Which countries have disability parking badge schemes?

Where and when can they be used?

What parking privileges are available?

Will the parking badge of a visitor from another country be accepted? 

The answers to these questions for around 130 countries and federal states worldwide can be found in the recently published FIA Guide for the disabled traveller.

The UK, almost all European Union member states, as well as Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein issue the ‘European Model Parking Card’ that is known in the UK as the ‘Blue Badge’. This means your UK Blue Badge is similar in colour, wording, size and shape to others issued across Europe. These European countries recognise the Blue Badges of British disabled visitors who may benefit from the parking privileges given to disabled citizens of the country they are visiting.     

Your Blue Badge can also be used in countries outside Europe; for example, New Zealand, and individual states in Australia and Canada will either recognise it or issue visitors with a temporary disability parking permit. It is also accepted in a number of American states, and in some South American and Asian countries. 

Details of parking rules, the concessions given to disabled persons and whether the Blue Badges of visitors are accepted differ from country to country. They even differ within countries; for example, all 52 American states have schemes, but the parking rules and rights vary in each of them. Before setting off, it is essential that disabled travellers know which countries and states accept disabled visitors’ Blue Badges as well as what local parking rules and concessions are in place. 

 The FIA Guide for the disabled traveller explains the parking privileges and rules in around 130 countries and federal states worldwide  — and whether the Blue Badge of a disabled visitor will be accepted. It also features a notice for you to print before you travel that when displayed next to your Blue Badge explains to local police and parking officials your right to parking privileges.

Government and state officials — and  motoring and touring clubs around the world — have contributed to making the FIA Guide the most informative and reliable aid for Blue Badge holders travelling in Europe and other regions of the world.  

The FIA guide offers the following general advice to Blue Badge holders visiting another country:

• Check the country or state entry in The FIA Guide for the disabled traveller to see if your parking card will be accepted, and what the local parking rules are.
• There may be local variations of which we are unaware so when you arrive, check again if your Blue Badge can be used — local people, police and parking officials will want to help, so don’t be afraid to ask!
• Take advantage of the parking concessions only if you are sure your Blue Badge can be used.
• Remember: park sensibly and safely, obey the parking rules — and enjoy your visit!

The FIA Guide for the disabled traveller can be downloaded at www.fiadisabledtravellers.com . If you don’t have access to the internet give Disabled Motoring UK a call on 01508 489449 and we can look your query up.

Information

Bert Morris is the former AA Motoring Policy Manager/Director. He retired in 2006 and has since worked as a consultant for the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) and for the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). He is grateful to the FIA Foundation for the award of a grant to undertake this work, and to Laurianne Krid at the FIA who helped with the research and compilation of the FIA Guide. We value your comments so please contact us at fiaguide@fiabrussels.com

Related posts:

1. Using your Blue Badge around the world
2. Blue Badge Reforms Announced
3. Blue Badge reform in Wales

Another long day, but much tempered by the fact that we woke to glorious weather. Words can’t express the views we got (and to be honest, all the 16 hour days are starting to turn the bit of my brain that makes good words to goo), so I’m going to put up some photos and leave the rest to you for now…

Alps! Alps! Alps! and you can actually see them

I have only nearly fallen out of the van once

We're not in Norfolk any more, Tonto

Hairpin chicane? No problem

Now, come the morning, once the computer’s finished rendering, I should have a tasty clip for you.

Till, then, I’m going to close my eyes for a little bit…

Related posts:

1. Eiffel Tower Video
2. Success!
3. Follow our team across the Alps!

Related posts:

1. Dieppe to Gisors
2. Back online… Provins & Chaumont
3. Paris

Provins Castle

And we’re back. Sorry about the 48 hrs absence, but technical issues have meant that live blogging wasn’t possible for the last couple of days. However, Dinger has applied concussive maintenance, (i.e. hit the computer with a hammer) and it appears that we are back on track. Ironically, the trike has had a really good run, and old Iron Lung has been behaving herself. I put it down to the sweet nothings that Dinger has been whispering into her condenser.

The castle remained in place throughout our stay in Provins

It was something of a relief to leave the bustle and occasional unsavoury odours of Paris. We headed east to Provins, a beautifully preserved world heritage site. In what would turn out to be a theme for the challenge, the weather turned. Nevertheless,  I got some lovely shots of Dan motoring around medieval churches and town halls. Denny stopped off here on his trip. His diary entry for Provins reads:

“But although Paris enchanted me, I spent only three hours there deciding to spend a day or two looking around on the way back.  I spent the night in Provins, and I was entertained so kindly by a French family that it was four p.m. the next day before I drove on.  During my stay I was stopped by a Gendarme when carrying the daughter standing on the back.  He explained that my vehicle was not made for two, but as I couldn’t understand him we drove on.

On the whole the main French roads were good, but as I rattled and jolted over the cobblestones of the towns and villages I wondered if anything would break”.

Some things never change…

Next stop was to be Chaumont, were we would stop exhausted into a hotel by the station. This is the first time that I have travelled with a person with a disability, and the daily challenges faced by wheelchair users are really hitting home for me. Something as simple as crossing the road becomes a challenge in itself without the proper of provision of drop kerbs. It is something that we can be proud of in the UK that our streets are more accessible than those we’ve encountered so far on the continent. This extends into buildings, too: as it had been a long day, we wanted to eat in the hotel restaurant. However, this was only accessible by spiral staircase, and we had to traverse the streets of Chaumont. The town centre was pedestrianised, but was riddled with steps and narrow pavements, as well as our new nemesis, cobble stones.  Dan actually took a spill trying to mount a curb while crossing the road. He shrugged it off (he’s Northern, and therefore hard as nails. He seems to be travelling without his whippet, though… I apologise for the causal regional stereotypes if they offend. If they don’t, well, happy days.), but the whole thing was unnecessary.

We’ve still got far to go in the UK in terms of improving access and mobility for people with disabilities. That’s one of the main reasons for doing this trip. We are not only commemorating the life of Denny, but we hope to raise awareness of disabled mobility issues.

Next up: Switzerland. Land of fondues and Alps and so forth… Stay tuned!

Related posts:

1. First day in the bag
2. Paris
3. Dieppe to Gisors

Disappointed at the cancellation of the annual Aviemore Walking Festival a group of intrepid disabled ramblers from Fife decided to go it alone and travelled to Aviemore to sample the excellent network of accessible trails in the area. The eleven holidaymakers, who are all members of Forth & Tay Disabled Ramblers, spent a week in the area staying in a mixture of accessible self-catering and B & B accommodation. Seven of the ramblers use mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs to access the outdoors, whilst the other 4 are volunteers and carers. Thanks to the excellent scooter hire scheme run by the Badenoch and Strathspey Community Transport Company several of the rambles on this holiday were made possible.

Loch Morlich all-abilities trail

The first day’s rambling was around the all-abilities Loch Morlich and Allt Mhor trails. To get there take the ski road from Aviemore towards the Cairngorms and after six miles you will reach Glenmore Forest Park. The Watersports car park is situated on the right at the far end of Loch Morlich. The Watersports Centre is the large wooden building on the beach beside the loch. There is a disabled toilet in the forest near the start of the walk and another on opposite side of the road at Glenmore Visitor Centre alongside the cafeteria and shop.

From the Watersports car park, follow the brown waymarkers parallel with the loch edge through some very old Scots pine trees. The route is circular and is virtually level all the way. This is an easy all abilities trail, partly alongside Loch Morlich and passing through old Scots pines. There are stunning views over the loch to the Cairngorms, which were snow-capped at the time of the visit.

Towards the end of Loch Morlich the path turns left away from the loch and follows the banks of the Abhainn Ruigh-eunachan through pine, birch, and alder trees. Nature abounds with dipper, wagtail, heron and sandpiper to be spotted along the riverbank. The path then bears to the left before reaching the pavement beside the road. Follow this to the entrance to the Glenmore Campsite on the left or pop in to the Glenmore Visitor Centre on the right for coffee and a browse in the shop. Turn into the camp site and continue through it to return to the start.

Allt Mhor all-abilities trail

This path starts at the Allt Mhor car park, which is on the left hand side of the road past the Glenmore Visitor Centre as you approach from Aviemore. It has an aggregate surface and interpretation panels telling the story of the native pinewood habitat. With stunning views up to the Cairngorm northern corries the path runs through pine trees with an abundance of heather, blaeberries and juniper along the way. The route returns via the river bank, giving a feeling of rugged terrain. There is a resting place and some picnic benches by the riverside. As the surface is good on the forest tracks the group did an extended version of the Allt Mhor trail having crossed the road from the Loch Morlich path, making it somewhere between three and four miles in total before returning to the Glenmore Visitor Centre for the by now ritual coffee and cake!

Cairngorm Funicular

The following day the adventurous bunch took a trip on the funicular railway to the top of Cairngorm. There are numerous disabled parking spaces at the top end of the car park plus an accessible toilet. There are manual wheelchairs available for use if required just after the ticket office. There is level access to the bottom carriage and it is possible to travel up to Ptarmigan Station seated in a wheelchair. The journey takes around 8 minutes. Once inside there is access to all areas via lifts – an exhibition area, a shop, an outdoor viewing platform and a restaurant. There is a steepish ramp out onto the viewing platform. From the viewpoint a ptarmigan and a snow bunting were spotted, much to the delight of the party. The temperature and the biting wind meant that no one lingered long – but long enough for Bee to capture a stunning photograph of a snow bunting.

Glen More Visitor Centre to the Green Loch

It may have been May, but the second day’s rambling started with flurries of snow outside Glenmore Visitor Centre. This did not deter the hardy bunch from setting out for the Green Loch in fairly cold conditions.

The route runs on tarmac past Glenmore Lodge then narrows to become a path, which runs all the way to the loch. The path surface has been greatly improved in recent years making it a more comfortable run. There are a few gradients along the way.

The loch is so called because the water is green. Legend has it that this is because the pixies used to wash their clothes in it. Following a stop for a picnic lunch it was a long 2 miles back after one of the scooters broke down at the loch and Helena had to be pushed all the way to the start but everyone deemed it a wonderful ramble!

The Highland Wildlife Park

A trip to the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig was next on the agenda to see Mercedes the polar bear and the tiger cubs, which had celebrated their first birthday earlier in the week.

Our resident adrenalin junkies, Maria and Leslie missed out on the excitement of the animals to go gliding at Glenfeshie, where Leslie did his first ever loop-the-loop! Well done Leslie – he’d celebrated his 70th birthday last November! A BBQ in the evening at the Capability Scotland chalet at Dalraddy Holiday Park, where 5 of the participants were staying, finished off another perfect day.

Inverdruie to Loch an Eilean

Loch an Eilean was the group’s third ramble destination. The start is at the car park opposite the Rothiemurchus Visitor Centre at Inverdruie and the route runs out via Black Park to Loch an Eilean.

A freezing cold wind was blowing down the loch but after a quick picnic lunch everyone managed to warm up by the fire in the visitor centre before the arduous route back via Lochan Mor – the Lily Loch… Some of the path surface had been washed away by the hard winter snows, making it quite an adventure! The inevitable coffee and cake at the Rothiemurchus Visitor Centre finished off the day and all was soon forgotten.

RSPB Loch Garten

A leisurely final afternoon was spent observing the ospreys at the RSPB Loch Garten site. Ospreys have been returning to Loch Garten for a number of years. When they first returned to Scotland to breed, this ancient Caledonian pinewood was where they made their home and they have returned every year since.

There are two car parks. The Osprey Centre car park has a rolled, even surface and there are three disabled parking bays. By prior arrangement cars may be driven to the centre entrance. Loch Mallachie car park has a natural, even surface.

There are toilet facilities behind the ticket desk at the start, one of which is unisex and wheelchair accessible. It is 25 m from the Osprey Centre car park and 325 m from the Osprey Centre. The visitor centre is 350 m from the car park along a wide, rolled stone path with a short section of 1:15 gradient. The access ramp into the centre is 1:20. Once inside, the Osprey Centre is on one level and has no steps or ramps. There are telescopes at varying heights plus interpretative materials for wheelchair users. There are also a number of different height viewing slots that provide excellent views of the nesting ospreys. Live CCTV pictures of the nest are displayed on elevated TV screens and RSPB staff can describe what is happening. Telescopes and binoculars are also available for use. Seats are available. Information displays with some tactile elements are easily accessible. The shop is fully accessible to wheelchair users and staff can assist with purchases.

There is a wheelchair available for loan from the Osprey Centre. It is advisable to telephone to pre-book or ask at reception on arrival. Staff are on hand to assist wheelchair users. Osprey nest microphones provide help for those with a hearing impairment. Staff assistance is also available to provide audio descriptions of the CCTV pictures.

There are also some excellent paths on the reserve, with red squirrels, dragonflies, woodpeckers and crested tits and more to be spotted.

The Aviemore area offers a multitude of trails, many of which are ideal for wheelchair, power chair and scooter users. It is also well ahead of other areas in the provision of other facilities for people with disabilities and in particular a good range of accessible accommodation and excellent disabled toilets everywhere.

For more information about our trip including details of accommodation, or if you would like to join the Forth & Tay Disabled Ramblers, please contact us for more information.

Disabled Ramblers organise thirty rambles each year, across the UK and Ireland. Rambles usually take place between mid-April and the end of October. If you’ve been inspired to get out and about then contact them at the address below and they can put you in touch with your local group. Many groups have all-terrain scooters available for hire.

Disabled Ramblers

Website: www.disabledramblers.co.uk

(there is an email contact form on this website)

Forth & Tay Disabled Ramblers

Website: www.ftdr.com

Disabled Ramblers Northern Ireland

Telephone: 028 9080 8090

Email: ramble@shopmobilitybelfast.co.uk

Website: www.disabledramblersni.com

Highland Disabled Ramblers

Telephone: 07895 066 965

Email: admin@highland-disabled-ramblers.org

Website: www.highland-disabled-ramblers.org

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Having a limb injury or illness that has stopped you driving can have a big impact on your mobility and quality of life. But with a bit of help you may be able to return to the wheel. At The William Merritt Disabled Living Centre and Mobility Service in Leeds we offer a Mobility Service that can assess your ability to drive and recommend adaptations to make it easier and safer.

Our aim is to help people get back on the road if possible, and to help people drive safely. Being able to drive again can open many doors. If driving is not for you we can also help make getting into and out of cars as a passenger easier.

The Mobility Service offers assessment, impartial advice and information on driving ability, vehicle adaptations, driver/ passenger car access, wheelchair accessible vehicles, and loading wheelchairs and scooters into your vehicle. The team is made up of two occupational therapists, one physiotherapist, four approved driving instructors and an administrator/information officer. Driving assessments take place at our centre and cost £75-00 for a self referral. Car access assessments and powered wheelchair and scooter assessments are free.

Taking to the road

A car driving assessment could last up to three hours and is made up of an office-based component and an on-road assessment lasting approximately one hour. You will have the benefit of expert supervision from an occupational therapist or physiotherapist and an approved driving instructor. We aim to make it enjoyable – it is not a driving test!

Clients sometimes do a cognitive test, including testing reactions. Then there’s an opportunity to try out different adaptations to find out what suits you best, before taking to the road for a driving assessment with a driving instructor.

You’ll be sent a report following the assessment from the occupational therapist that will identify whether you are judged able to drive safely or not. If there are adaptations that could help you to drive you will be provided with further information on these. If you self-refer for an assessment, the report will be sent direct to you, but if you have been referred by an agency such as the DVLA or Motability the report will be sent directly to them.

How much will it cost?

The cost for a self referral is £75; however we also receive referrals from the DVLA, Motability, Rehabilitation Companies and Access to Work, who may pay for the assessment. If you have been referred by DVLA, you will not have to pay.

We have a variety of vehicles available for assessment, which include a Vauxhall Meriva (Semi-Automatic), Vauxhall Zafira (Automatic), Toyota Yaris (Semi-Automatic), Nissan Micra (Automatic), Ford Focus (Manual), Ford Fiesta (Automatic), Fiat 500 (Manual) and VW Caddy (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle). Some vehicles have adaptations which can also be trialled.

Getting in and out

A driver / passenger car access assessment will look at how you can get in and out of a vehicle more easily. A therapist will assess and identify appropriate types of vehicle and transfer equipment, offering an opportunity for a full demonstration and trial of vehicle/equipment giving you advice and information to help you make your choice.  If you live in Yorkshire we can offer a driver / passenger Car Access assessment at your own home, using our Volkswagen Caddy, a specialist wheelchair accessible vehicle that is fitted with various adaptations. There is a cost of £25 for an outreach/home assessment.

We also offer specialist driving assessments in a wheelchair accessible Chrysler Grand Voyager for £100, fitted with an automatic side access ramp and full hand controls including electronic radial and central ring accelerators; mechanical push brake, infra-red switching unit, a secondary control bleep system and an electronic linear slide accelerator and brake. The power assistance on the Chrysler’s steering has been lightened to 10 lbs and the driver’s seat is electronically adjustable for transfers.  If your own wheelchair is not suitable to use for driving a suitable crash-tested wheelchair is available.

Not just about cars!

At the William Merritt Centre we’re not just all about cars. We offer a free and impartial information, advice and assessment service on a wide range of equipment from kitchens, bathrooms and walkers through to help with reading and writing.  Why not come along to one of our open days to see our equipment and find out which are best for you?

More information

The William Merritt Centre is based in Leeds. To find out more, or to book an assessment, call 0113 3055288 or visit www.williammerrittleeds.org.

The William Merritt Centre is part of the Forum of Mobility Centres, a network of seventeen similar centres that stretches across the UK. To find out where your nearest Mobility Centre is, call the Forum of Mobility Centres on 0800 559 3636, or visit www.mobility-centres.org.uk .

Related posts:

1. Accessible Motorhome – Home Comforts on the Road
2. Searching for the perfect car
3. A Real Antique Road Show

Copthorne Tara Hotel, Kensington

Over the last twenty years I have stayed many times at the London Tara Hotel in Kensington and booked one of their adapted rooms. The Tara was one of the first hotels in London to properly cater for visitors with disabilities and they have adapted around a dozen rooms on their Mezzanine floor by fitting roll-in showers, ceiling hoists, automatic doors and special furniture. The Tara is close to Kensington High Street with all its shops and restaurants but it is a bit of an uphill push to get there. The other push I sometimes find hard at the Tara is getting to the end of the corridor as the luxurious carpets are very thick and make it hard work. Heavy fire-proof doors can often be a problem at hotels but the Tara has push button powered doors on the hallways and automatic bedroom door openers.

Holiday Inn Express, Limehouse

I have also enjoyed an excellent stay at the Limehouse Holiday Inn Express in the East End. Whilst there I discovered that the Holiday Inn group were very proud of their adapted rooms. The budget price Limehouse Holiday Inn Express has at least one adapted room on each floor and I was impressed with the size and design of them. The location is not that brilliant but the rooms are spacious, modern and very well designed. Checking online I found prices for the week ahead from £75 per night. The Express Holiday Inns don’t tend to have bars and restaurants but often include a generous continental breakfast in the price.

Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury

The Holiday Inn Bloomsbury is located just off Russell Square in Central London and sits adjacent to the fantastic Brunswick Square shopping centre which also contains a cinema and many great eateries. The Hotel has two Blue Badge parking spaces but you can also park in the nearby residents’ permit bays with a Blue Badge.

The adapted rooms are more modern and fancy than the Tara’s rooms but less well adapted. As an independent paraplegic I don’t need the heavily adapted rooms so this suited me very well. The bathrooms don’t have roll-in showers but do have well designed baths with many handrails, and transfer platforms behind.  Some rooms have tracked ceiling hoists. Overall the quality of the fittings and decor were better than the rooms I used at the Tara and also slightly larger. The only slight problem I had was with the heating one night and I have been told that the management are looking into a more user friendly system and hopefully one that can be controlled from the bedside. The adapted rooms are on the two lower floors and are not too far away from the lifts.

The swanky bar and restaurant were all accessible and the Brunswick Square shopping centre is only 100m away and is very wheelchair-friendly. On Saturday mornings there is a superb food market selling fresh produce and exotic cooked food. I was very impressed with the Holiday Inn and enjoyed my stay there. It is a prestigious hotel so prices start at about £130 without breakfast – the Tara was slightly cheaper. If you don’t want a large expensive breakfast there are plenty of cheaper cafes and restaurants nearby, and a Waitrose too.

Shopping around

For future visits to London I will be checking out some of the other Holiday Inn Hotels and if I book online I can hopefully get a good deal too! The company has a great website that enables you to choose the adapted rooms. It is a common misconception that you get better prices if you book well in advance but in fact some of the best bargains are available last minute if the hotels have empty rooms. If your budget is stretched then Travelodge also have some London Hotels with adapted rooms that can be identified and booked online, however I would recommend a confirmation phone call too if an adapted room is essential for you.

More information:

Copthorne Tara Hotel London Kensington

Scarsdale Place
Kensington
London (UK)
W8 5SR

Tel: 020 7937 7211

www.copthornetara.co.uk

Holiday Inn Express London – Limehouse

469-475 The Highway

London

E1W 3HN

Tel: 020 7791 3850

www.exhi-limehouse.co.uk

Holiday Inn London-Bloomsbury

Coram street

London

WC1N 1HT

Tel: 0871 9429222

For up-to-date membership offers for Holiday Inn hotels, see our Concessions page.

Related posts:

1. Accessible Hotel Rooms
2. Accessible places to visit – London
3. A trip to accessible Venice

My mother was quite an unusual person.  From an early age, she bucked the trend – a trait she probably inherited from her father, who chose to follow a professional career and so alienated his family of traditional Jewish business-people.  Mum’s own mother was absent for most of Mum’s life (she was sent to a distant psychiatric hospital when Mum was seven years old). As a result, Mum’s upbringing was left to her dad and the housekeeper. Perhaps it’s not surprising that she followed her own thoughts and ideas as she grew up, developing an enquiring mind and a passionate curiosity about the world.  Even in the early 1950s – still a period when convention and tradition ruled, she chose to go into nursing and to hitchhike across France and Germany with her nursing friends!

For most of my life, Mum was a single parent but nonetheless was determined that I should be exposed to interesting and adventurous experiences.  There was not a year, even in the late 1950s, when we did not have holidays – despite the fact that resources were limited and my disability made travel somewhat more complicated than for others.

My earliest travel memory isn’t really a memory I hold, but one which has been told to me – of a holiday in a nearby seaside town where Mum and friends rented a cottage. But from the age of three onwards, I have clear sunny memories of being taken for several summer holidays to the island of Cumbrae on the River Clyde.

Trains, taxis and boats!

With no car of our own and with public transport so much less accessible than nowadays, these expeditions were some achievement. Somehow Mum used to bundle me, all our luggage, plus a pushchair (later a wheelchair) and my little tricycle into a taxi to the train station which no longer exists in the West End of Edinburgh, then on to the train to Glasgow where we had to change trains. Then we headed to the little ferry port of Wemyss Bay, took a short boat ride to the island town of Millport and then hailed a final taxi to our guesthouse.  It all sounds a massive undertaking for one adult, but she managed to make it an adventure. My childhood memories are not of how difficult it must have been for her but only how much we enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of steam trains and ferry boats – and the general excitement of going on holiday!

My recall of Millport centres around two very child-focused activities: the little merry-go-round in a park at the back of the town, and of course the beach mission — lots of singing and handing out of badges.  Visually, the painted crocodile rock on the beach also stays in my memory.  On one occasion, we and another family hired bikes to cycle around the island, with me ensconced in the little pannier basket behind Mum.

The years passed and when I was seven we acquired a little green minivan and thus revelled in a much greater freedom.  For the previous year or so, I had been firmly stating that I was going to London when I was seven – and so it came to pass, although apparently there had been no grand plan to indulge my wishes!  As I and my access needs grew, finding accommodation posed greater challenges, but on this occasion we stayed with a family with two wheelchair-using boys in their adapted home.

Mum’s spirit of adventure

In most school holidays, Mum and I took off for a weekend or a couple of weeks, journeying the length and breadth of Scotland, England and Wales.  It is a tribute to her spirit of adventure that my memories of these holidays barely touch on access issues – yes, finding cheap B&Bs was never straightforward but we always seemed to manage, even when Mum had to haul me and my chair up steps or to negotiate awkward guesthouse bathrooms.

No, what I remember most are the sights and sounds: of being lifted by a soldier into my seat at the Royal Tournament at Earls Court in London, of a sunset on the Isle of Skye, of driving through moorland with Mum entertaining me by imitating the noise of a motor bike in hot pursuit, of visiting Lands End on a stormy day and Lizard Point in warm sunshine on consecutive days, of driving on Pendine Sands and on the beach at Weston-super-Mare. The list goes on. I have surely inherited from these days my love of map reading and indeed my insatiable love of travel – all thanks to my indefatigable mother!

This article first appeared in the June 2010 issue of Mobilise magazine, which goes out to all our members and includes reviews of adapted cars and mobility equipment, features on accessible travel and leisure, campaign updates, news, competitions and real-life stories.
Membership of our charity costs just £16 per year and includes your monthly subscription to Mobilise.

Related posts:

1. Remembering Denny : O A Denly 1924-2010
2. Classic Cars – Minis and Minors
3. Checklist for holidaymakers with disabilities

When two young children came to visit Helen Dolphin she found just the excuse she needed to visit the local Dinosaur park. With life-sized dinosaurs, climbing frames and guinea pigs to stroke, the day trip was a roaring success!

 Although it’s 65 million years ago since dinosaurs roamed the earth, in a small corner of Norfolk these monstrous creatures can still be seen. Albeit made of plastic the dinosaurs at the Dinosaur adventure park at Lenwade, Norfolk are still pretty realistic. Some of the dinosaur’s heads can be seen from the road popping out of the tree tops and I’d always quite fancied a closer look. However it wasn’t until my husbands god-daughter Natalie and her brother James came to stay that we had a reason to visit.

 The park is very much aimed at children and there is plenty for them to do. Everything from an adventure play area to crazy golf. Natalie and James had a great time on the 23 metre climb-a-saurus despite it pouring with rain. 

One of the highlights for everyone was the dinosaur trail which takes you past a variety of dinosaurs in the park. Although there were warnings up about the paths being steep for wheelchair users they didn’t present me with any problems in my manual wheelchair. However, if you were using a small scooter it may struggle with the hills. The Dinosaur park also recommend that a path which has lower gradients is used by wheelchair users to avoid the steeper gradients. Manual wheelchairs are available to hire at the park. They can be booked on a first come, first served basis in return for a £10 refundable deposit. It is not possible to hire electric scooters.

When we entered the park Natalie and James were given a dinosaur passport to stamp when they spotted certain dinosaurs. I think this was more aimed at older children as James who’s five  soon lost interest in this task although he really enjoyed using the stamping devices. Children who collect all the right stamps are awarded a medal at the end of their visit.

No dogs allowed

The only disappointment for me on this trip was that because I had Yancey my assistant dog with me we weren’t allowed in the secret animal garden.  I therefore had to wait outside with Yancey while Natalie and James went and cuddled the rabbits and guinea pigs. Also in the garden were  wallabies, sheep, kune kune pigs, donkeys and lots of creepy crawlies.  There is also a deer safari at the park but since Yancey wasn’t allowed on this either we gave it a miss.

 By the time we had tracked around the park we were all ready for our lunch which we had at Dippy’s Diner. During lunch it started to rain considerably more so we decided to head for home. All that was left for us to do was a pay an obligatory visit to the gift shop on our way out.

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It is with great sadness that Mobilise has to announce the death of our founder and president, Oswald Arthur Denly, known to many of us as “Denny”. He died at the age of 86.

O A Denly was born in 1924 in London, and entered the Royal Navy in 1942. He contracted polio whilst in Ceylon and returned to the UK in 1945. Paralysed from the waist down, he was invalided out of the navy and became a hospital administrator. The expectation of many might have been that Denny’s adventuring days were firmly behind him, but the handsome 22-year old thought differently. He had planned to spend his first Foreign Service leave in Switzerland and saw no reason to change his plans despite his disability. In June 1947 he set off to conquer the Alps in his 147cc petrol-driven Argson tricycle, or “Invalid Carriage”. His was to take him 1,500 miles over the Alps, including a climb of almost 8,000 feet through steep mountain passes.

He described the preparations for his journey in the pamphlet that was produced of his story by Villiers, the manufacturer of the Argson:

“The vehicle weighs 250lbs., with sprung front forks and frame, though there is no springing on the back axle. I cut the load as much as possible, but as I cannot walk at all I had to carry a small collapsible self-propelling wheelchair on the side, for use in buildings, my own bed in case there was no ne to carry me upstairs, and with food, baggage and myself the load was approximately 260lbs. To pack was an art in itself, but I found a place for everything. Could I make it? Many people doubted it, but nothing venture, nothing gained.”

Denny covered the first 460 miles from London in just four days, pausing in Paris to have a picnic beneath the Eiffel Tower. But on his arrival in Switzerland he considered himself to be officially “on holiday”:

“I never hurried, did just as I pleased and stayed the night where the mood took me…One evening my tricycle made its first climb up to the mountain resort of Grindelwald, 3,400 ft. high. There was little power to spare, but already I was beginning to wonder if I could achieve the impossible and cross the Susten and Furka passes in order to drive down the Rhone Valley to Geneva. Nobody thought I could make it and I was quite prepared to resort to thumbing a lift with the tow rope I was carrying.”

On top of the world

As the terrain became steeper, Denny had to resort to frequent stops in order to allow the engine to cool, although finding a level spot at which to do so proved difficult! However, he pressed on: “As I saw the road above me high on the face of the mountain I thought I would never make it, but my tricycle continued to take me higher and higher and I never ceased to wonder. Finally I reached the tunnel at the top and although […] I could see little, I felt on top of the world in more sense than one.”

Denny completed his journey, taking in some spectacular scenery and enjoying much hospitality along the way. One French family in Provins hosted him on both the outward and return leg of his journey: “I stayed up until the early hours of the morning, listening to tales of the German occupation, the resistance movement, and present day conditions in France.” This comment illustrates that not only was it uncommon for disabled travellers to be exploring Europe at this time, there were very few leisure travellers at all. The war had ended just a few short years ago and its aftermath would still have been visible all around him. No wonder, perhaps, that so many people had thought his trip was impossible. On his return, Denny describes the reaction of one such man: “The A.A. man who had wished me luck on the way out could not express his amazement at my safe return still under my own power.”

Inspiring others

The journey was clearly a truly liberating experience for Denny: “My chair had more than justified her name of “Iron Lung.” When I get into her she keeps me going […] I hope it will not be long before I am on my travels again, and I also hope that all users of Invalid tricycles and small engines will realise that they too can travel on the continent and high places.” This final hope was more than realised. When a radio programme was broadcast about Denny’s journey, he was inundated with letters from other ‘trike’ users, wanting information about how they, too, could travel independently. With fellow founders Robert and Nora Lee, Denny founded the Invalid Tricycle Association (the ITA). This later became the Disabled Drivers’ Association, which merged with the Disabled Drivers’ Motor Club to become Mobilise in 2005.

Although the Argson tricycle had given Denny his first taste of freedom as a disabled driver, it was just the first in a series of vehicles that enabled him to fulfil his dreams. Realising early on that a single-seater trike would not be much fun when it came to courting, he wrote directly to the chairman of Morris Motors asking for a car. By December 1947 he was in possession of an adapted Morris Eight and a full driving licence. He married the hospital radiographer Mary Gaynor Cookson (“Cooky”) in 1951 and they went on to have two children, Heather and Simon. Campaigning for proper ‘family’ cars for disabled people (rather than isolating one-seaters) was just one his objectives, although his experiences with the Argson seem to have continued with a habit of finding a place for everything even in the smallest of vehicles. For our recent article on ‘Minis and Minors’ Denny recalled a family trip up the motorway in which they tested the ‘Tardis” quality of their Mini to the max, tying the boot down to accommodate the family’s luggage and wheelchair! This once resulted in a bag of nappies falling out and being distributed along the recently opened M1 – whereupon a following motorist stopped, collected them up, overtook and handed the nappies back.

For the fun and the challenge!

Over the years Denny also became a keen rider and sailor. He had learnt to sail as a naval cadet and even ramming a 45ft Motor Pinnance into a jetty whilst at Dartmouth was not enough to put him off life on the ocean wave. After his marriage, he and Cooky became co-owners of a 16’ sailing dinghy, Leda. He wrote about his sailing exploits several times and approached sailing with the same optimistic outlook as he did his other modes of transport, and always saw the funny side of tips and spills: “I became quite adept at pulling by keeping my balance against the pressure of oars in the water. One day I gave a lift ashore to a fellow yachtsman who on stepping ashore gave Cygnet an unexpected shove and was surprised to see me lying at the bottom of the dinghy! I had completely lost my balance [but he had seen] no sign of my wheelchair or my complete paralysis below the waist.” Denny described sailing as “a great joy for me” and although there were a few years ashore whilst his children were little, the resumption of family sailing trips when they were a little older was a source of great pleasure to him. He was delighted when his son, Simon, began crewing for him: “He is an excellent crew, and his enthusiasm is infectious” and with their friends the Stephens family he and Cooky sailed their 14’ Leader, Aeolus, at Chipstead Sailing Club. With a few small adaptations: “[we secured] the toe straps further for’ard so that my paralysed legs and feet did not get all tangled up, or that was the theory, and I removed the tiller to hold both the tiller and the main sheet with one hand” he raced “not to win, but simply for the sheer fun and challenge of it all.” In 1981 he participated in the Leader Cruise from Lee-on-Solent, his first sea sailing event since his Navy days. Simon crewed and despite some rough weather (and an accidental trip through a firing range!) the trip was a resounding success. He wrote “My fellow sailors accepted me for what I was – an experienced helmsman – and made no fuss or bother about my disability […] This was true integration and what a magnificent return to the sea for me after all those years. Now there is no holding me!”

Greatly missed

As President of Mobilise Denny has been the “experienced helmsman” of our charity since its inception in 2005 and of our parent organisation the DDA for almost sixty years before that. He will be greatly missed by all of us who knew and worked with him, but achievements have won wider recognition too; in 1959 he was awarded the MBE for services to disabled people. Mobilise is currently arranging a memorial service at which members of the charity and others will have the opportunity to pay their respects to Denny. Please see here for more details.

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