To think there is not enough disabled bays for how many badge users there are

[thecherryfox]

I have been disabled my entire life, as a kid and even as a teenager getting access to a disabled space was a lot easier than it is now. I believe now with the intake of how many people can access a badge with many different conditions - the amount of disabled bays have stayed the same but the influx of badge holders have risen.

Between 2021-2022 there was a 25% increase in blue badge holders from the previous year, but there wasn’t a 25% increase in disabled parking spaces. It’s rising each year, but there is no increase in parking spaces.

I’m physically disabled and the difference between me not getting a close space often means I cannot physically go. I know people with ‘hidden’ disabilities like bowel diseases would feel the same about accessing a close space. I’m truly not blaming individuals for getting badges because if they at eligible they are entitled to one - but it’s within the government to know that an increase of blue badge holders should mean an increase of spaces for people to access.

Both me and dh Have our own blue badges , I used to drive but don't anymore but have kept my car in the hope I will be able to one day . Dh has his own plus also drives mine .
We nearly always struggle to find a space especially in shop car parks .

I get that, but for example, if you park at a supermarket, if you’re caught out with urgency to use a toilet, you’re in the supermarket,with a toilet in there, to go and use. I wouldn’t imagine you rushing to get back to your car quickly is a better option than using the in store toilet? I would imagine the extra two minute walk into the supermarket from your car, as opposed to parking directly outside, is going to impact anything? Access to a toilet is more important I would think than access to your car?

I feel like it's not a lack of bays that are the issue - it's people abusing them who don't need them (same with parent and child spaces). I've seen a lot of people park in disabled spaces without displaying a badge (some may have forgot them I guess but surely not all of them?) and with the parent and child spaces I've seen far too many people without kids use those. Or I know people who have kids, who won't even be in the car with them, who use the spaces because they think that they're entitled to them? Weird behaviour.

I* don't think you read that PP's post properly...how would them being temporarily in a disabled space whilst there are other available spaces impact on your DS getting a space?*

NO! You've read it wrong and so will also be part of the problem.
It's not hard or different to understand ir comprehend that even by sitting in a space that's empty you may be making life harder for someone who is disabled.

For example they may be single hatched spaces. So we need to wide space ds side. There may be 10 spaces of only which 5 are suitable.
If someone thinks they aren't making life harder for ds by being in the nearer of the 5 spaces for just a few minutes they aren't listening to what's been said clearly by disabled people for years.

They aren't empathising. They are thinking they know better.

No blue badge. DO NOT PARK THERE. it's easy. If you cannot comprehend such a simple thing then you don't have the right level of intelligence to be behind the wheel of a car.

It's not the impact on getting a space. It's the fact that someone who needs a space and could have the space to make their already barrier faces life easier cannot because someone who doesn't need the space but wants it for convenient in is it.

Don't be part of the problem by failing to comprehend this. Be part of the solution. My DS friends go nuts at their parents using the spaces for drop offs. They get it as teens.

isn’t going to impact anything

It’d be useful to have some BB spaces further away, but with wide gaps between them, and next to a walk way.
That way the people who need to be closer to shops can use the current ones , and people (like us) who just need a lot more room and direct access to a path can park a little further away.

oh yes. its awful. I am actually glad that we are getting a new WAV will a smaller ramp. I hate unloading her and just praying drivers see the ramp.

YANBU - I hadn’t realised that blue badge users had increased to that extent, but it makes sense that it’s having a knock on effect on space availability. I suppose it varies regionally as there always seem to be loads of blue badge spaces at my supermarket (which is a very good thing!) but I imagine in other areas it’s much more limited.

Its the kind of thing you could consider writing to your MP about. They could advise you on who makes decisions about mandatory minimums for blue badge spaces etc. It may be that a policy needs to change to account for the large increase in blue badge holders.

It annoys me when parent and child bays are closer to the door than disabled. DH could manage a few steps...but not down the side and round the building. It renders them useless.

I think it’s less about closeness and more about accessibility. Parent and child spaces tend to be close because of the dangers of trying to traverse a large car park while corralling small children who might run off and are hard to spot by reversing cars. But blue badge spaces should have a clear, flat and unobstructed path to the door. In my supermarket they’re along two sides of a central, wide walkway leading to a zebra crossing, so that although some of the spaces are quite far from the entrance you have a direct route there.

I also think blue badge holders should feel free to use parent and child spaces if they’re what’s available or if they’re more suitable for another reason (like proximity).

This is what often happens with me. I drive but because I often cannot get a disabled space close, especially at the hospital - I have to have my mum drive me so she can drop me off and pick me up from right outside. It shouldn’t be like that, I’m only in my late 20’s and it severely is impacting my independence

There’s a clear correlation with people who park in disabled bays without a badge, and child spaces without a child - it’s the people who have expensive cars and entitled behaviour. It’s always the people with the ‘decent’ cars who don’t want to have their car scratched in a normal space, or generally because they’re large range rovers who technically don’t fit in normal spaces so they think they’re entitled to use disabled and parent and child spaces. I know of people who do this and get fined, but because a £70 fine is like a pound to them, they’ll continue to do it.

The blue badge spaces should be next to the entrance/exit and numerous. On the road parking should have more blue areas. The poster who mentioned hospital parking as well is right - there need to be more spaces. The able bodied can park further away and walk and this includes family parking.

I agree with this too.

I agree it’s ridiculous that BB holders can park on double yellow lines - it’s dangerous. FWIW I also don’t think it’s right that BB spots should be free in pay and display either but I do think smaller car parks and multi storey carparks should have more spaces availabe- supermarkets and retail parks, no, they are never full. There’s never enough parent spots provided either - perhaps we should be pushing for places like supermarkets and new build parking facilities to have fewer spots altogether but far wider like in the US

I think it varies, in my small local village disabled bays are often the only ones free. Originally put in for elderly residents who have since died / moved on. Perhaps need is cyclical in smaller places.

Its shocking that hospitals don’t have enough bb parking. Although parking is a nightmare at my local hospital. There is a free car park if you have an appointment but always full. Buses don’t really seem to match up so although you could park and ride you’d have to take a bus to town then a bus to hospital. I feel like a more sensible approach would be run a bus service direct to hospital from park and ride (or at least on a loop) and make more spaces bb and for those with temporary mobility issues.

I think the poster upthread who posted about location had a really good point. Our local town has recently opened a new multi-story on the edge of town with a whole floor of disabled spaces, which are usually empty. Meanwhile, the small number of bays in the high street - that are actually useful - are almost fought over. And guess which spaces the I'll only be a minute cheeky non-BB fuckers grab?

It's not good enough to tick a box and say well we have given you 50 blue badge spaces. How many of these spaces are in locations where they are useful to people with disabilities?

I think that there should be 2 classes of disabled spaces - 1 for the the people who require the extra room and closeness and another for those who need the closeness only. This would mean you could fit extra spaces in.

Our local supermarket closed their customer toilets during the covid lockdown and have never reopened them again...

@Pigeonqueen I am guessing yo uare aware of the 'just can't wait' card ?
Just Can’t Wait Cards from Bladder & Bowel UK – Bladder & Bowel UK

@Iwantmyoldnameback

Whenever I go past a lot of spaces seem to have the driver's sitting in them, isn't that an abuse too?

I sit in the car while DH goes for his appointments, the BB belongs to him and he is the one who needs the space. I'm allowed to wait in the car.

Not really. Friend drives disabled person to where they want to go....

I've actually wrote to my local council about this many times.. and all l get back is.. we are looking into it.

Not necessarily it could be they are waiting for that disabled person to return to the car and the pass isn't actually the drivers.

What! That is absolutely disgusting, I'm so sorry that happened to you!

I do think there could be some kind of review of who is able to access blue badges. We know someone who has one for PTSD. I know being able-bodied doesn't mean there isn't a disability there but she's been perfectly able to get herself to parties, weddings, around the country, around large crowds of people etc - makes me think if it's not affecting her ability to drive or socialise, should she really be taking up a space.