AIBU Proof of disability is fine ?

[Itsamission25]

My previous post was about an incident regarding daughter ( 9 in wheelchair ) being refused the wheelchair space on a bus in favour of a toddler in a stroller and a sleeping baby in a stroller.
anyway, I have tried to gain some online support regarding the company and also put in a complaint with the bus company but this has caused a debate about invisible illnesses.
apparently companies should not be allowed to ask for evidence of disability ? I find this a bit odd. There is certain things that annoy me now about this for example how anyone can buy a disabled toilet radar key, how sunflower lanyards ( I think ) are readily available for anyone so lose there authenticity I find.
now my daughter has a wheelchair - yes and has a physical medical device that is visible, however we still need to show evidence for things like blue badge / parking. Carers tickets / ride access at theme parks etc.
surely this is correct, I have never had an issue with needing to. If you took away the rights of companies or organisations being able to do this surely everything would just be abused ?

Are you expecting people to show their stoma bags? Or scars? Or do a quick circuit to see how far they can manage before they get breathless?

Joe Bloggs shouldn’t be asking for proof of disability but if it’s for access reasons or adjustments then places often need to ask

if I am taking Ds somewhere in his wheelchair, or with his feeding tube connected up then it is obvious he is disabled so I don’t need to prove that for disabled/carer access. If he isn’t using either of them at the time then I willingly flash the dla/carers letter.

As you said things like the sunflower lanyard are already abused enough

How will you know of someone has autism? Expose them to a stressful situation, or a quick quiz?

@TulipsAndDaisiesAndBlossom huh ? That’s not what I said was it, at the moment of you want a carers ticket or ride access pass or a blue badge your have to show evidence. I don’t agree in taking this away or stopping organisations from doing so.

@Sirzy that’s what I mean I’m talking about organisation / businesses.

And if you don't have proof? Whilst I carry my disabled persons bus pass I'll only carry other evidence if I know I'm going to need it.

@SouthCountryGirl surely that’s the point though
if you are going to a place where you will need a carers ticket or access to something regarding being disabled you take proof ? Banning organisation of doing this would cause mayhem including for people with disabilities.

So I have to take my pip letter on the bus?

It’s not a disability space though, it’s specifically a WHEELCHAIR space. The proof would be the chair itself.

I get what you mean OP and can definitely see where you're coming from.

However there is a real issue in this country with getting to see a GP, being taken seriously, then follow ups, referrals(some of which can take months or even years) and so on until you reach a diagnosis.

So that leaves a lot of people struggling with their disability,but no evidence as such.

I don't know what the answer is.

I’m not talking directly about the bus, people were debating the not needing to show Proof anywhere but ok let’s talk about the bus
to use a disabled parking bay you need a blue badge - without one you can use other parts of the car park - no one is saying you wouldn’t be able to use the bus just like you would be able to use the car park without a blue badge.

@JustAnotherManicNameChange irs an issue as a whole really, like if they took the rights away from say businesses and organisations and they were told they had to just accept peoples word for it in terms of carers admissions / access passes / parking
it would personally I think put a lot of disabled people actually at a disadvantage

But I don't need to take my pip entitlement letter to use a disabled space. I get issued a blue badge.

Would you envisage similar for the bus?

Do you really think someone who sits in a disabled seat on the bus should show proof of their disability? What if they are just exhausted, or elderly or pregnant? IME it works pretty well in that if you see someone get on the bus who looks more disabled or frailer than you, people get up and offer them a seat on the whole.

Agreed. And this is the crucial difference here. It's a wheelchair space.

No it wasn’t about the bus. I was just highlighting we got on to the convo about proof of disability and this extended to a debate about having to show evidence of disability for other things and people saying no organisation or businesses should be allowed to ask for proof.

the answer to the blue badge comment though is exactly you do show proof because you have to show prof when applying for a blue badge so that is your proof

@cigarettesNalcohol the issue with that is they argued that there is no case regarding the wheelchair not being priority because someone with a toddler in a stroller could mean that their toddler is autistic etc. so it’s not as simple as well a wheelchair trumps it.

And if you can't get proof then what? Many of us will just have hospital or benefit letters. I'm not happy about carrying around such private information.

But then are you saying there should be a general "disabled" badge? That I have to show to random shops/buses/whatever?

That's exactly what I mean. I only have my pip letter. I don't want to carry that around.

People who need to provide proof of disability to gain access to something, whether a blue badge, pass at a theme park etc still have to do that and that's never changing so whatever online debate you got into is wrong.

You cannot ask someone who walks normally out of an accessible bathroom or sits in priority seating should not be challenged on whether they are "disabled" enough and that is correct and should always be the case.

Your bus/wheelchair issue is separate.

The ones I’m talking in saying I don’t agree in being taken away are companies and organisations that provide alternative things for disabled people that ALREADY ask for proof
such as
companies who offer carer concessions, ride access passes
parking - blue badge
things like this.

@SnipSnipMrBurgess i was highlighting that’s how we got on to the debate about the proof of disability. The post is about people saying no organisation or company should be able to ask for proof which in my opinion would make things worse !

Is there any requirement for attractions to give free carer tickets, or do they do it of their own accord?

They do it of their own accord