AIBU to put up a no parking sign on my garden wall

[Worrysaboutalot]

As in picture. DH used to park in position 1 and I used to park my big car in position 2.

However now I have a mobility car and a wheelchair, I can’t load and unload my wheelchair on the drive, in position 2 as the drive is too steep and in bad repair.

So, I am currently parking in position 3 on the road half over our drive and half over the kerb. To offload my wheelchair onto the dropped kerb. So I can get to my ramp and the front door. DH now parks in position 2.

The issue is, if I return to my house and someone is parked in position 3, I am stuck, as I can’t half cover someone else’s drive to off load my chair onto their dropped kerb IYSWIM.

I have checked my council’s website and they don’t paint disability bays on the roads in a residential area. So that is a no go.

I understand I have no legal right to stop or ask anyone to not park in this space, but would I be unreasonable to put up a polite notice asking people to park elsewhere, so I can unload my wheelchair?

Nat6999 My case is worse scenario, your area is likely to be more helpful. Everything takes so long, I know you moved in to your mums before Christmas, hope you get sorted soon.

Did the B12 injections help?
Did the hospital do further tests for you?

Worrysaboutalot I had nerve conduction studies which showed major nerve damage in my legs & damage to my hands. I've been self injecting B12 since last October but haven't seen any improvement yet.

@Mamamamasaurus

This isn't the point of the thread but have you claimed PIP? I know it doesn't help the parking issue but the money you would receive would help fund items such as power chairs, stair lifts etc

I wrote a list and accidentally deleted it.

Shorter version is that half of pip goes on the mobility car and half of pip goes towards a fraction of my additional daily needs. Please note, goes towards, does not cover my additional daily needs.

There is nothing to save up for the big things just taking two of these longer term needs.

I will need...
...£4k every 3 years to keep a mobility car (for the next 6 years whilst my kids need driving around)
...£3.5k every 3 years for power chair replacement

So with all my pip money already spend covering mobility monthly cost, plus a portion of my additional daily needs.

I have to save £200 a month from a budget of zero in order to keep myself mobile. I have no way of doing this. Unless I find a job, I will be house bound at 50yo onwards. Once I am housebound, the chance of me working reduces further...sigh.

I am a bit confused here..

What have the council got to do with wheelchairs?

Wheelchairs are provided by Wheelchair services, you should be referred to wheelchair services by your gp or consultant.
Whilst the criteria for each area may differ slightly, its usually things like 'will you use your chair indoors/outdoors/for education/employment' not 'can you stand and walk 6 six steps'. I have a powerchair, I can still just about drag my ass up the stairs 2 x a day.

Occupational therapists come to your home and assess your needs, they don't do physical therapy, they see what you need re hand rails, stair lifts, bathroom adaptations - some of this can be provided as loaner equipment (so I have some Roho cushions for sofa, wheelchair etc, handrail on the stairs, bath board across the bath, hand rails in the bathroom)...
So I am really confused as to why you think OT won't help, or why you've been refused referrall to OT.

If you are on a low income, apply for a WAV rather than a standard motability vehicle.

You can have the 'wav experience' which is a weeks loan of a suitable WAV.

Then apply via the grants team for a grant to cover the advanced fee on a WAV that meets your needs.

I got a grant for a Citroen Spacetourer, so the full £4K advance fee paid for, all the services will be done at my home rather than as with a standard vehicle, taking it to your dealer, and the lease on these is 5 years rather than 3.

Arse I keep forgetting things...

You will NOT get a grant by going to a standard car dealer, whilst technically they could do them in reality they will fob you off and say no, you will need to go through the grants team and the WAV experience stuff and get it that way.

@Nat6999

Worrysaboutalot I had nerve conduction studies which showed major nerve damage in my legs & damage to my hands. I've been self injecting B12 since last October but haven't seen any improvement yet.

I am so sorry the nerve tests, showed damage. Last time we "spoke" on here, you were awaiting the nerve test and just starting the B12 injections.

WiddlinDiddlin
Around here Adult SS assess you at home. I have been loaned a...

1. bath board (which we replaced at our cost to a fold against a wall one, so the kids can still have a bath)
2. Toilet cage (which we replaced at our cost with wall mounted fold away bars)
3. Bed sitter upper
4. Perching chair (we got a second one for downstairs off Facebook marketplace)

The GP refer to wheelchair services but only if you can not pull to standing.

I needed a car which I could drive my 4 kids around. I was advised that no WAV would be suitable by the DVLA assessment centre. They told me to apply for a seven seater, which I did.

What about asking the council if they will pave over the grass verge so you can fully park over your drive and still get your chair out safely.
Our council did that across our area to save money on grass cutting.

WiddlinDiddlin Adult SS also told me over the phone that they don't pay for stairlifts!
But we had already got a second hand one installed before we rung, to prevent me from repeatedly falling on and down the stairs.

@Yubaba

What about asking the council if they will pave over the grass verge so you can fully park over your drive and still get your chair out safely. Our council did that across our area to save money on grass cutting.

Good idea, I will do.

However that doesn't stop people from parking on the verges before and after my drive. Other motorists could still block me in. But it gives me more options.

@WiddlinDiddlin

Arse I keep forgetting things...

You will NOT get a grant by going to a standard car dealer, whilst technically they could do them in reality they will fob you off and say no, you will need to go through the grants team and the WAV experience stuff and get it that way.

I will look into this and see what might help me next time. Certainly driving straight into a vehicle, must be easier than hoists my chair myself!

I think I was confusing people who help you move with exercises, which I think of as OT.

With people who assess you and your home which in our area is Adult SS.

Our Wheelchair services criteria is really strict. No chair for anyone who can pull to standing.
Inside manual chair only for those who's houses allow them to use the chair 100% of the time.
Extra criteria for power chairs!
The GP said that our WCS refuses referrals from amputees and I had no chance.

Yes YABU, you can put a sign up but it would be very self important. You have a drive big enough so just make your drive usable instead.

@MaryBoBary

Yes YABU, you can put a sign up but it would be very self important. You have a drive big enough so just make your drive usable instead.

Unpopular opinion but I agree. The husband should be parking on the road and keeping their drive clear so his disabled wife can use the drive. The only way I’d agree they needed a sign would be if both husband and wife were disabled and needed close access.

Worries the people who help with exercises are physiotherapists.
The people who help with practical issues resulting from impairment are Occupational Therapists, and they can be employed by the NHS, or by Social Services. This is often confusing, and SSOTs are often mistaken for Social Workers.
Budgets for equipment are often jointly held, but the bigger adaptation stuff usually needs a SS OT.

Unfortunately as it is a public highway you can't prevent someone parking there, notice or not.

Forgot to say that you can usually refer yourself for an OT assessment, and don’t need a GP to do it.

I've seen little blue wheelchair signs on peoples gates before. Maybe do that, although it will only be appealing to peoples better natures, so good luck with that.

Wow I can’t believe that you have not got the basic support. I now feel so lucky with my council I haven’t had to fight for anything. We had to pay for a stair lift but then a charity have given us money for it. Everything else has been provided without really asking. I also have carers coming in every morning without asking. I do have cancer and it is life limiting but feel very fortunate after reading your post. I am so sorry this should not be how we treat our disabled people.

Sadly I think it’s all to do with your council and how much money you actually have. Also depends on your condition and how disabled you look to them. It’s case by case basis and if you say you them you can afford this or they you want an updated model you won’t get it. There’s a load of paperwork to get though and apply for for everything and lots of yes boxes . Also from what I’ve seen if your in council housing they provide things free. My mum has 5 friends all disabled and all in electric chairs. 4 in council housing and one privately owned. The one in her own house got refused everything including a carer the rest got approved. It’s so bad but they shouldn’t fund one and decline the other.

Could it be worth contacting wheelchair services again? DH can stand but they still paid a lot towards the cost of a decent wheelchair.

Also check to see if there are any grants you can apply for. They may be able to sort your drive out to give you better access to your property.

Worrysaboutalot Regarding the £4k every 3 years if your car has only done a low mileage you can extend your lease to 5 years. Mine has only done 1000 miles & my 3 years is up next April & if I am back driving I'm thinking of keeping it another 2 years.

@Worrysaboutalot
*My consultant says my chair is a necessary.

Help with a chair was refused with no looking into our finances. In fact our savings were far lower than their maximum allowance, so had they decided to fund a chair we were officially in financial need.*
If you needed one, then he could have referred you for a NHS wheelchair, if you met the criteria, which I imagine you don't. Council funded wheelchairs via Adult social care, may well have different criteria. But there are other avenues.
What is your condition? Have you spoken to the charity associated with it or as close to it as possible?

[quote BusyLizzie61]@Worrysaboutalot
*My consultant says my chair is a necessary.

Help with a chair was refused with no looking into our finances. In fact our savings were far lower than their maximum allowance, so had they decided to fund a chair we were officially in financial need.*
If you needed one, then he could have referred you for a NHS wheelchair, if you met the criteria, which I imagine you don't. Council funded wheelchairs via Adult social care, may well have different criteria. But there are other avenues.
What is your condition? Have you spoken to the charity associated with it or as close to it as possible?[/quote]
I don't meet wheelchair criteria as I can stand.

It is nothing to do with money, as we never got that far.

I also asked begged wheelchair services to measure me and/or give us advice on the best chair for me. All was refused. You can stand = no help.

My consultant told us it was time to get our own wheelchair (we had been borrowing hospital ones at that point) and told us to apply to pip. But said our local GP had to refer us to wheelchair services. As this hospital was the areas neurological specialists not our local hospital.

My condition is extremely rare neurological condition, no charity associated with it.

The brain and spine said I didn't fall under their remit and even the rare disease charity helpline could only read out three lines about my condition and the person reading it had never heard of it before either!

In a year of searching I am in contact with one person who has the same thing. But she is loads better. It was caught at a much earlier stage than me. She is very lucky, still walking reasonably well.

Thanks for the 5 year extended lease advise. I will definitely try that.