Disabled parking

SIR – Re Editor s comments on Blue Badge parking (Herts Advertiser, November 26). St Albans and District Access Group work closely with the district council on the issue of provision of Blue Badge parking spaces and it is certainly not true that in either

SIR - Re Editor's comments on Blue Badge parking (Herts Advertiser, November 26).

St Albans and District Access Group work closely with the district council on the issue of provision of Blue Badge parking spaces and it is certainly not true that in either the Harpenden or St Albans area that there are 'whole swathes of disabled parking places'. Indeed a current piece of work we are doing with a London University has highlighted that in St Albans city centre there is a considerable lack of spaces.

This is also true of Harpenden where parking is particularly difficult for wheelchair users who need vehicles with a lift or ramp as the few spaces that exist on the street are too dangerous to offload a wheelchair from the rear. The spaces inside car parks either involve negotiating steep hills (Amesbury Lane) or using multi story car parks with unreliable lifts.

Whilst I am sure that the majority of 'legitimate' Blue Badge holders will have great sympathy with someone in Laura Corcoran's position they are fed up with non-disabled people abusing the Blue Badge spaces, some of whom when challenged are abusive.

We would be happy to give anyone who doesn't understand the difficulties faced by disabled people in their everyday lives a 'taster' session by taking them out in a wheelchair.

SUE BIRD

Chair St Albans and District Access Group