[Rob P]

Just watched a segment, East Anglia local news or a trail I'm guessing, where an archetypal WAG type, Liverpool accent, blonde, orange skin, black Range Rover was saying she's been getting flak from people for parking her Chelsea tractor in disabled spaces which she is entitled to do as she has a blue badge on account of all her four or five children having autism.

I genuinely wasn't aware that autism brings with it mobility issues and I would appreciate if anyone who can do so would explain this issuing of a privileged parking permit.

Rob P

[rikur_]

a complex topic, and of course many different positions 'on the spectrum' that create different issues
some will struggle with crowded spaces and sensory overload - so avoiding, or getting through crowded spaces quickly can be important
autistic children can be quite difficult to get to do what you want them to do - so whilst they don't have motor disability, as a parent physically trying to get them from A to B can be more difficult than pushing a wheelchair
with older children and adults a common issue is avoiding the unexpected, having a repetitive routine and being able to plan ahead, and have a plan B, etc ..... so for example on public transport we would provide support such as priority reservations/seating, and extra information on what to expect during a journey, and more reassurance around the 'what if' issues.

[Morten]

I found "The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime" a really interesting read and also a very good theatre piece giving some insight into the thoughts of a boy with relatively mild autism. Well worth a read/viewing. A complex topic indeed.

[JAFO]

From what little I understand of it, autism can cause both sensory and mobility problems.

[CloudHound]

Don’t get me started on blue badge bay abuse

My wife’s wheelchair has 6 wheels and weighs 140kg. There’s a hoist in the back and we need space on the pax door side to manoeuvre.

Countless tails of full bays with sometimes the disabled person reading the paper whilst able bodied partner does the weekly shop.

Regarding the OP the wide parent/toddler bays are often closer the front door than disabled bays.

[Highland Park]

a complex topic, and of course many different positions 'on the spectrum' that create different issues
some will struggle with crowded spaces and sensory overload - so avoiding, or getting through crowded spaces quickly can be important
autistic children can be quite difficult to get to do what you want them to do - so whilst they don't have motor disability, as a parent physically trying to get them from A to B can be more difficult than pushing a wheelchair
with older children and adults a common issue is avoiding the unexpected, having a repetitive routine and being able to plan ahead, and have a plan B, etc ..... so for example on public transport we would provide support such as priority reservations/seating, and extra information on what to expect during a journey, and more reassurance around the 'what if' issues.

Absolutely spot on. Outside work, I’m Chair of Governors at a school for children with complex needs and Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities, with a specialism in Autistic Spectrum Disorder; it’s humbling to see what families go through on a daily basis simply to do what we more fortunate people don’t even think twice about. It’s not uncommon for autistic children to have an inability to communicate verbally and as a result, they can get very frustrated. My Vice Chair has a severely autistic son in his twenties and some of the stories he’s told me about coping with his son's difficulties make you realise just how lucky we are.

Ian

[Rob P]

I suspect that what I saw was a trail for this programme

https://www.itv.com/hub/tonight/1a2803a9316

If so the woman featured was a reality "star" Christine McGuinness who I did an injustice to as she has only produced three autistic offspring.

I'll try and catch the show over the weekend

Rob P

[leiafee]

No parent should be obligated to publically declare their kids’ ( or their own) disabilities to random strangers who’ve self appointed themselves Grand High Guards Of The Carpark.

The autism and it’s requirement is utterly irrelevant.

If they’re got the badge then the people who need to know know and everyone else should bog off and let them get on with living their lives as easily as possible.

It’s no other buggers business in any way at all.

[rikur_]

The trouble is the amount of blue badge abuse that goes on, has undermined confidence in the system (and yes, it's a fact that it's a problem, not an opinion).
There are many with invisible difficulties, and therefore it's rarely right for a member of the public to challenge someone - but whether it's borrowed/stolen badge fraud, using in scenarios outwith the entitlement, or to a lesser extent some 'lax' examples of awarding them ... if everyone has priority, then no one has priority, undermining the core objective.

[leiafee]

Any stats with methodology?

[CloudHound]

No but a figure I’ve been trying to discover is how many Motability awarded vehicles have been taken off disabled (and hence likely BB holders) since PIPs were introduced.

[rikur_]

Any stats with methodology?

DfT publish prosecution statistics, but these are widely regarded as a poor measure as so few cases get to prosecution (IIRC two thirds of local authorities didn't prosecute anyone) - but nonetheless they show a trend and a small part of the problem.

1,429 prosecutions against people who were illegally using the disabled driver badges between April 2018 and May 2019 — an increase of almost a fifth (17.9%) over the 1,215 prosecutions made during the prior 12 months, and 59.8% up on the rate from 2015/16.

There are separate stats for theft (5 fold increase in 5 years) and I believe October2020 was an all time high for number of stolen passes seized.

Despite the lack of stats the problem is well recognised by groups that represent disabled motorists such as DMUK, and local authorities and recognised as a key problem for genuine users: Both in the impact of unavailability of spaces, but also the mistrust that it creates towards those without visual disabilities.
DfT were doing a more detailed study into BB misuse, but all seems to have gone quiet.

[leiafee]

Thank you.

So approximately 8 times fewer than hate crimes against disabled people during a similar period then ( up by 9%]. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistic ... 19-to-2020

It seems like the the odds of doing harm are greater than the odds of doing good here as far as the general public are concerned.

An argument for minding one’s own business for certain.

[rikur_]

@leiafee i don't really understand your point - and assume it's your usual case of just looking for an argument.
To be clear - it is the genuine users themselves that are seeking more enforcement of the BB fraud, not some attack on a minority group.
You evidently don't understand the issue - i hope you don't have the misfortune of being in a position where a BB is important to you, and the misuse that goes on a problem to you. Do me a favour and stick to topics you understand.

[leiafee]

Not sure why you’re cross. You surely don’t think randomers in the carpark should be haranguing strangers they don’t deem worthy?