In January 2021, the 大象传媒 Shared Data Unit worked with the Local Democracy Reporting Service to report people with non-visible disabilities such as autism or Parkinson's disease faced what a charity called a "shocking disparity" when applying for a blue badge parking permit.
Scores of councils had lower approval rates for non-visible disabilities applications compared to those for physical impairments.
Non-visible disability applications began in England in August 2019.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said it would review their impact.
James Taylor, from the disability charity Scope, said: "This new data shows a shocking disparity between the allocations of blue badges to people with invisible and visible impairments."
The National Autistic Society said the results showed how important it was for councils to improve training to ensure staff understood when people should be entitled to a "lifeline" blue badge.
The removal of accessible parking bays next to shops and amenities "overnight, without any consultation" to allow for social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic had also had a "massive impact" on disabled people, Scope said.
Applications for people with cognitive impairments were already considered in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Method
The 大象传媒 Shared Data Unit obtained Freedom of Information Act (FOI) responses from the 216 upper-tier councils across the UK via the WhatDoTheyKnow website.
Of the 109 councils who gave full responses, eight out of 10 had higher approval rates for people with physical impairments. For ten of those councils, the difference was greater than 50 percentage points.
Data and sources
The data and background methodology released to partners are available here:
Interviews and quotes
- James Taylor, executive director strategy impact and social change at disability equality charity Scope
- Tim Nicholls, head of policy and public affairs at the National Autistic Society
- Paul Edwards, director of clinical services at Dementia UK
- Councillor David Renard, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association
- The Department for Transport
- Cumbria County Council
- Portsmouth City Council
- Durham County Council
- Coventry City Council
- Nottinghamshire County Council
- Rochdale Borough Council
- Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Partner usage
The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to the wider news industry as part of the 大象传媒 Local News Partnership. Stories written by partners based on this research included:
- Bracknell News: 7 January 2021
- Northern Echo: 7 January 2021
- Wigan Today: 7 January 2021
- ITV Tyne Tees: 7 January 2021
- The Guildford Dragon: 7 January 2021
- Yellow Advertiser: 7 January 2021
- Yorkshire Live: 7 January 2021
- Belfast Telegraph: 7 January 2021
- Cranfield & Marston Vale Chronicle: 7 January 2021
- Midsomer Norton Nub News: 7 January 2021
- Rochdale Online: 8 January 2021
- News & Star: 8 January 2021
- Times & Star: 8 January 2021
- Cumbria: The Mail: 8 January 2021
- Portsmouth: The News: 8 January 2021
- Middlewich Guardian: 8 January 2021
- Romford Recorder: 8 January 2021
- Knutsford Guardian: 8 January 2021
- Winsford Guardian: 8 January 2021
- Nantwich News: 9 January 2021
- Chronicle Live: 10 January 2021
- Surrey Live: 11 January 2021
- Northwich Guardian: 8 January 2021
- Cheshire Live: 11 January 2021
- Nottinghamshire Live: 12 January 2021
- Teesside Live: 12 January 2021
- Chester Standard: 12 January 2021
- South Cotswolds Gazette: 15 January 2021
- Liverpool Echo: 15 January 2021
- Leicestershire Live: 16 January 2021
- ITV News Central: 16 January 2021
- Frodsham Nub News: 8 January 2021
- Macclesfield Nub News: 8 January 2021
- Crewe Nub News: 10 January 2021
- Congleton Nub News: 11 January 2021
- Gloucestershire Live: 11 January 2021
- Planet Radio: 11 January 2021
- Peterborough Matters: 12 January 2021
- Bracknell News: 19 January 2021
- Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald: 19 January 2021
- Wirral Globe: 20 January 2021
- Sunday Mirror: 10 January 2021
The story featured on 大象传媒 front, home and England pages. It was also used by 大象传媒 North West Tonight, 大象传媒 East Midlands Today, 大象传媒 Midlands Today, 大象传媒 Look North, 大象传媒 Somerset, 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire, 大象传媒 Radio York, 大象传媒 Radio Tees, 大象传媒 Radio Leicester, 大象传媒 Radio Sheffield, 大象传媒 Radio Berkshire, 大象传媒 Radio Manchester, 大象传媒 CWR, 大象传媒 Three Counties Radio, 大象传媒 Radio Oxford and 大象传媒 Radio Bradford. It also led to a further report for 大象传媒 West Midlands online: Blue badge denied: Stourbridge mum feels 'worthless'.