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A DISABLED student has launched a campaign to make the blue badge scheme more inclusive.
Sam Vestey, who has DiGeorge syndrome, a chromosomal condition that can leave him fatigued and in pain, said he is often challenged by people over his unobserved disability.
The 20-year-old, who uses a wheelchair occasionally, said: “Just because people can’t see my disability, they don’t understand how much pain I am in and how fatigued I get — that’s why I have a disabled badge.”
The badges, which enable disabled people to access certain parking bays and other benefits, feature an image of a figure in a wheelchair. The scheme covers more than 2.3 million people in England alone, according to the latest government figures.
Mr Vestey, from Bishop’s Cleeve, near Cheltenham, said he is lobbying local MPs for the badges to include a standing figure to represent unseen disabilities.
“I’m not blaming anyone, but over time I have learnt that we need to think outside the box,” he said.
National Star, a Gloucestershire-based charity that supports young people with complex disabilities and learning difficulties, is backing the campaign.
