# UK Blue Badge Question



## Stuartrox (Apr 25, 2011)

Hi! I'm coming over to The Algarve in April for a holiday and to further research regarding a possible move in the future. I have a UK blue disabled badge and wonder if anyone can advise me about what, if any, parking concessions I can expect. (i.e in the uk some council car parks allow free parking with a badge and you can park on double yellow lines for up to 3 hours providing you're not causing an obstruction of if there are signs to say you specifically can't.
I was over last year and found that most people that I asked didn't know (locals and ex-pats). Can anyone help please?:ranger:


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Like UK their are specific areas for "blue badge" holders but as far as I know if it's a pay area you have* no* exemption, same with no parking areas like double yellow lines but Portuguese have slightly different attitudes to parking

You can use your UK badge, must be displayed in window and AA say you should also display a Portuguese translation see link http://www.theaa.com/public_affairs/reports/blue_badge_abroad.pdf

Should you decide to move you can apply for a Blue Badge through your local Camara


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## Stuartrox (Apr 25, 2011)

Thanks - that's really helpful and it's kind of what I expected as it seemed when I was over last year that the badge allows you to use a 'disabled space' but you still pay rather than allow you to park free. I usually paid as no one seemed know the score but always wondered if I was paying needlessly.

Thanks also for the info re: Portuguese translation. I didn't know that and will check it out. You've been really helpful - Thanks!


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

It's on the link look towards end p37 of leaflet you can just copy and paste, probably best to enlarge
Cartão de estacionamento para 
pessoas com deficiência. 
Este cartão autoriza o portador a 
beneficiar das facilidades de 
estacionamento no Estado 
membro no qual o titular se encontre. 
Quando em utilização, 
o cartão deve ser colocado no interior 
do veí****, no seu vidro dianteiro, 
por forma a que fique visível. 
MODELO DAS COMUNIDADES 
EUROPEIAS


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## Stuartrox (Apr 25, 2011)

Thanks, it's worth checking out!


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## Ronnie_Yook (May 9, 2012)

Be prepared for access problems at designated "Parking Spaces for Disabled" in Central Region...they use the space(s) to store their refuse and eco bins, sometimes they are full to overflowing and no space for parking.

To guage a country...check out how they treat their disabled people.

In Portugal they call people with disabilities "Deficientes".


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## Dennis (Sep 29, 2008)

Ronnie_Yook said:


> To guage a country...check out how they treat their disabled people.
> 
> In Portugal they call people with disabilities "Deficientes".


Bit unfair as i have found the standard of care and facilities to be at least as good as if not better than the UK and "deficientes" translates as disabled so no more derogatory than the UK.


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## Ronnie_Yook (May 9, 2012)

Dennis, good to hear that you have good experiences in your part of Portugal. You will note from my comments above, that this is from my personal experience in the Leiria region of Central Portugal.

This information was submitted for the benefit of anyone with disabilities coming to this region.

You may consider my observed comment to be harsh, but again this is from my own experience, indeed, I was so incensed aout this problem, I had thought about a project to take images of the Parking for the Disabled facilities in our area and put them on a website. The "harsh" reality is, when a person(s) with disabilities and a holder of a Blue Badge who is for example trying to park their vehicle to visit the local camera in Pedrogao Grande, because there are boxes and bags full of rubbish in the allotted disabled parking spaces, which is the overflow from council rubbish and eco bins... they cannot possibly park there

Re: Deficientes...yes you are correct, and, I was aware that it does translate as Disabled into the English language. Again this was submitted to the forum's members who are disabled and may not know what the word for disabled is in portuguese.


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## Dennis (Sep 29, 2008)

Ronnie_Yook said:


> Dennis, good to hear that you have good experiences in your part of Portugal. You will note from my comments above, that this is from my personal experience in the Leiria region of Central Portugal.
> 
> This information was submitted for the benefit of anyone with disabilities coming to this region.
> 
> ...


I fear i may have taken your comments out of context in that your anger is directed not by the lack of facilities provided but by the inconsiderate miss use of said facilities.
I myself am not deficiente so i have not suffered as you have by the lack of consideration of others and i support your efforts in eradicating this problem.
You probably already know but for your information <HERE> is a list of the Pedrogao Grande council members to whom you should vent your anger.......and good luck.


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## Ronnie_Yook (May 9, 2012)

Thank you Dennis for your kind reply, yes I won't go into too much detail re this issue, nor that I was previously involved in Disability and Welfare issues in the UK. 

Thanks also for the Junta List of Contacts, I have previously been in touch with the relevant "shoulder shrugging" authorities and/or the "plastic" false promises to address the issue.

However, in fairness I do appear to have made some inroads...for example the Library in P. Grande has a hidden lift available to disabled persons, which I have used, I say hidden as the downstairs entrance door at the back of the reception counter to the lift is usually cluttered with furniture/boxes.

The main issue here is the main front access door has a granite step about 8" high, and drops down on the inside, which, for wheelchair users requires them to go round the building to another higher level, of course this is over those lovely smooth cobble stones that are prevalent in Portugal. 

Oh, onwards and upwards.


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## Stuartrox (Apr 25, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies. As with the UK, there are clearly places where due consideration isn't always applied to disability issues. Although not in a wheelchair now, I did spent almost two years in one and was almost forced to become a disability 'activist' overnight! Restaurants and bars often use the disabled toilets as a 'store room' for extra tables and chairs etc and even say their establishment is 'wheelchair friendly' because they have a disabled toilet and yet have a whopping big step to get through the front door. It's certainly a factor that would need to be taken into consideration for anyone with mobility issues who are thinking of living i Portugal


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

I've noticed a marked improvement in facilities and access since we moved, it's not fantastic by any means but certainly better and I think dependent on area to quite an extent, Lousa as an example has done extensive work on wheelchair access across the town but the only comfortable place to roll a chair is the roads because of calcada pavements, and have also supplied floating chairs for disabled at one of river beaches, misplaced link I'm afraid Ronnie but there is a "disabled" society & blog that would take up issues with your Camara


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