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 ?

This is a very good point. I also agree with the poster upthread who said you shouldn’t have to apply for an Access card to prove your disability.

@Inkblue but what should organisations do ? It’s a hard one
so shouldn’t have to apply for access card or things for evidence but how to they protect one their business and fairness ?

They could accept all the other pieces of evidence people have, BB, PIP, DLA awards or they could even take your word for it. Most people are pretty honest really. I don’t know about the Access card but going on what some posters have said here, it seems very intrusive and not particularly fair.

I like the Access card - didn’t find it particularly intrusive, and my experience was that it was much easier than PIP. Also easier to carry around than PIP
letters etc, plus more about access requirements.

I’m not sure I agree about people being honest…

I think people are being quite naive. So say for instance the theme parks didn’t ask for any proof and it became public knowledge. You don’t think people would take advantage of free tickets ? Easier lines to the rides ?
access card is a lot easier than carrying around letters it’s just a small card the same as a bank card.

The point is, if you're providing a discount because of a disability, you have every right to ask for proof. Most people would be fine with that. That kind of discount is generally aimed at people with more severe disabilities and, therefore, more likely to have some kind of proof available, such as a blue badge.

If it's just access - such as a RADAR key for a toilet or a priority seat on a bus - an honesty system should be enough. Not everyone needing access is disabled enough to be able to prove it.

Unless, of course, you think we should all get some kind of assessment from our already overburdened GPs...

I feel it’s another barrier for disabled people. You need to apply online and you have to pay for it. I had a look earlier and they do ask a lot of questions. I don’t even know who they are so not sure why I’d want to give so much information away about myself. My parents were both disabled and were never asked for any kind of proof.

@breakingintopieces I am replying to the comment regarding access pass and me asking about theme parks and one of the suggestions was to take peoples words for it

I never said anything about needing proof to sit in a seat in a bus - people just made that up

@Inkblue providing a DLA letter if that’s what people prefer is absolutely fare but making it no proof needed for line access,
carers tickets etc leaves it open to such abuse that it would end up being scrapped completely.

You don’t seem to have any problem accessing things. I’m curious as to why you are so worried about other people.

This is an example of an access card
the squares at the Bottom is all that is shown about your health / disability.

What do you mean I don’t have any issues accessing things ?

I didn’t mean it in a negative way but you say you use the card and it’s working for you.

There’s lots of things wrong with disability access which caused the debate in the first place. It would only get worse for disabled if it became un checked.

I have a blue badge but think things like access cards are a good idea because I don’t think the threshold for a BB should be the criteria for deciding someone’s needs and/or disability.

Whilst I don’t appreciate being quizzed, I wouldn’t mind if it’s for a one off card which then once that’s shown you’re done explaining. I literally argued with a man in the street when I was parking the other day and showed him my face on my blue badge and told him to ring the council to see what criteria I bloody met. I know in my borough that abusing blue badges is rife, and think there’s a fine line between protecting our dignity and giving piss takers an open field to falsely claim disability. There should be some kind of ID card or number that links with your identity for people who have disabilities, chronic illnesses and additional needs and SEN etc but that does also bring up the question of who has the right to be requesting this, how is dignity respected and GDPR and more?

In the Orlando theme parks they now aren’t allowed to ask for proof of disability, so despite me coming prepared with paperwork they didn’t need it. I was telling a friend this and their friend was there, just in the context of me saying there’s no way we could have done the queues in Florida, and they asked the process for access etc and the friend of friend mentioned they had Florida booked and jokingly said that if they don’t ask for proof she may have to try it. Friend said a few months later that’s what they did, lied at the desk and just said disability and they had no choice but to approve the pass as again they are not allowed to ask for proof. It’s seen as or under the law as a violation of medical privacy etc so they can’t ask. Here in the UK at Chessington and Lego etc they do ask for proof and also ask questions about the nature of the condition.

re things like radar keys, I asked at.I don’t know how many official channels from council to GP how to get one until I asked someone coming out of a disabled loo and she said errr I just buy them off Amazon? So I got one off Amazon.

Not going to lie, I think it would be way easier if there was a government or singular organisation that provided cards to show people were disabled (eg they’d show that place the proof of pip/blue badge/medical evidence) and you could just show that. I hate carrying my pip
letter as it’s either quite in depth on my medical diagnosis or has my financial bit on. My blue badge often has to be in the car so can’t then take it to purchase attraction tickets… it would just be easier imo.

@theWarOnPeace that is the exact issue once people realise they could do it - they would.
then the issue is the access lines would be rammed and the people who genuinely need it no longer have the benefit.
same as carer tickets, people started booking carers tickets because they could then they would soon stop !

There is a trampoline park and a climbing wall place near me where they have quieter sessions for people with disabilities where they turn the music off, have less people admitted and the entrance fee is about £3 cheaper. They don't ask for proof. I know someone who openly takes their non disabled child to these sessions. Every time they mention it they get the Paddington bear hard stare from me and a reminder that those sessions are for disabled people, many of whom can't access the other sessions because they are too busy. They don't care though, they only think about what's best for them and saving £3.

I’m not familiar with pip as my son gets dla but for dla if you get higher rate mobility (which you need to qualify for motability) then this automatically qualifies you for a blue badge. Is it not similar for pip? We are other way round to you p, we get blue badge for my son but he’s only on lower rate mobility so we don’t qualify for motability

"I’m not familiar with pip as my son gets dla but for dla if you get higher rate mobility (which you need to qualify for motability) then this automatically qualifies you for a blue badge. Is it not similar for pip?"

No you can get the higher level mobility PIP and not be automatically entitled to a blue badge. DS has just switched to PIP and he isn't.
He gets 12 points for planning and making a journey which means he can have a motability car but his blue badge is dependent upon the council agreeing he fits their criteria.
He got it automatically with DLA through the severe mental impairment criteria but there is no equivalent PIP condition.

My ds is doubly disabled. He doesn't need a blue badge, he might need a seat on the bus and he definitely needs access to to an accessible toilet at times. People are definitely more tolerant of this when his disability is visible eg when he has a feeding tube.

@Morph22010

The rules for automatic BB are different for PiP and different again for ADP (Scottish disability) then they are for DLA.

And in Scotland you need 12 to get a BB for the 'planning a journey' - I have 10 so if I was in England I would get a BB automatically.

Sorry this is me just half awake
.
The rules are different in Scotland to England - it doesn't matter if it's PIP or ADP you get, sorry

You would hope that ,but just going off the sunflower lanyard during the pandemic ,it became meaningless because everyone had one and I heard it being called the mask exemption lanyard ,the.original, purpose of it was so people with hidden disabilities in supermarkets ,airports ect could be identified if they needed, extra support ,now I'm not getting into a pointless argument about masks and I'm sure many people genuinely couldn't wear them but I don't think it was everyone .