To be utterly, utterly appalled by Nimbus/Access card registration?

[JelliedFish]

Personal information about my child’s disability is sensitive. I’ve already shared documents/proof with DLA.

In order to register for an Access card, I need to share details again. Photographic copies of doctors letters etc are requested.

Surely the government DLA/Carers allowance letter is sufficient proof already?

Then we come to the +1. This is very ambiguously worded, but it seems that different venues have different criteria as to what counts as a ‘+1’. Meaning that some venues acknowledge you as a carer, and others don’t. Therefore some give you free entry as a carer, and others don’t offer this as they have specific wording to ‘wriggle out’ of acknowledging your role as a carer.

But my biggest problem is that they try and persuade you to pay £15 to register with them!

So surely, they are making a business out of people with disabilities?? Why do you need to ‘prove’ your disability again for their business?

This just seems so wrong to me!!

And re the £15...it's a bargain in my view.

Think of the (non-monetary) benefits.

Even a blue badge has an application fee

Fifteen quid for 3 years will barely cover their costs.

I have never applied for DLA or carers allowance for my daughter, so wouldn't have this as evidence to show venues. However with the evidence the access card asked for she was granted one for queuing. It's been fantastic for her. I'm also glad they ask for evidence etc, as otherwise everyone would have one and it would end up being like that sunflower lanyard.

I'm on the fence here really, I have one for my child but had to really argue the fact he needed a 1 to 1 when the evidence I gave them letters from school,paediatrician and his EHCP stating he had a 1 to 1 full time which at the age of 10 1 to 1s at school is only for children that really need them (less of a fight from the LA then nimbus).
And they still tried to tell me he didn't need one!
I got one in the end for him though but it was another fight that disabled people/carers really shouldn't have to do.

We have one for DD, including the +1.

It's been amazing for her, in part because she feels more confident having a physical proof of her issues that doesn't require her to talk.

They are quite clear that the threshold is high, and that it has to be evidenced. This is, imo, as it should be otherwise it would become useless from the numbers using it when they don't need it.

This is one of those benefits of having DLA - therefore having some sort of diagnosis that people say many parents seek for their children - that some people claim doesn't exist.

Some parents, just for the perks like free access/easier access, claim they're no longer parents but actually just carers in situations where they'd still be parents anyway because the child would need to be with an adult anyway - disability or not. Of course some venues realise this and acknowledge a parent as simply a parent and not just a carer. It makes sense otherwise they'd be losing a lot of money.

If there are hoops to jump for £15 for 3 years to get this perk, no matter how imperfect it is, it's worth it and I don't see why some complain.

The problem here OP is that you want a free ticket when you go somewhere with your child, because they are disabled, when in reality you would be with them even if they were not disabled. Having to pay for an adult tickets to something like a theme park is just life when you have kids.

When your child is older they may well qualify for a +1 on this system.

I'm disabled and appreciate that being disabled is expensive but what annoys me about your post and the reviews you have cherry picked is there is a lot more to being disabled than wrangling free stuff. The queuing adjustments, admission of service dogs, and toilet facilities for example are the true barriers to access. But no these 'carers' just want a free ticket.

Yup!

As the government is not providing this service your options are to pay for the service provided by a company or not. No company is going to provide this service for free because it costs them to do so. I'm not sure how you think that part is unfair.

Yeah this. If your kid needs an adult supervision in a theme park then you would have had to pay for an adult ticket anyway

Possibly. But when we go anywhere it is touch and go as to whether we will be able to stay for a ‘normal’ amount of time. Overwhelm means we often leave early. It is incredibly frustrating to have to pay for a family day out that lasts only an hour. We often have to do a pre-visit just to get used to a place before we can begin engaging with it. I reckon it would take us at least three visits, and three entry fees, to be able to do what a standard visitor would do in a day.

My DC is unable to access standard extra-curricular activities where a parent would typically drop them off and have free time. As a result we go to more venues/days out, but I have to come too.

It is especially frustrating as money is tight. I do not work as a direct result of DC’s disabilities. Okay, this and the extra curricular issue, is not the venue’s concern but I do not feel unreasonable in my expectation that I should get in free when I take my DC places.

Ok. After a bit of research.

From carers.org:

Be careful with websites that offer carers’ discount cards for a price, you should not have to pay to prove that you are a carer. Check with your local authority to see if they offer a carer’s card.

Also - I’ve looked for the difference between the definition of a carer and a +1 essential companion.

Basically a carer is defined as giving MORE care needs than an essential companion. E.g. a carer would wipe bottom etc.

So Nimbus saying I’m NOT a carer and not even defined as an essential companion is wrong!! Very wrong!

You should not have to ‘prove’ you are a carer and pay to prove. I’d say this is unlawful.

Its not unlawful because it is optional.

Mine do, well a card that says the child is on the Disabled Child’s register. The LA check with the diagnosing medical professional. All for free. Been accepted almost everywhere. The only exception was a minor theme park, where I didn’t try as it wasn’t on their list, but they were ok with a DLA letter.

@Littletreefrog Being scammed into giving your bank details is ‘optional’ but still unlawful.

Its wrong.

Ok you are being unreasonable now. No one is scamming you. You may not like the way this company operates but they are not scamming you and it is entirely optional wether you participate in their scheme. If you dont want to then continue dealing with each venue separately for your access needs.

Venues are clamping down on access and the free +1 because so many CF are abusing it and that's the real crime.

It’d be unlawful if it was mandatory. It is not. It’s a shame to make life easier. Lots of people prefer it. Some do not.

You don’t agree with their assessment that a child who would need a supervisory adult anyway doesn’t need a +1. That isn’t miles away from the governments permission that DLA isn’t payable when a child is a young enough that they’d need support anyway, even if the support is extra, such as more nappies/nappies for longer/etc. I don’t know if that’s still the case; but it certainly used to be.

It doesn’t sound like it’s the right scheme for you; and you’d probably prefer to present your documentation every time and negotiate with each venue. That’s fine. You can avoid anywhere that demands this card. For other people, especially those who hate presenting the documentation every time; this is a good scheme that prevents that.

£15 for three years isn’t making a profit. If the price goes up, you may have a point. Right now; you’re sounding off about it being unfair and money making and against the equalities act, and none of those things are technically true.

@Littletreefrog

I’m afraid I do think it’s a scam because I’ve been asked to pay to prove something that I now realise I didn’t need to pay / give my child’s sensitive information over for.

Thats bloody awful!! I fell for it and I’d class myself as pretty careful.

Again:

Be careful with websites that offer carers’ discount cards for a price, you should not have to pay to prove that you are a carer. Check with your local authority to see if they offer a carer’s card.

How many people KNOW this?? Did you? I didn’t!

I’m with you, op, I hate the access card. It’s set accessibility right back and i won’t apply for one.

You can get a carer’s pass with your DLA letter, this scheme is just profiting from disabled people, gatekeeping disability in a way that’s not in line with the law, and giving businesses a mistaken impression of what their duties are under the Equality Act.

YABU. It can feel so raw having to do this sort of thing. I used to throw the PIP/DLA paperwork at the wall. It enraged me. I used to scrape huge jagged crosses on every page and write HE CANNOT MOVE HIS ARMS AND LEGS AT ALL WHY DO YOU KEEP ASKING on the back. I was unreasonable; it hurt so badly.

All I can do is offer you hugs and virtual cups of tea and confirm, yes, you are being unreasonable. You can fight the world and it won't fix it. ☕🍰💐

But there is no ‘disabled child’s register’

So before you signed up for the access card how did you prove you were a carer to venues? By providing your documents? So you did know you could prove you were a carer without the card.

What seems to have happened here is you signed up for the card thinking it would provide you with an easier way of accessing the venues and unfortunately that hasn't worked out for you due to the way Access card determines various needs such as the need for a carer.

So you haven't been scammed it just didn't quite work the way you thought it would and now you are unhappy with that. Which I perfectly understandable but most definitely not illegal or to say it will be that way for everyone.

You aren’t being asked to prove you are a carer. The card isn’t about you. It’s about what the person with the disability needs.