Articles  SUPPORTING THE PETITION Brent Advocacy Concerns Management Committee thought it would help if people understood what they are signing for. This is our explanation. The need for Accessible Public Transport for Disabled People is well known. Because public transport is inaccessible to many disabled people the government has made provision to help with this. This provision includes the Freedom Pass, The Blue Badge Scheme and Taxi Card. The Freedom Pass gives access to public transport for most Disabled People and Elders. The Blue Badge Scheme allows disabled people to overcome some parking restrictions. Taxi Card makes some Taxis more affordable to disabled people. Sadly the Blue Badge scheme and Taxi Card is only provided to those people with mobility impairments and blind people. If you find it difficult to walk you are entitled to apply to these schemes. Some People with Learning Disabilities cannot understand how to use public transport or have not been helped to use it properly. Some Mental Health Service Users are too anxious to use Public Transport. We believe they should have the same rights to the Blue Badge Scheme and Taxi Card. We have not specified these people in the petition because we do not want to exclude other disabled people who would also benefit from the schemes. We also believe some councils are paying for as little as they can get away with for all of these schemes. We think they should give all disabled people more access. Although Brent Advocacy Concerns have started this petition so far we have also got support from Brent Association of Disabled People, Brent Mencap, Loud and Clear Mental Health Advocacy, The Association of Muslims with Disabilities, Hillingdon Age Concern and Advocacy in Barnet. If you know of any other organisations who should be supporting us please let them know about the petition and ask them to contact us. PETITION [ Download the petition as a Word document ] Brent Advocacy Concerns, an organisation of disabled people, and its supporters, are concerned about the provision of transport services to disabled people based on 'ability to walk'. We recognise other disabled people whose rights and quality of life would be enhanced if they were to receive the same access to services as their peers. We call on Parliament and the Greater London Authority to review and change legislation, policy and practice excluding disabled people able to walk but unable to use public transport. We also call upon Local Authorities providing a minimum service to Blue Badge and Taxi Card holders to review and change restrictive practices. NAME ADDRESS