Scotland has decided to expand its Blue Badge parking scheme, to include people who have been diagnosed with a serious mental impairment as well as those who are physically disabled. The new addition to the current Blue Badge policy is being trialled in Dundee and in other towns and cities across the country, but doesn’t currently apply to locations beyond the Scottish border.
The plan is to offer the chance of applying for a Blue Badge to sufferers of conditions such as dementia, Down’s Syndrome, and low functioning autism, and those who may not have the mental ability to recognise the dangers of traffic through traumatic head injuries or other conditions. The proposal means that those who regularly drive carrying passengers with these severe disorders can apply for Blue Badge status, allowing them to park closer to amenities throughout the city.
Not a ‘free-for-all’
The scheme has strict criteria, and this doesn’t represent a ‘free-for-all’ for anyone diagnosed with a mental disability to be automatically granted special parking rights. The hope is that it will open up the scheme to include those who find it difficult to function within the confines of a normal environment. This will provide them with more opportunities to live a relatively normal life, without being restricted as to where they can go.
The reason given by those proposing the expansion is that it allows people with cognitive disabilities and who may be unaware of the dangers of crossing the road, for example, the chance to function in a typical city location without putting themselves or others at risk of injury. This could open the city to sufferers from serious mental illnesses and cognitive restrictions, allowing them to integrate more naturally.
A level playing field for the disabled community
Just like any Blue Badge holder, applicants for the new scheme will have to demonstrate their eligibility to hold a badge by completing an assessment form. They will need to be receiving certain social security benefits to qualify, and a healthcare or social worker will also need to be involved in the application process, providing information about the potential risk to the applicant of having to use non-Blue Badge parking. If all of this is accepted by Dundee City Council, a badge will then be issued for a period of 12 months, after which time the holder will have to reapply for another year.
The plan is to provide an equal playing field to the ‘hidden disabled’ community – those who may not show outward physical signs of disability but still struggle with daily life, including visiting the shops, socialising, or accessing health care. The Blue Badge holder will have to be a passenger in the car to entitle the driver to park in Blue Badge spaces (in exactly the same way that physically disabled passengers have to be present in a vehicle for Blue Badge status to apply).
The plan has been welcomed by dementia and Down’s Syndrome charities, and is set to run for at least a year.
