And now it's time to play Let's Make Things Easier For The Bureaucrats
Ok. There is apparently a move afoot to "harmonise" disability parking schemes across the country - bring in standardised permits with a federally recognised set of criteria and concessions. A good idea all up, given the enormous confusion that can be generated by, for example, sticking your red Queensland permit up in the car window of the people you're visiting in Ballarat. (For those not in the know, in the state where I live there are two types of disability permits: blue and red. Blue ones go exclusively to people who permanently use a wheelchair or other large mobility device [but not crutches] and nobody else. Red ones go to anyone who is capable of locomotion, aided or not, but only if walking more than 500 metres [from memory] is a problem for any reason. Confusing, neh?) Go here to read the full PDF explaining the proposals (it includes a comment form which I encourage you to fill out).
Wanna know why I'm pissed? (Besides it being 2:30 in the gorram morning and my body flat-out refusing to let me sleep, obviously.)
Here are the proposed criteria for the proposed permanent and temporary permits:
Permanent permit
Under the proposed scheme, you would be eligible for a permanent permit if:
Criteria 1: You are unable to walk and always require the use of a manual
wheelchair or powered mobility device, or
Criteria 2: Your ability to walk is permanently and severely restricted and you
sometimes require the use of a mobility or medical aid. This does not include a
walking stick, shopping trolley or pram, or
Criteria 3: You do not use a mobility or medical aid but your ability to walk is
permanently restricted by a significant medical condition or disability, which
sometimes requires the physical assistance of another person and limits your
access to the community.
Temporary permit
Under the proposed scheme, you would be eligible for a temporary permit if:
Criteria 1: Your ability to walk is significantly restricted on a temporary (rather
than permanent) basis and you sometimes require use of a mobility or medical
aid. This does not include a walking stick, shopping trolley or pram, or
Criteria 2: You do not use a mobility or medical aid but your ability to walk is
restricted by a significant medical condition or disability, which requires the
physical assistance of another person and limits your access to the community
for the temporary period.
(emphasis mine)
So all this hard work that I've been putting in with my physio (and anyone who doubts it's hard fucking work can feel free to first meet him and hear his Five Year Plan for me and then proceed to kiss my curvy arse) to ensure that I'm not dependent on the wheelchair or my crutches and in fact aiming to avoid such through said hard work and a little bit of luck (and probably pixie dust) means ... I'm essentially ineligible.
I can see that technically I qualify under criterion 2 for a permanent permit - EDS is pretty damn permanent and my walking ability is permanently pretty damn restricted as a result and I do even occasionally end up in the chair or on the crutches for a few weeks at a time, but there are other considerations to be made here.
Technically doesn't always cut it.
Technically means that any time I get out of the car without my crutches or chair or leaning on somebody's arm I run the risk of being harassed by parking inspectors, random members of the public with or without a vested interest in who's parking where and, as I'm sure many of us have seen, current affairs programs after an easy target to ridicule.
Technically also means that all it takes is a doctor wording the application wrong and I'm out on my ear.
Technically means the potential for whoever receives the application, however it's worded, to say no.
These criteria exclude everybody who walks, with or without a walking stick, and who does not require the physical assistance of another person.
Every single independent person with an invisible disability.
Requiring people with disabilities to be dependent on someone/something before they can "access" the "community" is not an acceptable definition of "accessible". It's the polar fucking opposite.
JUNE'S BOOKS
Devil Bones - Kathy Reichs (re-read)
Spider Light - Sarah Payne (re-read)
Touch Me, I'm Sick; The 52 Most Creepy Love Songs - Tom Reynolds (re-read)
The Folklore of Discworld - Terry Pratchett and Jacqueline Simpson
Night of the Wolf - Alice Borchardt (re-read)
The Silver Wolf - Alice Borchardt (re-read)
Magician - Raymond E. Feist (re-read)
Echo In Time - Atlantis - Traci Harding
Odd Hours - Dean Koontz
Wanna know why I'm pissed? (Besides it being 2:30 in the gorram morning and my body flat-out refusing to let me sleep, obviously.)
Here are the proposed criteria for the proposed permanent and temporary permits:
Permanent permit
Under the proposed scheme, you would be eligible for a permanent permit if:
Criteria 1: You are unable to walk and always require the use of a manual
wheelchair or powered mobility device, or
Criteria 2: Your ability to walk is permanently and severely restricted and you
sometimes require the use of a mobility or medical aid. This does not include a
walking stick, shopping trolley or pram, or
Criteria 3: You do not use a mobility or medical aid but your ability to walk is
permanently restricted by a significant medical condition or disability, which
sometimes requires the physical assistance of another person and limits your
access to the community.
Temporary permit
Under the proposed scheme, you would be eligible for a temporary permit if:
Criteria 1: Your ability to walk is significantly restricted on a temporary (rather
than permanent) basis and you sometimes require use of a mobility or medical
aid. This does not include a walking stick, shopping trolley or pram, or
Criteria 2: You do not use a mobility or medical aid but your ability to walk is
restricted by a significant medical condition or disability, which requires the
physical assistance of another person and limits your access to the community
for the temporary period.
(emphasis mine)
So all this hard work that I've been putting in with my physio (and anyone who doubts it's hard fucking work can feel free to first meet him and hear his Five Year Plan for me and then proceed to kiss my curvy arse) to ensure that I'm not dependent on the wheelchair or my crutches and in fact aiming to avoid such through said hard work and a little bit of luck (and probably pixie dust) means ... I'm essentially ineligible.
I can see that technically I qualify under criterion 2 for a permanent permit - EDS is pretty damn permanent and my walking ability is permanently pretty damn restricted as a result and I do even occasionally end up in the chair or on the crutches for a few weeks at a time, but there are other considerations to be made here.
Technically doesn't always cut it.
Technically means that any time I get out of the car without my crutches or chair or leaning on somebody's arm I run the risk of being harassed by parking inspectors, random members of the public with or without a vested interest in who's parking where and, as I'm sure many of us have seen, current affairs programs after an easy target to ridicule.
Technically also means that all it takes is a doctor wording the application wrong and I'm out on my ear.
Technically means the potential for whoever receives the application, however it's worded, to say no.
These criteria exclude everybody who walks, with or without a walking stick, and who does not require the physical assistance of another person.
Every single independent person with an invisible disability.
Requiring people with disabilities to be dependent on someone/something before they can "access" the "community" is not an acceptable definition of "accessible". It's the polar fucking opposite.
JUNE'S BOOKS
Devil Bones - Kathy Reichs (re-read)
Spider Light - Sarah Payne (re-read)
Touch Me, I'm Sick; The 52 Most Creepy Love Songs - Tom Reynolds (re-read)
The Folklore of Discworld - Terry Pratchett and Jacqueline Simpson
Night of the Wolf - Alice Borchardt (re-read)
The Silver Wolf - Alice Borchardt (re-read)
Magician - Raymond E. Feist (re-read)
Echo In Time - Atlantis - Traci Harding
Odd Hours - Dean Koontz