[jambutty]

These are the criteria for being awarded a Blue Badge.
http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/community_people_and_living/disability/mobility/bluebadge/blue_badge_rules.htm

3 Criteria for obtaining a Blue Badge:
You can get a Blue Badge if:
You receive the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance.
You receive a War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement.
You use a motor vehicle supplied for disabled people by a Government Health Department
You are registered blind.
You have a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly drive a motor vehicle but cannot turn the steering wheel of a motor vehicle by hand even if that wheel is fitted with a turning knob.
You have a permanent and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or have very considerable difficulty in walking. In this case, if you have difficulty in walking, you may be asked some questions to help your local authority decide if you are entitled to a badge
People with a psychological disorder will not normally qualify unless their impairment causes very considerable, and not intermittent, difficulty in walking.

(Note: Children under 2 years of age do not qualify for a badge because they would not normally be expected to be able to walk independently.)

(Organisations caring for disabled people meeting one or more of the above criteria may be able to get a badge, but this is entirely at the discretion of the local authority and the conditions for using such a badge must be strictly observed - see point 3 in section 9.)

I’m having a problem getting my head around the paragraph in red. Having a severe disability in both upper limbs doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t walk.

I have to agree with Cherokee that the under 2 years old rule should be flexible for cases such as were discussed on Watchdog.

Can I point out garinda that a Blue Badge is awarded to the disabled person and not the parents, spouse, carer etc. and can only be used by one of them IF the disabled person is in the vehicle with them. Some people are of the opinion that if they are on an errand (like doing some shopping for them or paying a bill or collecting a pension) for the badge holder they can use the badge. They can’t unless the badge holder is with them and it is the badge holder who gets out of the car to do the shopping. The Blue Badge is issued to a person not a vehicle.

A Blue Badge holders parking restrictions are exactly the same as those for any other driver, except that a badge holder can also park on single or double yellow lines but keeping in mind the other restrictions. A badge holder can park free in public car parks and pay and display on road parking. Naturally both elements of the badge have to be displayed so that they can be clearly seen and read by an official.

Disabled parking bays in car parks are usually much wider than normal bays WillowTheWhisp to allow for wheel chair access, although there are exceptions. They are as wide as Mother and Toddler bays. Of course it doesn’t help when some selfish twerp doesn’t park properly.

By definition if a person is in a wheel chair it means they cannot walk or cannot walk unaided very far so how can there be a distinction between them Neil?

The responsibility of who uses a Blue Badge rests with the bona fide holder. That is why the holder as well as the misuser can be fined up to £1,000 and the badge confiscated. There will be cases when the holder is almost bullied into letting someone else use it but that can be argued in court.

As for Heather Mills she should return the badge. As an amputee with a prosthetic limb she can walk and now it seems dance the tango. Other amputees with prosthetic limbs can’t get a Blue Badge.