Owain Martin, father of 9-year-old Theo who has severe autism
"Before now there was never any issue with getting a Blue Badge for Theo, but when I went to renew it five weeks ago at Edinburgh City Council I was flatly refused because he is no longer on higher rate mobility and that’s because the Westminster Government cuts have meant that most kids have been downgraded to lower rate. We now have to park our car often some distance away, instead of in the disabled bay just outside. And Theo, although he can walk the stipulated 40 metres that mean you don’t qualify for higher rate mobility, has to be held by the hand at all times. If he’s having a bad day and he’s in a bad mood, if he slips out of your hand he’ll just run across the road. Many kids with autism and Downs Syndrome don’t have any danger awareness. Theo is severely autistic. He’s nine and he can’t talk and he’s still in nappies. His behaviour is pretty good unless he has a meltdown, and you never know when that might happen. And, even though he’s really well behaved, you have to hold onto him the whole time, because if you turn round for a second, he’ll be off, like a whippet. He has to have a person with him at all times. That makes it very difficult for Fiona, his mother, particularly if she's also got our toddler, Ben. No one is disputing the fact that autistic and Down’s children are capable of walking huge distances – it’s purely personal safety grounds that they need this on. I actually think this has been an oversight. But t turn someone down for a Blue Badge just because they can walk is ridiculous. A lot of these kids can walk, but a lot of them have got sensory overload issues, where noise and sound can send them into a meltdown. This is all part and parcel of the government’s welfare reforms, which I’m totally frustrated with. It just feels like they’re totally victimising the weakest. Personally from our point of view I would pay for the blue badge, but there’s going to be thousands out there who can’t afford to pay for it."
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