MP joins disabled badge campaign

Two mothers whose children have a rare hip disorder have lobbied MPs at Westminster in their battle to change the rules on disabled parking badges. Helen Grindrod and Kelli-Ann Rushton's daughters both suffer from congenital hip displacia leaving them immobile and requiring regular hospital treatment. But due to the girls' age and type of disability, their mothers are not entitled to blue badges.

The Department for Transport said that more consultation is needed.

Mrs Grindrod's daughter Mia has to wear a braced cast on both legs for the next few months. She said Mia is heavy in the cast and she fears dislocating a leg when getting her out of the car in tight spaces.

Regulations specify that disability parking badges can only be issued for a three-year period. In 2002, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee made recommendations to the government to improve the blue badge scheme, including extending it to children aged under two whose condition requires bulky medical equipment. This could allow councils to award blue badges on a discretionary basis, but the recommendation has yet to be adopted.

On Tuesday 9th January 2007, Helen and Kelli-Ann travelled from Basingstoke to Westminster to gather support for their campaign. Basingstoke's Conservative MP Maria Miller urged the government to speed up the process of changing the law.

"The government agreed change was required over four years ago," she said. "But each year we hear that more consultation is needed. We need change, not consultation."

After meeting MPs, Mrs Grindrod said that her daughter Mia would probably be out of her cast by the time the law is finally changed, but she intends to carry on campaigning.

"We've had so much support from other families going through the same thing. We're not going to give up now," she vowed.