Norfolk charity hopes 'Baywatch' campaign will show blue badge misuse
The campaign, named Baywatch, is urging people to feedback on the use of accessible parking spaces six major retailers including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. It hopes to keep supermarkets accountable while highlighting some of the challenges faced by disabled people. He said: "The pressure is already there to find accessible parking without the added pressure of abuse of accessible bays on top of that. "It's such a shame when the scheme and bays are abused."
However, the charity asks that people just observe and do not take matters into their own hands by confronting motorists. "You really don't know who you are challenging," Mr Footer added. The information will be published for people to see how each supermarket compares.He said: "It's only when we highlight the issue that anything is done but Baywatch keeps this matter on the agenda... it focuses attention for a short period of time which makes the supermarkets get up and listen."
Natalie Portman, a blue badge holder who also works at Equal Lives, a disability rights organisation in Norfolk and Suffolk, described how she felt there was "scrutiny" and judgement when disabled people parked. She said smaller shops and parking areas with less spaces could increase tensions. "I think the assumption to have a blue badge, you have to have some mobility appliance, actually that's not a thing for so many blue badge users."That sense of suspicion you get when you use a parking bay until someone decides you're entitled to be there. "From a disability perspective, and as an individual, that sense of judgement and scrutiny is quite overwhelming when you have that all the time."
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