Government signals commitment to improving bus access for wheelchair users READ MORE HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-signals-commitment-to-improving-bus-access-for-wheelchair-users

I've known this was going to happen for a while, but I have now become the proud owner of a shiny new wheelchair. I've opted for self-propelled even though my upper body strength is sufficiently limited to mean that most of the time I'll have to have help, but I'm a control freak and leaving my speed/direction/ability to move entirely in the hands of someone else totally freaked me out. I've had the session with the physio but that was of necessity very limited, and the physio doesn't actually have the knowledge a day-to-day wheelchair user has, so thought I'd see if any other CAG members would be willing to share. We've already run into issues with door thresholds - even if I could open the two fire doors between my front door and the entrance to the building, I'd not be able to get myself over these and my son had some difficulty even pushing me over them. The supermarket was also quite illuminating. Since my son had the trolley (they'd run out of the wheelchair ones since the other two wheelchair users got there first!) I was quite successfully moving myself around but had to learn very quickly that people can stop much quicker than I can, they never look behind them before stepping back and never see anything below their own eye level. I'm not complaining - I'm sure I've done exactly the same things hundreds of times because it simply wouldn't have occurred to me that I might be causing a problem. Having had so much fun negotiating the supermarket, I can't wait for a visit to the pub tomorrow, and I'm certainly not planning any solo excursions any time soon, but would appreciate any tips/hints/advice from more experienced users. Also any recommended forums/websites for wheelchair users that might prove useful.

Hi, hoping someone has some advice. While visiting family last week, my husband parked up in a disabled bay in a council car park while we took the children to the park. Parking was free for up to three hours. Blue badge and time clock displayed clearly. he drives a WAV, he has to be careful about how to park, very few car parks have spaces that are ok for WAVs. This particular car park layout meant for safely and to not cause an obstruction, he was within two BB spaces, ie making a 'through' space. We've parked there before with our previous WAV. He got out the van from the back, two of our children were with him and they noticed a traffic warden nearby, he checked the sign, and went off to meet me in the park. He came back to the WAV alone just over two hours later, got in the back, got into driving position and realised he'd been given a ticket! He called over another traffic warden, who said the first one had told him she'd ticketed him for occupying two spaces and she'd called her supervisor to ask if she could do it. My husband asked to speak to the supervisor himself. 2nd traffic warden refused. My husband asked him if he were not a power wheelchair user, and could park up without alighting from the rear, if he would have got a ticket. The 2nd warden said no. 2nd warden also said if he'd purchased a ticket from the machine as well, he wouldn't have got a ticket. The sign says disabled parking free for up to three hours, nothing about parking a WAV and alighting safely, or having to buy a ticket for having a WAV. He told him he couldn't cancel it, so to appeal, gave him a number to ring for the supervisor as well. My husband asked how he was supposed to get the ticket off the windscreen, he couldn't reach from his chair. Bearing in mind he was alone, the vehicle is obviously a WAV with no drivers seat, and the blue badge is directly in front of the drivers seat anyone checking that could see it clearly, the 1st warden would have looked directly into the space to place the ticket. The 2nd traffic warden had to hand him the ticket. The time on the ticket is 15 minutes after he got there, and is for parking over a line. He told my husband he should have parked in one space and caused an obstruction. There wasn't actually room for him to deploy the ramp to alight from the rear of the vehicle if he'd done that. By this time, my husband was really stressed and upset, getting chest pains, and called me, the traffic warden left before I'd got there. We waited about 15 minutes till he'd calmed down and felt better but the warden didn't come back. My husband didn't get a choice with motability about the size of the WAV, it's because of the equipment, ramp etc, in the back and adaptations. He's had it for almost two years, we park in car parks every day. On the advice of our local police, we also carry cones to place behind because we've had a couple of incidences of people blocking the rear doors so he can't get in. My husband parks in the safest way possible so not to get run over when getting out, to avoid causing an obstruction etc. He's never had a parking ticket before, especially not for being a wheelchair user with a WAV, can't believe he said that! The children confirmed they'd seen the first traffic warden as they'd parked up with their dad. She could have come across then and spoken to him, the car park wasn't busy, but instead she decided to ticket him. I bet she told her supervisor it was just a van with a BB, not a WAV with no drivers seat. I messaged the local council that evening, and they're supposed to be looking into it. He has 14 days to appeal, it's now day 7. The council say it's an unusual situation and apologised but they haven't yet cancelled the ticket, apparently the team who'd look into it were away last week, no excuse yet for this week. I checked their 'other rules' for car parks online later on, and it mentions nothing about parking WAV's safely, without causing obstruction. If he'd parked like they wanted him to park, he wouldn't have been able to get out at all. We took photos of how he was parked, of the sign and how the 2nd warden thought he should have parked. Their sign said people 'may' get a ticket, suggesting they should use some common sense :-/ Not sure how ticketing a BB holder parked in a BB space is common sense at all, or to anyone's benefit really. Seems like a massive waste of time for them and us. I'm emailing the council again today, to find out if they want him to go through appealing or what. It's 200 miles away, so we can't just go in, or we would! Very much feels like he's been ticketed for needing a power wheelchair and adapted vehicle though. He's never got a ticket where we live, or anywhere else actually, and he parks up for work every day in a BB space. Any advice on how to handle this?

Bus companies are not required by law to force parents with buggies to make way for wheelchair users in designated bays on vehicles, senior judges ruled. Read More Here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-30376446

Appologies if this is in the wrong forum but i could not find where to put this. My son is a resident at a college and he is permenantly in a wheelchair. Yesterday his carers got him out of bed into his wheelchair but unfortunately they placed his laptop between his seat and base so when he lowered his chair it broke his laptop which is essential for his college work. The college are denying any liability as they clearly state anything bought into the college is at the owners risk and all liability is refuted by the college. Are they legally able to do this? my son is very upset as he bought this laptop with money he inherited from his grandmother who passed away and he cannot afford to repair this. Thanks for any help

A disabled woman was barred from a tribunal to decide whether she was entitled to benefits – because she was in a wheelchair. Sylvia Middleton, 65, was turned away by security staff in case a fire broke out in the five-storey building. It later emerged that wheelchair users have been denied entry to Acorn House in Basildon, Essex, for three months over the misplaced health and safety concerns. They included others attending disability tribunals and workers attempting to visit offices in the mixed-use block. ‘They said they couldn’t guarantee my safety and they didn’t let my wheelchair upstairs,’ said Miss Middleton, who was summoned to the fourth-floor hearing by the Department for Work and Pensions to be reassessed for Disability Living Allowance. ‘Why are they holding disability tribunals in a building disabled people aren’t allowed in?’ Divorcée Miss Middleton has been without her £50-a-week payments since December 2011 when they were suspended after an ‘administration error’. She has been managing on her £140-a-week pension in her two-bedroom bungalow in Pitsea, Essex, while waiting for the benefit to be reinstated. After she and her son, Peter, were refused entry on February 2 she was told she would have to wait another two months for her case to be heard – this time 12 miles away in Southend. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2275000/Disabled-mother-told-attend-disability-tribunal-WHEELCHAIR-health-safety-risk.html#ixzz2KJb39sKe