Ask the Experts

Blue Badge space legal entitlement

Q My wife is disabled with very bad legs, she is unable to walk very far, we live in sheltered accommodation and our car park is limited to four people to six bungalows. We have asked Wycombe District Council to mark a space with our house number but they flatly refuse. Does she legally have a right to a space, or should we pursue the matter further?
J Rockell, by email

Helen smith replies: If your wife has severe difficulty walking she may be entitled to a Blue Badge so the first step I would take would be to apply for one of these.Your council may agree to mark a disabled bay outside your house but it would not be only for your use as anyone with a Blue Badge would be entitled to park there. However, some councils are now asking for a contribution to mark out these bays and others have stopped doing it all together. There does not seem to be any legal obligation on councils to provide disabled bays outside people’s homes.

Am I entitled to Road Tax exemption

Q I refer to the website directgov which gives the conditions for free road tax for disabled drivers. I do not receive disability allowance (I am 79 and receive Attendance Allowance because of my disability), nor do I get the war pensioner’s mobility supplement. However, I have a mobility scooter.

On contacting the government department the person I spoke to did not seem very sure about the conditions for road tax exemption, but seemed to think that in order to qualify ownership of a scooter had to be linked to one of the other conditions.

I am only able to walk a very short distance and when I am out it has to be by car or scooter. 
Ian H Kemp, by email

Helen Smith responds: I’m afraid that even though you are a disabled person who uses a mobility scooter you do not qualify for road tax exemption. This concession is only available to people who receive the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (HRMCDLA) or War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement (WPMS). I’m afraid that Attendance Allowance (AA) is not one of the qualifying criteria as it does not contain a mobility component. You can only claim HRMCDLA if you became disabled before you were 65 and many older people are in the same position as you. Mobilise believes this is age discrimination and is totally unacceptable.

I don’t know why the person in the government department was unable to help you but if you need more information visit direct.gov.uk

Getting into podcasts

Q I have always been an avid radio listener. Often, though, it’s not possible for me to catch all the shows I want to hear. I’m aware that many of these, along with many others from places other than regular radio stations, are available for download from the internet as podcasts. Could you give me a beginner’s guide on how to start listening to these? Can they be put on to an iPod or other MP3 player? Do you need additional software for doing this? And how accessible is the process for anyone using a variety of adaptive technologies?
A Hillman, North London

Léonie Watson says: Podcasts are usually provided in MP3 format, so they’re perfect for transferring to an iPod or MP3 player. The idea is that you subscribe to a podcast, which means you’re automatically alerted when a new edition is available.

You’ll need some software to manage your podcast subscriptions, but there are plenty of options available. Like podcasts themselves, most podcast software is free. Your choices include iTunes, Google Reader, Juice and My Yahoo!

The process of subscribing to a podcast is simple, but there are several ways you can approach it.

Let’s take iTunes as an example and go through the different processes.

You can search for podcasts using iTunes. Select the “Music Store” from the iTunes source column, then select “Podcasts”. When you find one you’re interested in, you can select it to listen to a preview, or use the “Subscribe” button at the top of the page to sign up.

You can also subscribe to a podcast directly from a website. The BBC, for example, include quick subscribe links for several popular podcast applications including iTunes. Select the iTunes button and the software will take care of the rest for you.

If you know the podcast address, sometimes called the feed URL, you can subscribe to it straight from iTunes. Open the “Advanced” menu, select “Subscribe to podcast”, and enter the feed URL.

Once you’ve subscribed, iTunes will regularly check for new editions and download them. You can then configure iTunes to transfer them to your iPod when it next synchronises, delete old episodes and generally maintain your subscription for you.

• Apple iTunes podcast help: apple.com/itunes/ podcasts/

•• BBC podcasts FAQs: faq.external.bbc.co.uk/questions/podcasts/

EXPERTS:

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Psychologist with pyschosexual therapy experience

Legal
DOUGLAS JOY
Senior solicitor at the Disability Law Service

Benefits and Debt
Citizens Advice Bureau
Puts its expertise at our disposal to help you

Technology and Internet
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Works with digital consultancy Nomensa

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JOHN MANDRAK
Disability journalist and DLF helpline adviser

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ANDY WRIGHT
MD of Accessible Travel, specialist tour operator

Money Management
DAVID CLARKE
Senior partner with Clydesdale Bank

Access and Environment
AGNES FLETCHER
Disability trainer and consultant

Property
KATE SHEEHAN
Occupational therapist with interest in housing

Motoring and Transport
HELEN SMITH
Works with Mobilise and specialises in car matters