1,000 signatures reached
To: The Government, The Ministry of Transport
Blue Badges 4 Dementia
To change the criteria for Disabled Persons Parking Scheme (Blue Badge) in England,Scotland and Northern Ireland to match those in Wales where if you have been awarded 12 or more points in the "planning and following a journey" activity of the mobile component of Personal Independence Payment, or you have a cognitive impairment that means you cannot plan and follow the route of a familiar journey (further evidence from a health professional is required), you can apply for a Blue Badge.
Why is this important?
Currently in England,Scotland and Northern Ireland to apply for a Blue Badge you have to have a walking difficulty or be registered blind unlike Wales.The lack of such an entitlement in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland is blatantly discriminatory and contravenes Article 20 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities UNCRPD, the right to personal mobility. The current situation exposes people with a cognitive impairment and their carers to real risks, excludes them from many activities, and threatens progress on the Government’s commitment to dementia friendly communities. A carer would have to let a person living with dementia get out of the car while they park and risk them becoming distracted and wandering away before they get out of the car and getting lost, this happened in a local supermarket car park and the person living with dementia was missing for 2 hours and needed a police search to find them
