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!!

I haven't used nimbus. I just have a photo of our dla/pip/carers allowance letter on my phone and they've always been accepted.

I'm not paying £15 for something that's not needed so some company can make a profit from my childs disability.

Perhaps the simple way around this is to make the carer ticket more nuanced. For example, at theme parks, if a child should be able to ride the rides unattended by the age of 8, then a carer ticket should be available if the child is over 8 and still requires supervision on rides.

But if the child wasn't disabled, you wouldn't need another adult if you had your other children with them.

All parents are parents. That is very different from being a parent carer.

Well, I don't know how Nimbus assess things - but if you have, say, three children under 10 and cannot supervise the other two while ministering to the child with disabilities, maybe they'd agree you do need an extra adult, one of whom is the disabled child's +1?

Also, if your child is disabled enough to need carers, their disability is hardly a secret? I have no problem providing them with evidence that my DC has autism and learning disabilities because this is obvious to literally anyone who spends even 20 seconds with him. What exactly do you think they are going to do with the information?

Same. I've had emails telling me that my pip letter / partial sight registration card is proof enough.

So why pay £15 for “proof” if it’s so evident?

@Sirzy for the convenience of having verified proof. But you are missing my point - for example anyone can put on a limp to try and get access, so it’s only fair for venues to ask for proof your limp is real, which is why I don’t mind paying for the access card, even though my DC is evidently disabled. What I’m saying is that if people can already see you are limping then why would you mind showing documents that say you have a limp.

But if you have DLA/PIP you already have that proof.

I bought a radar key to enable me to access accessible toilets, but didn't have to prove my disability. This means that this too is open to abuse. Anyone could buy a key.

They could, and they do. It's very annoying.

@Sirzy We do, yes. But there are conditions covered by the access card which apply to people who don’t have DLA/PIP, or a blue badge. And my son’s significant needs mean that his access card covers 2 carers, which is not something showing his blue badge or DLA proves.

But that card doesn’t compel anywhere to actually allow two carers. It still depends on individual policy.

to me it seems it’s nothing more than a money making thing.

@Sirzy

to me it seems it’s nothing more than a money making thing.

You don't have to pay for it though, if the venue insists on an access card for evidence they usually accept the free 'one time' application. It's absolute choice to pay for a card.

Yes I was going to say the same - £10 for a blue badge for three years in England (I think the fee varies among the home nations, so it might be more expensive elsewhere).

I think it's a fantastic scheme. £15 for three years is a bargain.

They are a social enterprise run by disabled people. I'd definitely rather give my child's info to them than places like theme parks.

My son has the queuing symbol which is really helpful and has allowed us to get disability access to places like Legoland and Disneyland. He doesn't have +1 which I think is fair given he doesn't need an extra adult on top of what other children his age need. Yes I provide more care than is typical at his age but I don't need a full additional adult with us. I am also generally going places with my younger child too.

The aim isn't saving money but giving reasonable adjustments for access.

Trying to apply for the access card made me cross.

All my son wants is to go to legoland for his birthday. He loves Lego!
He's on the absolutely massive waiting list for an autism assessment. We don't receive DLA as we are happy to meet costs (don't need the money) and hear the applications are often rejected.

So we can't get a card (just a Merlin's pass). This means we can't go because he gets really distressed at queuing, and will eventually bolt.

We have a local card for children with additional needs that gets us into loads of local places for free. Otherwise we wouldn't go because we have to abandon most days out early. I love that they just accepted his needs without us having to jump through hoops.

I've found the scheme very easy to use and far easier than dealing individually with different venues. We have 2 disabled dc and I found it straightforward to apply for both of them. I submitted DLA letters and wrote about 6 lines explaining why they needed +1, which wasn't too demanding or revealing. I didn't need to submit any diagnosis letters or any other medical information. The £15 cost is very reasonable for 3 years, we've saved loads in carer entry fees and it's much more convenient having a plastic card than a letter which gets scrunched up and wet.

What has been most useful for me is that it can be linked to certain ticket sales websites like Ticketmaster, so we've been able to get carer tickets for the theatre and concerts and book online as it's linked to your account. In the past you had to call up to book a carer ticket which was unfair for shows with high demand (they'd sell out online before you could get through on the phone).

We've been able to use it at Disneyland Paris too - but annoyingly not Disney Florida. They allocate queue jump passes by making you book a video call, insisting on seeing the disabled person on video and then asking you to describe in front of them the difficulties they have which means they need the pass. Pretty awful for an autistic child!

You are not across the fact that often an extra adult has to come out on an excursion too as a direct result of a child’s needs. The whole experience is no way comparable to a typical family taking a typical child out.

Yes their website talks about the purple pound. It is definitely something they are very keen on.

That’s another way that the card scheme is not fit for purpose. Many kids have disabilities and impairments which are dynamic. They might not be able to go next Saturday, after the parent has jumped through all the hoops to get their nimbus one off application.

Previously someone could just turn up with a letter merely saying they are entitled to DLA and adjustments are made. Now, even for one visit the parent (yet again SEN parents) has to jump through hoops by submitting data and liaising with a third party and completing forms etc.

Agreed. But if you want to go to some venues now then interaction with this company and sending your data to them is mandatory.

Except that one adult may accompany several children without disabilities but a disabled child might need an adult just for them and some disabled children may require 2 adults just for them.

The free 'one off' version's not only valid for a specific date though, it's valid for 3 years from when you apply. E.g this is from Knowsley safari website:

Applications are free of charge for guests who only wish to register their need to visit Knowsley Safari. Your application, if approved, will be valid for 3 years.

So you can still just turn up with your free access pass, when the time is right for you and your DC, just as you could with a DLA letter.

You seem to have very strong negative feelings about something you haven't used and you're stating things are facts which aren't. You don't have to get a free version every time you want to go, and you don't have to submit loads of extra info to Nimbus (or I didn't anyway- as I said up thread, I only submitted a DLA letter nothing else). Be annoyed at filling in a simple online form sharing the same data you'd share at the park instead if you like, but I don't get why you'd want to put others off. Some find it useful, some don't choose to do it, either is an ok choice.

Agreed. But if you want to go to some venues now then interaction with this company and sending your data to them is mandatory.

If that is the case I'd say they're playing a dicey game re disability discrimination.