Hello
Am trying to fill in an application form for a disabled parking blue badge but am so nervous about it. I feel a fake.
I have had RRMS for a year and a relapse back in the Summer has left me with pain in one thigh which makes walking painful, stairs, getting small children dressed when you have to get on your knees, not being able to cross my legs, not being able to have the kids sit on my lap, etc (am I going on!) .
Middle child has asked that I don’t park in the disabled bays near school. Eldest has discussed it with her friends (!!!) and they think it’s an excellent idea.
But I can walk - I can’t do the food shop any more so only occasionally go shopping with a mini list and it is hard - last time I was so exhausted I didn’t go out of the house for the next couple of days. But still I am walking. Some days are better than others so it is difficult to answer the question about how far can you walk and in what speed. Then if you have a rest how far can you go???
Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated
Katflowers
Tell them how far you can walk on your very worst days. xx
I mentioned to my GP one day that a blue badge would be really useful, but felt there was no point in applying as I knew they had tightened up the rules. She told me to apply - “just go for it and see what happens” she said. So I did - rang the local number for Care Direct and had a telephone interview with a guy who asked how far I could walk etc etc. He must have brought up some kind of map on his computer and asked if I could walk to the flats down the road and knew the distance that was. He asked how long it took to walk that far and as I didn’t know, he said I needed to time it! A few days later I went out with my husband and a stop watch and he timed me!!! I then rang back and explained - also that I hadn’t gone out immediately 'cause I wasn’t feeling well enough. The Care Direct guy told me that there would be one of 3 possible outcomes - yes, no or ‘we need to see you’. A few days later I got a letter saying they needed to see me for a ‘mobility assessment’ - so off I went, answered a load more questions and had to go for a short walk outside (in the rain) with the assessor. He said he could see I had difficulty walking and would pass that on to the local council - about 10 days later I had a letter saying I qualified for a blue badge, which would be issued when they’d received my £10 and a photo. You could have knocked me down with a feather - well, OK, that wouldn’t be difficult - but I really never thought I would qualify, so quite a reality check when it arrived. One of the most useful places of use is when I need food shopping - can park in the disabled spaces right outside the store. 
I don’t know if every local area has a ‘Care Direct’ line, but if you ask at your surgery I’m sure they’d have the number for you to call. I definitely think you should ‘go for it’, tell them exactly how it is and let us know how you get on.
H x
Thank you Flowerpot and carrot-cruncher. Excellent advice
Thank you Flowerpot and carrot-cruncher. Excellent advice
Thank you Flowerpot and carrot-cruncher. Excellent advice
There is no need to feel a fake, you have difficulty and that is what blue badges are for, to put you back into the position of the able fit person. You are entitled to the badge.
Patrick
I didn’t think I would qualify either as I have RRMS (and asthma) and can walk for half an hour now when not in relapse, but when in relapse I couldn’t even leave the house. Every answer had ‘it depends’ against it, and then I put both extremes. I included loads of medical evidence to leave them in no doubt about my worse days and fatigue, but didn’t want to lie about the fact that I can go for half an hour on a good day. I assumed they would want to assess me but I got the badge with no further question. I was most surprised! Good luck, and don’t feel a fake.
I meant to say I don’t use it all the time anyway, as the exercise does me good, only if I am feeling fatigued. Touch wood I have not had a relapse since getting it.
Always fill these forms in as if it is your ‘worst day’. This is not the time to be too proud. l cannot walk one step, safely, without holding onto my rollator. Yet still l have to fill in all the blue-badge forms. They must know MS is degenerative - and so far no cure - so unless they think a miracle has happened l cannot understand why l need to still fill in all the forms each time l apply for renewal.