#8 H&F council c81: parked in a restricted area in a car park (reserved disabled bay), 51 White City Rd
on 23 Jul, 2023 16:16 in Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on)
Since purchasing a car and receiving my blue badge, I have received 4 tickets because the parking information is not autism friendly.As an autistic person, I encounter challenges understanding information designed for neurotypicals, including parking rules and signage. Researchers (e.g. Professor Kate Cain from Lancaster University and Professor Jane Oakhill from the University of Sussex), have shown that reading comprehension involves more than just recognising words; it also requires connecting different text parts to grasp the broader context. Unfortunately, individuals like me, who experience weak central coherence, may struggle to compile information effectively, hindering our understanding of complex instructions, such as parking guidelines.While attempting to comprehend the parking rules, I diligently conducted Google searches to decipher the meaning of "clearly marked and signed." However, my efforts were in vain, as the available information did not provide the clarity I needed. It was difficult for me to discern what a "reserved disabled bay" looks like, leading me to assume that it would be labelled as "reserved for specific blue badge holders." I included a screenshot of my search history as evidence of my attempts in the appeal.Upon further investigation, I discovered an essential piece of information in The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 that was unavailable on the H&F website. According to the regulations, where a bay is reserved for an individual disabled badge holder, an alphanumeric identifier, possibly followed by the word "ONLY," should be added after the term "DISABLED." This addition would have been immensely helpful for someone like me, as it would enable my brain to comprehend the alphanumeric identifier as a combination of letters and numbers, thus making the sign more interpretable.The correspondence officer rejected my initial appeal, stating that the parking signage met statutory requirements; in other words, enough signs were clearly visible. However, my vision is not the issue, nor did my appeal mention the lack of signage. I specifically mentioned it was the clarity of the information provided. Nonetheless, after researching the regulations, I do not believe they have been updated to consider hidden disabilities. In addition, as highlighted by the National Autistic Society (NAS), despite introducing the Autism Act 2009, the only act for a specific disability, autistic people (myself included) are still facing challenges with services in understanding what autism is and how it impacts us. For example, the NAS 2016 report indicates that only 16% of autistic people and their families feel the public understands autism. With this, I am unsure if there is any point in appealing my ticket further and instead focus on trying to make some changes by contacting the local government social care ombudsman. Implementing changes is more important to me, and I would rather not waste my time and energy if this appeal isn’t in my favour.I appreciate your help and guidance on this appeal + any other people to contact about making the driving information more accessible. As an aspiring autism researcher who is also autistic I believe I could offer some cost-effective and easy-to-implement solutions.Photos:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jdn1vdcDXcoH1m6VNiVrHMuzU5rmWZnF/view?usp=sharingCorrespondence letter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Js3bsqcTq1MgI8lGG5pa6ebzKFxHnCv/view?usp=drive_linkStreet view link:https://goo.gl/maps/EBhevWA4ahL7tDix5