HIDDEN NEED CAR ‘LIFELINE’ Autism families get blue badges
PEOPLE with “hidden disabilities” are to get blue badge parking permits.
They include autism and mental health conditions. The new rules come in next year, the Department for Transport said.
Transport Minister Jesse Norman said: “Blue badges are a lifeline for disabled people, giving them the freedom and confidence to get to work and visit friends independently.
“The changes we have announced today will ensure that this scheme is extended equally to people with hidden disabilities so that they can enjoy the freedoms that many of us take for granted.”
People who will be eligible under the changes include those who cannot make a journey without “a risk of serious harm to their health or safety” or that of others, including young children with autism.
Also included are those for whom journeys cause “psychological distress” and people with considerable difficulty walking, which covers “both the physical act and experience of walking”.
An eight-week consultation launched in January had more than 6,000 responses.
Jane Harris, director of external affairs at the National Autistic Society, said the change would “make a massive difference to the lives of many of the 600,000 autistic people in England, and their families”. She added: “Just leaving the house is a challenge for many autistic people, involving detailed preparation and sometimes overwhelming anxiety about plans going wrong.
“And some autistic people might not be aware of the dangers of the road or become overwhelmed by busy or loud environments.
“The possibility of not being able to find a parking space near where you’re going can mean you can’t contemplate leaving the house at all.”