what happens at the blue badge assessment — Scope | Disability forum
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what happens at the blue badge assessment

happyfella
happyfella Community member Posts: 486 Pioneering
i am very nervous as i have my blue badge assessment in just over a week. i would like to know what happens at the assessment and how i should prepare for it.

my doctor has told me to take a sheet of paper with bullet points on, on the problems i have parking in a single space and aware from a main entrance

Comments

  • Libby_Alumni
    Libby_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 1,251 Pioneering
    edited November 2021
    Hi @happyfella :) 

    How are you today?

    I can understand why you might be nervous, but remember, the assessors just want to listen to your experiences and they aren't there to trip you up. They just want to understand your situation. 

    It sounds like your doctor has already offered some valuable advice. I think bullet points are a good place to start when highlighting the challenges that you have when parking, in relation to your disability. Please see here for more information about the blue badge assessment. 

    Some of our members might also be able to help and advise you, so please stick around to see if any comment on your post. I have also tagged your post, in the hope that it will get more attention. 

    Keep us updated and good luck for the assessment :) 

    Libby
    Online Community Information Coordinator
    Scope

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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger
    If you're applying for the BB because you're unable to walk a certain distance then they will likely ask you to do walking task during the assessment.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • happyfella
    happyfella Community member Posts: 486 Pioneering
    What i have put on the application, and i must say i did not want to apply in the first place but was forced by my doctors and medical team, is that i have good days and bad days. i have explained my major problem is chronic pain. If i am not in pain then my walking is not too bad, but if i am driving and struggling to park, then my pain gets worse.

    For example. if i am driving and my pain is low, and then i struggle to park as my chronic pain makes it difficult for me to get into one parking space, then i am forced to drive around the car park until i can find a space i can park into. this could result in me driving around the car park for more than 20 minutes, and with the driving around corners etc then my pain gets worse. so, by the time i get out of the vehicle, if my walking was fine beforehand, due to the added pain my walking becomes bad.

    I have said to my doctors that the blue badge people will not understand that, and i have said to my medical team they will not understand that, but for more than three years they keep telling me to apply. i am only applying now to shut them all up.

    I do not think that the blue badge people will understand.

    Because i suffer from depression, i am told to get out as much as possible. but due to my chronic pain that is not always possible. And, if i drive somewhere and then i cannot find a parking space to get into, then i end up coming back and then my depression suffers.

    As far as i know, the blue badge people are only interested in my walking, they are not interested in my depression, or my chronic pain.

    so if my chronic pain is not too bad on the day of the assessment then my walking will be fine, unless they want me to walk say the distance of a street.

    I have applied before and to the annoyance of my medical team, when i was requested to go to an assessment i cancel it because i suffer from confidence issues.
  • Libby_Alumni
    Libby_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 1,251 Pioneering
    edited November 2021
    Hi @happyfella

    I'm sorry to hear that you experience chronic pain, I can imagine that some days it can be more unpredictable than others. The blue badge assessment team will want to hear your experiences on your worst day, so please make sure you voice the challenges that you experience on your worst day. They should understand that disability and chronic illness symptoms can fluctuate daily and will have experience of assessing individuals with chronic pain. 

    I can imagine that is frustrating and I understand the benefits of getting outside for your mental health. Are you currently seeking any support for your mental health through your GP? If you would like any further support or advice, please take a look at Mind and Samaritan's website, as these can both be really helpful resources. 

    If you have any further concerns or questions, please just ask us :) 

    Libby
    Online Community Information Coordinator
    Scope

    Concerned about another member's safety or wellbeing? Flag your concerns with us.

    Did we do a good job at answering your queries or concerns? If so, complete our feedback form now. 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,352 Disability Gamechanger

    As far as i know, the blue badge people are only interested in my walking, they are not interested in my depression, or my chronic pain.



    Your chronic pain affects your ability to walk so yes they would be interested in that.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Reg
    Reg Community member Posts: 109 Pioneering
    Hello @happyfella

    I just wanted to say good luck with the assessment.

    I  think the doctors idea to take bullet points is a really good idea . I always forget how bad it is to get out of the car once I have done it so my advice would be to prepare your bullet points once you have been for a drive and parked up. That way you will hopefully really remember all the points you want to get across.

    Good luck

     
    Reg

    I am a Scope volunteer.

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