick up/drop off times it's chaos. AIBU to ask school to paint a yellow box for BB holders (I'm sure I'm can't be the only disabled parent) I think I've made sense!

Are you absolutely sure there aren't any already? They won't be labelled 'blue badger spaces' probably but there's usually some there.

Omg obviously I meant blue badge. Wtf is a blue badger?!

Is there no BB space for dropping off disabled students?

I’d have a word with the school. It may be that they have a staff car park you could use, which may be closer.

Once he starts school in September though, I would expect that you’ll just drop him off and pick him up. You won’t even need to get out of the car.

I would double check with the school. Even if there's no designated disabled spcaes, there may be somewhere suitable to park with your blue badge that's closer

I would be questioning why you need to drop them off in person tbh, surely lots of parents can’t due to work etc?

Have you checked School don’t have a disabled parking space in their car park?

Makes sense to me. I don't think my school has one either

I though blue badge holders could park on double yellow lines? Is there anywhere suitable you could park on yellows?

Sorry, I meant to say that I emailed school and asked if there was a specific space but was told no...and selfishly, I hadn't even thought about disabled students!

The school need to know you are going to struggle is there no near the school parking at all ? You could use your blue badge in the carpark without there being a designated space

I will probably just dump and run after the first week or so, but as it's a public building, I thought it would be a requirement under the equality act. Staff car park is chock-a-block! What about disabled staff!?

We have a large drive at the school with the drop off zone wrapped all around it, so you can drive round and pull in when there is a space. The whole side that lines up with the entrance is marked for disabled use. There is always one person trying it without a blue badge each year, but they are quickly educated. As long as the child or dropper offer has a badge, they can park in that space. There is enough space on the rest of the drive for cars to park either side and a car to drive up the middle, so everyone just lines up until it's full.

Yes you can park on yellow lines for up to 3 hrsish as long it isn't a loading bay

Does your DS also have mobility issues? Why do you need to get out at all? Can't you just drive by and he leaps out? That's how drop-off and pick-up works at my DCs secondary.

I'll make him walk to his little sisters school I think, and I'll meet him there (where there are TWO BB spaces )

I think you need to politely go back to the school and say you have a problem and ask what they suggest. They may come up with a solution. My friend had this issue after an operation, so temporary, but asked the school for help and they saved her a spot in the staff car park.

Agree with PP - just use double yellows close to the school and put the badge out. Our child is disabled and we do this. There is a disabled bay close ish but it's not quite close enough and sometimes some arse had parked in it (no bb displayed).

They might have some in the staff parking area. They might be very tight for parking of any sort though. Many schools are.

Will you always be dropping him off though? Will he be eligible for a school bus? If so then would that not help? Few parents do school runs for secondary school in the same way as for primary, and the kids are generally OK with that unless there is the occasional special reason for needing it on a given day.

There could well be some provision, but you need to ask the school about it.

I think as it won’t be often you’d be needing to take a secondary school age kid actually into school the might not want to paint you a box.

I guess I'm thinking ahead of events at school too, parents evenings, shows, that sort of thing, where there is going to be a lot of demand for parking. As for double yellows, yes as long as you're not causing an obstruction. The school is on a very narrow road and parking is not allowed. The car park is tiny.

Are you sure there isn’t a disabled bay in the staff car park? Our secondary has one and it’s pretty much always free. Unless the school has a disabled teacher then they tend to be used very infrequently, also teachers are usually on the premises earlier and later than the students so the staff cars aren’t moving at the times you need to park up. I’d be very surprised if you weren’t able to use the staff car park.

I’d definitely ask the school to make provision for B.B. holders. They probably haven’t bothered because no one has asked before, but future parents may well thank you.

Yes ask them to sort something out

Alternatively you could leave school out of it, contact the council and ask them to paint a blue badge space as close to the school as they can.

I'll make him walk to his little sisters school I think, and I'll meet him there (where there are TWO BB spaces smile)

I thought you had to meet and drop him at reception?