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    Issue 3  May 2007

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New Inspection Powers To Cut Blue Badge Abuse

The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) welcomes the new powers to tackle abuse of the Blue Badge Scheme which provides parking concessions for disabled people.

New government legislation includes many of the recommendations made by the DPTAC following a review of the system.

These include the introduction of powers for police officers, traffic wardens, parking attendants and civil enforcement officers to check the photograph on the back of the badges to make sure they are being used by the people who are entitled to use them. It will be an offence to fail to produce a badge without good reason.

(section  94 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 and section 21 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 have been amended)

The Blue Badge Scheme is operated by local authorities and they have the powers to ask for a blue badge to be returned if it has been misused. Local Authorities can also refuse to issue a badge if they believe it is going to be misused.

These new laws to make inspection possible came into force on 29^th September 2006.

Access to Brecon market

Wheelchair access to the Brecon Market Hall is only possible via Castle Street, where there is also a loading bay. Stall holders leave their vehicles there all day and I was furious when I couldn't keep a hair appointment some time ago. I couldn't get in because they were parked so closely! My original complaint to Powys County Council yet again fell on deaf ears so, as there are also three fire exits leading onto this area.

I wrote to the Fire Chief pointing out the problems of evacuation if there were a fire inside the premises. His promise to contact PCC. seems to have been fulfilled as there is now a painted area on the ground (hardly wide enough for pedestrians let alone wheelchairs) directing pedestrian access. Progress to a point, but only as the afore mentioned vehicles ignore this area and continue to park on it. Until my request for bollards is carried out this is still a very difficult area to access

Disability Awareness Training

We have been in dispute with some of our disabled colleagues about the best method of giving disability awareness training to non-disabled people. We favour putting them in a wheelchair, or blindfolding them to feel what it is like, even for an hour or two, for the visually impaired and wheelchair users just to get around. Those who oppose this prefer flip-chart or power-point presentations. So, we were interested to read the following newspaper item………….

‘Scientists have confirmed what yawning business executives have long suspected: there’s not much point to PowerPoint. Research at the University of New South Wales suggests that being shown computer-generated presentations on screen, while at the same time having to listen to the same information imparted verbally, is too much for the human brain, which responds by switching off. “If you have ever wondered why your eyes start glazing over as you read those dot points on the screen, as the same words are being spoken, take heart in knowing there is a scientific explanation” said Prof John Sweller.’

John Phillips

Parking Bay Blues!

Not so long ago ‘official’ parking bays for Blue Badge holders were marked out in yellow paint, while those with white markings were ‘advisory’ – ie no action could be taken against people without a badge who parked in them. Apparently, new legislation has replaced this and it appears that official/statutory parking bays should now be marked in white. If we are confused how are non-disabled motorists expected to know which are the proper designated bays for disabled people?

As far as we know it will take some time for the Council to complete a programme of changing the markings to comply with the new regulations [not that it makes much difference as our traffic warden and police take no action against people who abuse them].

The Access Group is taking this opportunity to undertake its own survey of street parking for blue badge holders [and probably Council car parks as well] to persuade the Council to move some bays which are poorly sited, and suggest other sites where more appropriate spaces can be created.

If you have any comments on the existing arrangements in any of the Brecknock towns or suggestions for improvement do please contact us – or join us in our surveys over the summer months.

John Phillips

No Smoking – No Access

This is a letter from our chairman published in the Brecon and Radnor Express in April:

Dear Sir

Your article on page 9 of the 5 April edition makes for very grim reading for the hundreds of disabled people in Brecknock. In contrast with November 2004 when the Disability Discrimination Act became "national law" it is sickening for us to see a Manager and 11 officers planning for a whole year to offer information and advice to businesses on the new smoking law. In 2004 no-one (except us) lifted a finger or spent a penny to explain the importance of access for the disabled, the elderly and people with young families, and how to comply with that new law. So we now have the situation where all the pubs, hotels, restaurants and other places of leisure and entertainment in the County will be 'on the ball' about smoking, and more than 95 percent of them will remain inaccessible to us. It is an unpleasant reminder of how official priorities continue to leave disabled people at the bottom of the heap.

Yours etc

John Phillips (Chairman)

Brecknock Access Group

Help us to Help Terry

We are busy helping to raise funds for one our visually impaired members, Terry Ottewell. Terry is an international standard ‘blind archer’ – in fact he won a gold medal at the European Championships last autumn and is currently the national champion of the UK, Italy and Belgium in his class.

He gets no financial help to participate in the many qualifying events that are necessary for selection to the national team.

We are fund-raising in three ways. First – on Friday 15 June there will be a coffee morning, sponsored by The Friends of Terry Ottewell, at the Brecon Guild Hall – 10am until 12noon – with entry and free coffee for £1. Secondly – tickets for a Grand Draw [1^st prize £250 and over 30 other prizes] will be on sale at the coffee morning and throughout June and most of July.

Lastly, there will be a Musical Evening at Brecon Guild Hall on Friday 20 July with two choirs from Hay-on-Wye giving a concert of popular music, including a performance of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

We hope all our supporters will help us out with raising money for this worthy cause – come to the coffee morning, and come to the concert if you can. If you want to take a book of Draw tickets to buy or sell please contact us or the Friends of Terry Ottewell [telephone 01874 624321]

Coffee Morning

We held a coffee morning in Brecon Guildhall on Friday 18^th May. In addition to refreshments there were stalls featuring cakes, bric-a-brac and books and a raffle for a food hamper. Thanks to those who helped and those who came we raised £160.

Annual General Meeting

At our AGM on 28^th March the speakers were Councillor Leslie Davies, Portfolio Holder for Equalities at Powys County Council and Wesh Assembly Member Kirsty Williams (pictured below)

The existing committee were re-elected for a further year:

John Coombe, Michael Knee (Secretary), Joyce Williams (President), Sue Nelson (Treasurer), Elwyn Davies, Dave Summers (Vice-Chairman), John Hutchinson, John Phillips (Chairman), Carol Wothers (Coordinator) and Alex Robinson (who took the picture).

Coordinator position

Over the past three and a half years the Access Group has benefited tremendously from the energetic input of our paid coordinator, Carol Wothers. Carol is resigning to concentrate on her job at Brecon Coachworks (but she will remain a member of the Group). Our thanks to Carol for her hard work and we hope to appoint a new coordinator in June.

We were saddened to hear recently of the death of a former committee member and long time friend in Ystradgynlais, Councillor Donald Morgan.

NEXT MEETINGS:

Wednesdays 20^th June & 18^th July at 11 am at the Subud Centre, The Watton, Brecon.

Meetings of the area SUB GROUPS are as follows……..

BRECON – the 2^nd Wednesday in every month at the Brecon Leisure Centre at 10am – NEXT MEETING: Wednesday 13^th June

HAY-ON-WYE – next meeting – Friday 8^th June at the Parish Hall in Lion Street at 11am.

For more details of meetings and other activities please contact our office on 01874 611401, or by email at brecknock.access@virgin.net, or post to Brecknock Access Group, New Wing, Brecon War Memorial Hospital, Cerrigcochion Road, Brecon, Powys LD3 7NS – or visit our website www.brecknockaccess.org.uk.

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