Don’t leave disabled people behind, says charity

DMUK is concerned that disabled people are being forgotten in the era of social distancing

There is a real danger that as we come out of lockdown the independence of disabled people will be eroded. As the UK’s shops and retail outlets begin to open, Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) is being contacted more and more by its members who are feeling frustrated about their needs being forgotten with new measures being introduced resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. DMUK is asking retailers not to forget their disabled customers when putting social distancing measures in place so that everybody can access their services.

Not all disabled people are considered ‘clinically vulnerable’ and will be desperate to get back to their ordinary life. However, they may be prevented from doing so if the correct reasonable adjustments are not put in place to help them do so.

DMUK supports the government in the need to keep people safe and encourages everybody to follow the appropriate guidelines. We have seen socially distanced queues outside retailers of all natures and these are necessary in order to keep people safe. However, these organised queues often need to take over parts of the retailer’s car park in order to accommodate them. Often the disabled parking bays are nearest to the entrance and are therefore the automatic choice to be cordoned off for such queues.

DMUK understands the predicament many retailers find themselves in and they need to put in place measures that protect everybody. Retailers must also think about their disabled customer’s needs. We encourage all retailers to think carefully about the position of queuing systems and the removal of disabled parking bays should be a last resort. If there is no other option, DMUK would like to see the suspended bays re-sited to an appropriate place in the car park, signposted correctly and managed properly so they are kept free for genuine Blue Badge holders.

DMUK has a long campaigning history when it comes to protecting disabled parking and this is the latest situation where we have seen the needs of Blue Badge holders neglected. Disabled parking bays are always the first to be cordoned off for construction work, temporary toilets, storage and the list goes on.

Social distancing is just the latest excuse to use these bays in ways for which they are not intended. A disabled bay is a lifeline to a Blue Badge holder, and without one it could mean a dramatic loss of independence.

It is heartening that the parking sector is being very supportive. Dave Smith, head of public affairs and communications at the British Parking Association, said: “Parking operators should work with landowners to ensure that disabled motorists are not unfairly penalised by a reduction in designated parking bays due to social distancing requirements. This means continuing to meet their obligations under the Equality Act and making reasonable adjustments where necessary. It’s also important that spaces allocated for Blue Badge holders continue to be effectively monitored to ensure they are not abused.”

Problems exist once disabled people get into stores. DMUK has also been contacted by members who have had difficulties when they are in shops, because the staff refuse to give them the assistance they require – citing health and safety concerns as the reason they cannot help at this time. For example, store staff refusing to lift things off high shelves or assistance with carrying shopping to the disabled person’s car. This is not acceptable and retailers should put in place the provision to give assistance to disabled customers whilst still keeping their staff safe.

We would like to see a national policy that exempts disabled people from queuing at retail outlets. Most retail outlets do not have the capabilities to put adjustments in place that would allow disabled people to queue, for example providing seating. A reasonable adjustment would be to let them go straight to the front.

There is a common misconception that all disabled people are ‘clinically vulnerable’ and will be ‘shielding’ at home for as long as the coronavirus is with us. This is certainly not the case and many disabled people are eager to get back to their everyday lives. However, they cannot do this unless the retailers put in place reasonable adjustments so that they can access goods and services just like everybody else.

Protecting health for everybody also means protecting independence for everybody.

Heidi Turner is communications and campaigns director at Disabled Motoring UK, the national charity supporting disabled drivers, passengers and Blue Badge holders. DMUK works with government and businesses to improve parking, refuelling and access provision for disabled people.
www.disabledmotoring.org