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type one do i get a disability badge for my car?

bretty

Well-Known Member
Messages
90
new to type one diabetes and was wondering if theres any perks to it .? like a disabilaty badge or any benefits?
thanks
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

The rules on disability badges are strict. You'll only get one if you can prove you need it. You must be very limited in the distance you can walk.Check out the rules on-line
Hana
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

Nope you don't, but you do have to inform the DVLA about your diabetes, and it will mean that for now on your driving licence will be restricted to 3 years stints, and review of your control to ensure they can reissue it... And you need to inform your car insurers as well, otherwise you insurance and driving licence will be invalid..

About the only perk going is free prescriptions for all your medication...

As you new to diabetes, I suspect you have a lot of questions etc about control and what not... I would post any questions you have in the T1 forum, and we'll be able to give hints and tips, and perhaps explain or should I say some of the medical terms and tests into plain english and laymens terms for you...

But Hi and welcome to the forum
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

ok thanks very much, docs/nurses told me wrong info again!!!
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

It's also pretty unlikely that you will qualify for any benefits either- you would have to either have care needs or problems getting around. Sorry.
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

You are covered by the disability discrimination act. the DDA was expanded in 2004 to include all employers except the armed forces. Employers (including the fire service and police) cannot impose a blanket ban on any individual with diabetes, including those on insulin and those with type 1 diabetes. This applies to individuals wishing to join or already working in these areas.
This means that employers have to make reasonable adjustment for your diabetes. You may need time off for medical appointments, you should be able to do your blood tests when you need to. it may be also be important for your employers to know of your risk of hypos. There is a debate on another forum at the moment about those that do tick the box on a job application form and some that don't . I suppose as a perk there are some employers that may be more likely to interview someone with a declared disability (to fulfil equal opportunities policies)
There is an info pack on the DUK website (but it seems to be down at the moment so I can't link)


But no, I can't use a blue badge to park at the supermarket and as I have absolutely no need of one thats the way it should be.
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

You can only have a disability badge if you can't walk across the carpark to the supermarket. So unless bad control knackers your feet and legs, you can console yourself with the fact that even that little bit of exercise is good for you :-)
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

hanadr said:
The rules on disability badges are strict. You'll only get one if you can prove you need it. You must be very limited in the distance you can walk.Check out the rules on-line
Hana

A nice theory, but not true.
I've seen plenty of 'blue badge' folk park in the allotted space and then happily trot into the supermarket without a care in the world.
Like all areas of the benefits system it is easily open to abuse by the 'what-can-I-get-now' brigade.
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

viv1969 said:
hanadr said:
The rules on disability badges are strict. You'll only get one if you can prove you need it. You must be very limited in the distance you can walk.Check out the rules on-line
Hana

A nice theory, but not true.
I've seen plenty of 'blue badge' folk park in the allotted space and then happily trot into the supermarket without a care in the world.
Like all areas of the benefits system it is easily open to abuse by the 'what-can-I-get-now' brigade.
It is true, the ones you see trotting across the car park are not the ones entitled to use them, or those who have bought stolen ones :evil:
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

At the risk of being devils advocate, I need to point out that those who 'trot' across the car park after parking in a disabled bay might in fact be disabled. My husband has MS and on a good day he can walk normally for a short distance, on a bad day he can barely hobble. We quite often park in the disabled bays as we have a blue badge and he appears to walk normally but if he had to walk any further he would definitely struggle.

So please don't generalise, all is not always what it seems.
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

Lucie75 said:
At the risk of being devils advocate, I need to point out that those who 'trot' across the car park after parking in a disabled bay might in fact be disabled. My husband has MS and on a good day he can walk normally for a short distance, on a bad day he can barely hobble. We quite often park in the disabled bays as we have a blue badge and he appears to walk normally but if he had to walk any further he would definitely struggle.

So please don't generalise, all is not always what it seems.

Well said Lucie! :)

I have a sister-in-law with cancer who can walk short distances some days, but other days is extremely tired and cannot walk more than a few meters, so on the good days some people will assume that she is perfectly fine as she has no physical disability at all on first sight.

However the scheme is open to abuse, and those that choose to abuse the system do need to be shamed, but the scheme is there for a purpose and provides the means for people with various disabilities to lead a near-normal life as possible.



Nigel
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

Lucie75 said:
........ all is not always what it seems.

You should also see some of us after having made such a big effort and sometimes for the next day or so afterwards; there is always a price to pay. Many of us have had to resort to internet shopping. :roll:
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

I accept the above posts, but perhaps on these 'good days', a regular parking space might be used, leaving a closer space empty for those having a BAD day.

And fyi, I really wasn't generalizing....Obtaining a Disability Parking Permit under false pretenses is one of the largest benefit frauds in the UK - even though it involves no cash benefit.
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

Surely we must be talking of different issues here. :?

I don't think that it is easy for those who do not have fatigue problems related to health issues to understand that a good day for some of us may not be the general idea of a good day!

Going into a shop may be the only thing that we are able to do for several days and the thought of making it even harder just appals me. :shock: :evil:
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

Synonym said:
Surely we must be talking of different issues here. :?

I don't think that it is easy for those who do not have fatigue problems related to health issues to understand that a good day for some of us may not be the general idea of a good day!

Going into a shop may be the only thing that we are able to do for several days and the thought of making it even harder just appals me. :shock: :evil:

Spot on Synonym. My husband would gladly park in the regular spaces if he knew he would definitely be able to walk back to the car. The fact that we have to keep stopping for a few minutes at a time when we're actually in the shop so my husband can recover some energy means that by the end of it all even a short distance is pretty difficult. It's oh so easy to assume you know what it's like to be disabled when in reality you have no idea how draining it is (this is not aimed at you synonym). To those who obviously don't believe that people might genuinely be disabled, just be glad it's not you.
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

Lucie75, Well said!
Until about 3 years ago my son had a blue badge due to cancer and the effects of it's treatment. To onlookers, he may have looked like a healthy teenager on some occasions.
I now have a blue badge as I am registered blind/severely sight impaired. On a bright sunny day I can strut into the supermarket and no-one would know there was anything wrong with me. However in the busy supermarket I can't get around these days without walking into things or people due to peripheral loss. If I come out of the shop and the sun has retreated I can barely see my way back to the car. By the way, my husband's driving - not me! :lol:
I don't think it's easy to get a blue badge, and the people that have one are usually deserving, and we should be less judgemental-it's not our business. Having type-1 diabetes with no complications is certainly not a reason to expect a disability badge, and why would you want one??
Bit peeved when we went to Thorpe Park with kids today that the majority of people parking in disabled bays were not displaying blue badges-that does **** me off.
Jus
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

Well said Janabelle,
I really got a bug bear about that too! My mum had cancer a few years ago and tried to refuse to use it (my Sis and I bullied her into it eventually) she said she was fine to walk into wherever but by the time she got there she was gray faced and a bit woozy Bless her she said there were people much worse off than her who couldn't get to the shops regularly and that their bad days might be that day so they should get the space! So yeah it bugs the H*** outta me too when people abuse the system!! This one and others (especially work shy shamsters - Sorry getting a bit carried away!!!! not a dig at any one here!!
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

janabelle said:
If I come out of the shop and the sun has retreated I can barely see my way back to the car. By the way, my husband's driving - not me! :lol:

Phew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

Thats the thing about disability it's not obvious and if you look walk and talk for however a brief amount of time like an able bodied person thats the judgement cast upon you in that instance :cry: Blue badges in my opinion are denied to those that most need them(as is DLA). I can't judge someone by just looking at them but I sure as hell can support a persons real needs.

All the best.

Richard.

A disability does not just affect a person with the disability it affects those around them as well, often said but most definitely under appreciated.
 
Re: type one do i get a disabilaty badge for my car?

Hi I don't have a blue badge but when i went to one of my diabetes meetings a while back i got speaking to a lady who is a type 1 diabetic and has a blue badge because of her hypos her husband would have to pull over where ever he could to get her sorted weather it be a car park or a yellow line. So if you are at risk of just going hypo anywhere at anytime with probably no warning you maybe able to get one but i would say they would ask for any info to back it up.

I had my driving licience revoked due to the amount of hypos i was having, for any chance of getting it back i have to not have any low sugars for 3 months which for a type 1 diabetic is near on impossible. I may stand a chance if i get my insulin pump.

But as for benefits you may be able to apply for Disability Living Allowance if you fall uncontious (excuse spelling) twice a year, but this will have to be backed up.

Tracey167
 
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