Mum with nerve damage has Blue Badge bid rejected as she's 'not disabled enough'
A mother-of-two with severe nerve damage was left furious after the council refused to grant her a Blue Badge - claiming she's "not disabled enough".
Lauren Jennings, from Benfleet, Essex, suffered her injuries as a result of undergoing several major surgeries to remove a rare and possibly cancerous tumour. However, despite struggling in day-to-day life, the council still rejected her request following what the mother described as a 'traumatic' face-to-face assessment.
The 33-year-old - who also suffers from significant damage to her bowel and bladder - applied for the badge to make tasks such as accessing buildings and toilet facilities less stressful. However, she was left stunned by the results of her assessment, which were both "offensive" and "ableist". Essex County Council reportedly claimed she could "remarkably" walk at a steady pace for 90 seconds without having a rest.
Last week, the Department for Transport revealed that the number of Blue Badge holders in England has risen from 4.1% to 4.6% in the last five years. Unsurprisingly, the stats have angered the mother of six-year-old twins, who can't understand why she hasn't received the badge her condition requires.
She said: "The experience has meant that I now have little to no faith in the system. The language used by the council to disabled people is offensive and ableist. I mentioned I was in pain during the physical assessment, and 'remarkably' I managed to proceed without the need to stop and rest.
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"It's incredibly offensive to bear my heart and soul about such a traumatic experience, as what the years of major surgery have been, describe how my life has turned upside down and then be told that I still don't come across as disabled enough for the liking of a man from the council. Imagine telling the story of something traumatic in your life and someone turning around and telling you how you really feel or should be feeling, then using sarcastic language to use it against you."
Lauren needs her walking stick to get around (Jam Press/Lauren Jennings)Upon hearing the complaint, Essex County Council offered an "unreserved apology for the inclusion of the word 'remarkably' and any offence this may have caused", confessing that it was deeply "inappropriate and had no place being included." They added that the psychotherapy student is within her rights to appeal the decision. The woman, who has "little bowel control", is determined to do just that, explaining: "I was naive and believed that the assessment was just part of the process.
"On the paperwork beforehand, it stated, 'Your assessor may need to undertake a brief physical examination; however, this can be done from a seated position and will be conducted within your pain limitations'." However, she claims: "There was no option for this examination to be seated or otherwise.
"The instructions were to walk across the car park whilst being watched. Even in that moment, I worried about how I was walking - if I was walking too fast, if my slight limp would look as if I was lying. It caused quite a bit of anxiety. I had already presented all of the letters, information and medication from the highly traumatic experience that caused me to be disabled. I then had to go through it again in graphic detail. After all that, feeling so vulnerable and exposed - there was no part of me that thought my application would be declined."
The harrowing experience has left Lauren between a rock and a hard place. She sadly feels like she "doesn't fit in the disabled box enough to have support" - but also "doesn't fit into the able-bodied box." However, in a testament to her admirable spirit, she's remained strong, vowing to fight until she gets what she needs.
Lauren will keep fighting until she gets her Blue Badge (Jam Press/Lauren Jennings)She said: "There are hundreds of disabilities, and they do not all fit within a box of someone's opinion of what a disabled person looks, acts, or walks like. It's important to me to stand up for the disabled people who already feel a lack of support from the government, who then may have been told they do not fit into the box of the council's disabled description, but don't fit in the able-bodied box either.
"I'm also fighting for those who are disheartened. In a few years, if my twin sons ever ask why I don't have a Blue Badge? And I tell them this story, then they ask me what I did about it - I don't want to say, 'I just accepted it, son; it's just the way it is'. I want to say, 'I fought it, I contacted X, Y and Z, and I made sure voices were heard'."
The founder of Cool Crutches, who made Lauren's walking stick, Amelia Peckham, added: "So often the use of walking aids is a symptom of a more complicated reality. The invisible elements of disability are often far more disabling than the visible, and it's so important all elements are considered during assessments and support given as required.
"We hope by sharing this story, awareness will be raised to drive better considerations in the future, both in assessment, as well as reporting. To ensure support is given to those that need it, assessed in a way that takes all elements of a disability into consideration, delivered in a respectful and supportive way. Someone's ability to move is one very small element of the equation, it's time all aspects of disability are respected equally."
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