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BAYWATCH 2022
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isabled Motoring UK is looking to build on last year’s record-breaking Baywatch campaign when in August they ask disabled motorists from across the country to report on issues they’ve faced with parking over the last 12 months. The Baywatch campaign survey is held every year, and its results are taken to the parking industry to encourage problems faced by disabled motorists to be taken seriously. Simultaneously, the campaign also seeks to change the attitudes of the general public, and bring wider attention to how abuse of disabled parking bays can have a significant, negative impact on disabled drivers. Heidi Turner, campaigns and communications director at Disabled Motoring UK said: “Disabled bay
abuse is still one of the main concerns expressed to us by our members and the public. Our annual Baywatch campaign is an opportunity to focus the parking industry on the problems faced by disabled motorists when parking and sends the message that these bays need to be enforced and managed correctly.” Last year, the campaign gained over 850 responses, the most that Baywatch has ever received. This year’s survey will be printed in the August edition of Disabled Motoring, so if you receive a copy of this you are encouraged to fill it in and send it back to Disabled Motoring UK using the Freepost address. Alternatively, the Baywatch survey can be completed online through Disabled Motoring UK’s website: DisabledMotoring.org/ Baywatch. The survey will ask people to think back over the last year about their general parking experiences in supermarkets and other car parks, which will then be used to improve or tackle disabled parking policies.
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nowball, a brand new app for disabled people that asks them to review and rate how disabilityfriendly businesses and services are, has been launched. Created by wheelchair user and co-host of the popular podcast The Grumpy Gits, Simon Sansome, the app allows users to find restaurants, shops, tourist attractions, coffee shops and much more, regardless of where they are in the world. As more places are reviewed and suggested, the app will grow larger and gain more momentum, hence its name, Snowball. Simon said: “Snowball will have a significant impact in giving people with physical disabilities, mental health issues and learning disabilities successful journeys and great days out. “In the last few weeks we have seen BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner stranded on a plane at Heathrow, a Guide Dog charity executive asked to leave a supermarket because of his guide dog, and disabled children unable to access playgrounds. “The app will give people the confidence to socialise with ease as they will be able to see what facilities and venues are available in their immediate location. They will also be able to plan days out, giving people more freedom to access their communities, explore and travel with confidence.” Paralympians Hannah Cockroft OBE and Aaron Phipps MBE have hailed the app as a “long time coming”, with Hannah saying: “I am repeatedly told that disability access in the UK has improved out of sight, and whilst things are getting better, they are still not accessible. Snowball will change the everyday lives of many disabled people. “We will no longer have to turn up and pray we can get in, do hours of online research just to find out if we will be able to enter, or phone up and be told a venue is accessible, when it really, really isn’t – one step doesn’t make a huge difference, right? Snowball will give people back their time, freedom and independence and create an accessible space for all.” You can download the app from the Play Store or App Store by searching ‘Snowball Community’ to start reviewing today. posabilitymagazine.co.uk
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