Nov 212021
On Thursday night, in York, Blue Badge holders were excluded from the city centre. This happened in a Human Rights City, a city that the council refers to as being age friendly, dementia friendly and autism friendly.
The lives of many Blue Badge holders were changed forever by nine councillors.
City of York Council Executive were faced with numerous, emotional, pleas to reinstate Blue Badge access that was lost during the pandemic. The temporary restrictions had been put in place to aid social distancing and were made permanent this week.
They listened as disabled people shared the impact the temporary restriction has had on our lives. They watched on as we begged and cried for a basic level of access to our city centre.
And we were ignored. Well reasoned compromises and solutions appear to have been outright rejected. As a result, many Blue Badge holders will struggle to shop, socialise, participate in city centre life or even use their bank.
Blue Badge holders were singled out by those nine people. The list of those who are still allowed to access the streets in question, during the times in question, includes Fishmongers as they are dependent on tide times. To vote to exclude us, whilst retaining Fishmongers for this reason, shows an horrific lack of understanding about what it can be like to be disabled.
We are now, sadly, in a situation where we feel forced to explore legal options. We are crowdfunding to pay our specialist disability discrimination lawyers to explore whether we have a legal case to challenge the changes which threaten our human rights, independence and dignity.
If this can happen in York this week, in can happen in your city in a few months time.
Please help us take this case forward.
The councillors who make up Executive are:
Councillor Keith Aspden – Chair, Liberal Democrats
Councillor Nigel Ayre – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Denise Craghill – Green Party
Councillor Ian Cuthbertson – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Andy D’Agorne – Green Party
Councillor Carol Runciman – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Darryl Smalley – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Andrew Waller – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Paula Widdowson – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Nigel Ayre – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Denise Craghill – Green Party
Councillor Ian Cuthbertson – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Andy D’Agorne – Green Party
Councillor Carol Runciman – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Darryl Smalley – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Andrew Waller – Liberal Democrats
Councillor Paula Widdowson – Liberal Democrats
Further Reading
- Blue badge holders permanently banned from parking in city footstreets https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/19727506.blue-badge-holders-permanently-banned-parking-york-footstreets/
- Bid to launch legal action over York council’s blue badge decision https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/19727944.bid-launch-legal-action-york-councils-blue-badge-decision/
The answer to all your queries is: YES. I think the next phase of the campaign ought to be picketting the homes of the ‘horrible Nine’. See if they like that!
Is this not, disability discrimination.
Cannot the councillors be made personally responsible for their actions or omissions.
Has not several equality laws been breached.
Please advise