Can I put a disabled sign outside my house?

itsmesally

Hi all

I've lived in my ground floor flat for about 2 years and in that time I've always been able to park at the spot closest to the entrance to the flats so haven't had any issues. Over the past month I've noticed a new car parking in this spot which means I have to be further away (there is lots of space on the road so shouldn't be an issue for most people). Unfortunately I'm not eligible for a blue badge or getting the council to put a disabled bay in that spot, but I've seen some people have signs in their garden saying something along the lines of "a disabled person lives here, please try and keep this space free". I've tried to find if I'm legally allowed to do it or not but haven't had any luck. Obviously it's just a suggestion but I'm hoping people will be nice...
Has anyone got any tips or advice on if this is the right thing to do? 

To add to this I should say that I'm not "visibly disabled" but will sometimes use a walking stick or a wheelchair, so I'm also a little concerned people will think I'm just faking. 

poppy123456

There's no harm in putting a sign up to politely ask people not to park there. Please be aware though that as it's a public road then anyone can park there. Even if there was a disabled bay there, this doesn't mean that other disabled badge holders couldn't park there.

As for the blue badge, have you tried to apply? You don't need to automatically qualify. Anyone can apply for a BB but i'd advise you to send in some evidence to support that claim. You maybe expected to attend an assessment before a decision made.

Rosie_Scope

Hi @itsmesally, looks like Poppy has already given some good advice, but I just wanted to pop in to say welcome to the community  

Perhaps it's worth trying out the sign idea for a little while to see if people are willing to give you some space. I can't see how it would be too much of a problem as long as the sign is up within the boundaries of your own property and not somewhere public. As Poppy mentioned, it's a shared space, so they'll have no obligation, but hopefully your neighbours are nice and understanding and take it into consideration.

Let us know how you get on!

OverlyAnxious

I'd have another concern about doing this.  It's advertising to every stranger walking past the property that a disabled person lives there, with potentially some level of vulnerability.  I wouldn't want to create that sort of security risk with my own property.

Perhaps leaving a polite note on the car in question would be a safer option.

BrettW

@OverlyAnxious having a sign in the garden is really no different than having the council come out and paint a big blue box outside your house though is it? Either way it gives the same message. Unfortunately it is sometimes necessary to have to do this though

OverlyAnxious

BrettW said:

@OverlyAnxious having a sign in the garden is really no different than having the council come out and paint a big blue box outside your house though is it? Either way it gives the same message. Unfortunately it is sometimes necessary to have to do this though

I don't think pedestrian chancers take as much notice of road markings when scoping out houses.  But you are right, I would feel less safe having a single disabled bay outside my property as well.  It's each persons choice of course.

Rosie_Scope

Thanks for sharing @OverlyAnxious, that is a good point to consider and the note on the car might be another approach to try. 

We each make choices every day based on what feels comfortable for us in our individual circumstances, but it's always good to think about all the different aspects of the situation to make an informed decision

SkippyPippy

Hi, I came across this thread whilst looking for answers as to whether I could put a disabled sign outside my house. I have a disabled bay outside my house but able bodied people frequently park there as parking spaces in my road are at a premium. My partner and I recently went for a rare evening out, fortunately he was driving as there was a car parked in the bay outside the house. He was able to drop me off and let me in but ended up parking in another street altogether.

In the past I’ve left a polite note on the “offending” car but have received abuse in return so no longer leave a note. Had I been on my own the other night, I wouldn’t have been able to manage the walk from where my partner parked.

Again I may not look disabled but can only walk very short distances. The bay outside is particularly important because we have an electric car. Can I put an additional sign on my gatepost? It probably wouldn’t make a difference but it may help!

thanks in advance.

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/894181#Comment_894181

You can put a sign outside but that isn't really going to stop someone from parking there because it's a public road, even though it's a disabled bay.

As a disabled person myself with a physical disability, I wouldn't really want to put a sign outside my house advertising that I'm disabled.

Of course it's entirely up to you what you do.