playing along with the blue badge scheme...opinions??

[Lighttouch]

Forgive me for saying but you do seem very 'touchy' about the label 'disabled'. In fact you go to great lengths to put yourself at arms length from other disabled people by referring to 'the disabled' - aren't you one of us.

It would seem to me that you just haven't yet come to terms with your diagnoses and that you feel angry as to why it's happened to you. You don't want to be associated with the 'tag' of being seen as disabled. Think about why that is.

Shit happens. And we all have our own strategies dealing with it.

As it stands you sound very negative, try turning things on there head. Find the positives which will change your outlook on life in general otherwise you'll drive people away.

[pcorcoran]

no sXXt sXXt happens!! i am 33 with parkinsons so i think that qualifies me for the unusual end of the scale.

i would rather not get personal and all my posts have been fact based not personal or subjective. but alas....

please try not patronise me, i run a successful furniture buisness employ 2 people (before and after diagnosis), own my house, have just had a baby, work 6 days a week and on a daily basis manage the effects of my illness and the equally debilitating effects of the medications i take so i think I'm doing ok.

my thread is not about me that is why i refer to the disabled objectively and in the third person i am not interested in going on a rant about my personal grievances as that is pointless and unproductive, so your negative suggestion is clearly wrong as i am actually trying to do something which in my eyes should have been done a long time ago

my posts are positive as in making a positive change to the system, IMPROVING THE SYSTEM!!!! my stance and view is clear and concise, it is useful as a recently disabled person for me to use my experience to see a system which i can clearly remember never thinking twice about pre-disablity, genuinely i can see this from both sides of the fence.

discrimination is not about being "touchy" thats just ridiculous it is a shame that you and others have not been able to digest what i am trying to convey or have any workable opinion about the system as it stands.

now if you find that touchy then try responding with an actual opinion on my posts and not some lie down and take it nonsense

[Lighttouch]

Well disability can hit us at any age - I was 19 years old when I broke my neck - but was still able to work full time for 35 YEARS - longer than you've been on the planet.

I joined the disability movement in 1981 to help campaign for better rights for disabled people purely as a volunteer and political campaigner. That's over 30 years trying to improve systems!!

Believe me - any change takes time - a long time and it only happens if you know about 'politics' and have influential partners high up the food chain in 'office' otherwise you're pissing in the wind!

If you want to make things happen - know your enemy. Play by their rules by using their policies and procedures against them. They then can't argue back if they made the rules up in the first place. That's how I helped change Manchester City Council's planning department's 'development brief' to ensure any new housing on MCCs land included a clause to ensure that only new build domestic homes that were designed to the 'lifetime homes' standard would be approved by the Council. A very simple clause added means many new homes will and have been built to a high accessible standard.

Why don't you fight for disabled peoples rights to better services like education, better public transport, the right to work, better housing.

You have the spirit - just lack the direction of a 'proper cause' that will enhance the quality of life for 'all' disabled people.

So I'm afraid your cause isn't really a cause it's an irritant as far as you're concerned and very low priority from the governments point of view if you are being realistic.

[kafouser]

I suppose that I do accept it, but given the convenience and the fact that it's in 'their' power to keep it or dump it, I suppose I go along.
As to not revealing that I'm disabled, go to my profile and you'll see why 'chance would be a fine thing'! I suppose though that with a little effort, the thing could be made more discreet. Perhaps a card or sticker with just a hologram (to prove it's genuine) and barcode that led the wardens to your details online, might be better. Ditto for the Tax. No matter what though, there's still the need to show the wardens that you're genuine and inevitably, that's going to reveal your status!

[pcorcoran]

thats great you have had campaigns and been successful, but this is not a competition on who has been around longer,

as i said part of my position as recently disabled means i have seen things i never thought of before. this thread is simply my observation on a system i think is wrong for all disabled people and should be reviewed, of course disagree if you want but why wouldn't the disabled community prefer a more advanced system?

my disability means i now need to drive which i didn't before my disability i didn't need to drive as an able bodied person so it would seem to me that disabled motoring is a proper cause and is a subject which affects most of the disabled community so not sure why you question the direction?

my thread is clear and simple it may not be the most important thing in the world but an issue non the less. parking for the disabled is an issue and if it is just an irritant to you then i would assume you would have no interest in this thread and look elsewhere.

the priority is not for you to dictate or question and how on earth can you state that its low on the governments agenda? i have just seen this post and written this reply after reading a letter to me from simon hughes (my mp here in london and deputy leader of lib dems) in response to my email posted earlier....ill keep you hanging and let you know what he said soon... meantime ill take that piss in the wind

[pcorcoran]

yes i agree its a difficult system and a great system in so many ways but it has its flaws and i don't think its right that people feel like it is the way it is so lets just go with it, the system won't suddenly be revoked because i or anyone complains about it but if placing a badge or a disc in my property means i am giving up my right to privacy just so i can drive and park then thats not good enough.

like you say the disabled driver and or vehicle need to be identifiable or be able to identify themselves but yes just like you say cards stickers barcodes chips gps text there are so many other ways of doing this in at the very least a more discrete manner that its just crazy to have a disabled badge and a card wheel its funny really a card wheel!! i can't think of anything more backward than that

but like you say status will always be revealed one way or another but i don't think we need to accept disabled on our tax discs or painted on the roads

thanks paul

[Paul]

I've been watching this thread with interest.
At first I thought you were over-reacting to the whole system, but now I understand exactly where you're coming from.

I'm not so good with words as either of you two (especially at this time in the morning) but I'd be happy to lend my support and the backing of my Union (Unite).

Good Luck.

[Lighttouch]

All this fus over nothing.

As soon as I step out of a car it's quite obvious I'm disabled whatever documentation is on the windscreen.

Last night I hit the town with my girlfriend. We saw a pop up theatre production in Manchester. Approaching the entrance a gent opened the doors to let me in. We were looking for a couple of seats to sit in the busy cafe. Suddenly, without asking, two people stood up and offered us their table. The show was having small groups going up in the lift to the stage. I was approached by one of the stage hands to get in the lift first so I would be one of the first in the theatre in the round to choose an accessible seat. One of the productions charming young female photographers was there to greet me and had a comfy seat reserved - she sat with me too and we talked about photography. Leaving the building to get to my car my girlfriend was delayed. It was raining outside. As I made my way to the car a young lady who was driving past me stopped and asked if I needed a lift anywhere!

What I'm trying to say is my disability attracts enough attention already. In fact I get as much attention as a 'super model' without the pay! But the difference is I don't mind. I bring out the best in peoples' nature.

The last thing I'm worried about is if somebody spots the fine print on my tax disc that says 'disabled class' so what!

[paul1234]

.
What I'm trying to say is my disability attracts enough attention already. In fact I get as much attention as a 'super model' without the pay! But the difference is I don't mind. I bring out the best in peoples' nature.

Perhaps you could share some tips! On a more serious note our local council have now taken away all single yellow lines in the high street and given it up to pay and display or its been painted double yellow with no loading. So where there were around a dozen or so unofficial disabled parking bays, now we have none and parking is a nightmare as generally all the pay and display are full. I have complained and been told there may be provision for A disabled bay. I advised that in my opinion the whole scheme is ill thought out and at least 3 disabled bays are needed. The pay and display bays are causing congestion as cars have to reverse and manouvere and a "keep clear" sign has now been painted at a side junction further along the road. Ill thought out and a waste of money! We now shop in the next town where parking is not an issue. Our own town is alomost inaccessible now.

[Lighttouch]

Paul,

Tell me the name of the Council so I can check their website out.