Last night I saw on the news that the Blue Badge scheme is now going to be expanded to cover so-called ‘hidden disabilities’. They are going to allow people with conditions like autism and mental health problems to park in disabled spaces. This may be a bit controversial, but I’m not sure I approve. Those spaces should be for people whose impairments effect their mobility. They are wider specifically to allow people in wheelchairs access to their cars; I don’t see how a person with a condition which does not effect their mobility would qualify. It would surely mean fewer spaces for wheelchair users. What stops anyone with such a non-physical condition waling as far as anyone else, and why would they physically need wider spaces? Forgive me, but it’s almost as if they want these badges to validate their claims to be just as disabled as those of us with mobility impairments.