How To Get Help With An Access Card As A Disabled Person
Last Updated on: 18th April 2024, 08:23 am
Before you read this blog post, I want you to remember, that disabilities are not always visible. If you think you cannot get help because you don’t have a physical disability, think again. If you live with an illness that affects your day-to-day living, then you can get help. You do not need to struggle when life can be made so much easier for you. I am going to show you how to get help with an Access Card as a disabled person.
Something I haven’t opened up enough recently is my mental health. It is becoming harder to keep under control and there are days when I feel like I can’t go on. So in October, I applied for PIP. The reason I had never done it before was because of the stigma against unseen disabilities. The stigma that never goes away. Admit it or not, people on PIP without a visible disability get called scammers and lazy. But you never know one person’s struggle. I felt ashamed that I had applied, I felt like people would judge me. And only told a few people. Now 6 months on from receiving my first payment I feel confident enough to talk about it.
I only receive a small payment monthly, but it was proof on paper and recognition of my everyday struggle to ‘stay normal’. I am 52 this year and I am so done with ignorance and trying to fit in. Do you want to get help with an Access Card? Here is how you do it.
What Is An Access Card?
An access card from Nimbus is a card that helps people and places recognise you have a disability, even an invisible one. The card is £15 for three years and there are different levels of help you can get with the card. There are symbols on the card to show where you need help.
The card shows the venues, where you need a little bit of extra help. And helps them to adapt to your needs. The card is recognised in so many destinations worldwide. And when you are accepted for a card, you get a list of places that accept it. These places are tried and tested by other users of the Access Card.
Get Your Evidence Ready Before You Apply
You do need to have official paperwork to apply for the Access Card. If you have a PIP letter then that helps, they will ask for pictures of the letter and what points you get etc. Take as many photos as you can to speed up your application. You can also try to apply with a letter from a hospital specialist with your diagnosis. We also have one for Tilly as she suffers from anxiety. She had a doctor’s letter for this.
You also need a photo ID, so grab your passport or driving license and take a photo of it.
The Questions You’re Asked When You Apply
They will ask you basic questions like name and address etc. But then it goes on to ask questions about your medical conditions. You need to be honest. Even if something seems silly to you, write it down. It will make sense to the people checking your application. The questions you are asked will depend on what symbols you have on your card.
Tilly has anxiety, so she only has the queuing symbol. This is to help her in confined spaces, where she struggles. So if she is queuing in Primark, she can show the card and they will open another till. She doesn’t have the +1 symbol as she is under 16, so needs an adult with her anyway. I have the Queue symbol, the +1 symbol and the WC symbol as I am on medication for some Bladder problems. So the symbols are worked out on a case-by-case basis. The questions are not as invasive as the PIP questions, but you do need to answer them honestly and have evidence to back them up.
Where Can You Use The Access Card?
On the Access website they have a list of places where the card is accepted and what way they offer you some help. Not all companies accept it as evidence. Recently, I tried to use it for a Superdrug event that is happening in May. They refused to accept the card despite having the +1 symbol. In order to get a carer ticket, your carer needs to be getting a carer allowance. There are so many people out there who can’t get carers allowance. Child carers under the age of 16, cannot get it. And people that only need a carer for a few things cannot get it. For example, I need help at the supermarket sometimes, because I struggle shopping. So one of my daughters comes with me. More companies should be aware of the Access Card and how it helps people with disabilities.
The companies that do accept it are the companies that will get my support as a shopper, and that is now where my money will go. As I said earlier, you can even use it abroad because it has a disability symbol on there that is recognised worldwide.
Where Have We Used The Access Card
Although Tilly has had her card since September, and I have had mine since January, we rarely get them out of my purse. This is because we have been to places where we haven’t needed it. I have used my card at the following places.
At a random petrol station to use the disabled toilets. The coach we were on stopped for a really short toilet break and the toilet queue was huge. I showed the lady at the counter and she gave me the disabled key.
On Ticketmaster to buy concert tickets. You buy a ticket and get a second ticket for your carer for free. This saved me a lot of money as well as getting seating that would be suitable for us. I am hoping it will also help us to get into the venue easily.
At Vue Cinema, a carer gets in for free with an access card. We have used this only once because Vue is harder to get to for us.
Kim took Tilly to the Science Museum and Natural History Museum and they were able to skip the queue to get in.
What If I Have A Merlin RAP Already?
If you have a Merlin Ride Access Pass, your checks will have been done through Nimbus. So you can upgrade to an Access Card already. You just need to pay the fee and give them the details of your RAP.
Merlin is fantastic when it comes to people with disabilities. So if you have an Access Card, you can then apply for a ride access pass to get help with queues and easier access to rides at the theme parks.
