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Frequently asked questions - mobility

• Where can I get a Blue Badge parking permit (previously Orange Badge), and will I be eligible?
• I want to buy a wheelchair for my mother. Could you give me some advice?
• My husband has just been issued with a wheelchair and whilst he can propel himself reasonably well outdoors his arms do get tired and he needs help going up and down kerbs. Can you advise me on how best to help him?

Where can I get a Blue Badge parking permit (previously Orange Badge), and will I be eligible?

To obtain a parking permit you must apply to your local council's Social Services department. The phone number will be in your local phone book under the name of your local council. To receive a Blue Badge parking permit you must:

• receive the higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance or
• be receiving war pensioner's mobility supplement or
• be using a vehicle supplied by a government department or receiving a grant towards running your own car or
• be registered blind or
• drive regularly, and have a severe disability in both arms so that you can not turn the steering wheel by hand (even if the wheel is fitted with a turning knob) or
• have a permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.

The mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance is the most frequently used indicator of the level of mobility impairment. However, there are some people who may be eligible for this payment who choose not to claim it and these people should not be excluded from receiving a parking permit.

There are two organisations that can offer further advice:

Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions
Mobility and Inclusion Unit
Room 1-18 1st Floor
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DR
Tel: (020) 7944 6100
Fax: (020) 7944 6102
Minicom: (020) 7944 6100
Email: miu@dtlr.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.mobility-unit.dtlr.gsi.gov.uk

Blue Badge Network
198 Wolverhampton Street
Dudley
West Midlands DY1 1DZ
Tel/Fax: 01384 257001
Email: headoffice@bluebadgenetwork.org.uk
Website: www.bluebadgenetwork.org

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I want to buy a wheelchair for my mother. Could you give me some advice?

We have some factsheets on our website that give advice on choosing wheelchairs:

• Choosing a standard self propelled wheelchair
• Choosing an attendant propelled wheelchair
• Choosing an active user wheelchair

Before you consider buying privately we'd advise you to ask your mother's GP to refer her to the NHS Wheelchair Service for an assessment. If you do so she will be assessed by a specialist wheelchair therapist and, if appropriate, be provided with a wheelchair free-of-charge. The Wheelchair Service provides wheelchairs to people who need one full-time and to occasional users, i.e. people like your mother who are able to walk but can not manage distances. The Service has a range of wheelchairs that it can provide from standard issue, but also has the flexibility to supply higher specification wheelchairs should an assessment indicate this requirement. Also, some centres offer the option of accepting a voucher equivalent in value to the wheelchair you would be issued with, and you can then use that voucher towards buying a wheelchair of your choice from a range of suppliers.

Wheelchairs provided by the NHS Wheelchair Service are serviced and maintained by NHS contractors.

In the interim, you could hire a wheelchair. The British Red Cross offer a wheelchair hire service and this is usually the cheapest hire source. There are commercial companies that hire, Fred Walton runs a national hire service, but there are also local companies. If you contact our helpline they can look these up for you, tel. 0895 130 9177.

London hire companies >>

Should you want to find out more about the wheelchairs available on the private market, contact our Helpline for a list of suppliers, but please read through our factsheets beforehand so that you have an idea of the style of wheelchair you require.

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My husband has just been issued with a wheelchair and whilst he can propel himself reasonably well outdoors his arms do get tired and he needs help going up and down kerbs. Can you advise me on how best to help him?

If your husband's wheelchair was supplied by the NHS Wheelchair Service, you should be able to receive advice and/or training from your local centre. NHS Direct has details of local wheelchair centre addresses: phone 0845 4647.

Unless you are a fit and active wheelchair user, going up and down kerbs is difficult and often needs the help of an assistant. Fortunately, most areas have dropped kerbs at crossings to assist wheelchair users and parents pushing buggies. Most people get to know 'good places' and 'bad places' to cross, and tend to prefer to travel slightly further to find a safer, easier route.

If negotiating kerbs can not be avoided, try using the following techniques:

• Going down - Manoeuvre the wheelchair close up to the edge of the pavement then using the tipping levers at the back of the wheelchair transfer the weight onto the two rear wheels. The wheels can then be gently 'rolled' down the kerb. Your husband can contribute by controlling the roll of the wheels with his hands on the pushing rims. If he is heavy, it may be easier to go backwards, but a clear view of the road is essential for obvious safety reasons.
• Going up - To go up a kerb use the tipping levers again. For a low kerb (e.g. 2 inches), pushing down on the tipping lever at the same time as pushing down on the handgrips should raise the front wheels off the ground. The wheelchair can then be pushed forwards transferring the front wheels onto the pavement and the back wheels can then be rolled up. For higher kerbs, going up backwards is easier. Again, transfer the weight onto the rear wheels by using the tipping levers then roll the rear wheels up the kerb. Your husband should be able to help with both manoeuvres. Turning the wheelchair backwards to transfer up a kerb takes extra time and should not be contemplated in busy areas. Fortunately, most main roads do have defined crossings that can be used.

There are portable kerb ramps available to help. These can often be stored in a bag at the back of the wheelchair.

There are also some booklets that give advice:

• "Assisting a wheelchair user" available from:
  Scriptographic
  Channing House
  Butts Road
  Alton Hants GU34 1ND
  Tel: 01420 541738
  Email: sales@scriptographic.co.uk
  Minimum order 50.
• "How to Push a wheelchair" price 60p, available from:
  Mobility Information Service
  Unit 2A Atcham Estate
  Shrewsbury
  Shropshire SY4 4UG
  Tel: (01743) 761889
  Fax: (01743) 761149
  Website: www.mis.org.uk (click on 'Shop')

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