The new, improved Disabled Persons Railcard
There is something wonderful about sitting on a train. Sitting back, being carried through the Scottish countryside, whisked away to your destination of choice - at least until the train is caught up in a random delay at any rate.
Whether you need a train to get to work, you are taking it to reach a holiday destination, or to see friends or family, trains are an indispensable part of the UK’s public transport network.
The only problem is that they are so expensive.
Until now
From 1st March, the criteria for the Disabled Persons Railcard, to get a 1/3 off all rail travel, has been significantly extended. And this is for a travelling companion too. Previously, discounts for disabled people have been relatively restricted. If you had certain physical health conditions, such as hearing loss, then you qualified for reduced fares. But if you had dyspraxia severe enough that you could not drive, then that counts as a neurodevelopmental condition and wasn’t included. Effectively, it was lumped in with mental health conditions.
And we all know how equally those are treated in practice, even if the law says they should be treated equally (under the Equality Act 2010 in case you were wondering).
All that has now changed. Hopefully this is a sign of how society is progressing when it comes to awareness about conditions such as dyspraxia, ADHD and autism.
The new criteria include people that are “are currently unable to drive on medical grounds”. All that is required is a letter from a GP or other health professional to say “This person [name] is unable to drive on medical grounds”. Apply online, upload the photo, PDF or scanned copy of the letter and you’re all done! For once, it really is that simple.
I can’t drive. I failed my driving test five times - including getting a “D” for dangerous, which I didn’t know was a possibility! Years later I would receive a dyspraxia diagnosis, which explained so much about myself, including why “just trying harder” never seemed to work. So I rely on public transport, and anything that means I can travel more cheaply - freeing up my own cash for other things - is good news. It also opens up additional opportunities, in that sometimes the train fare was enough to put me off travelling.
It’s not as good as Scotland’s National Entitlement Card where, using a similar process and the same acceptance criteria, I now have free bus and coach travel across the whole of Scotland, but I’m not complaining! Any step forward is a win.
The Disabled Persons Railcard costs £20 for one year, or £54 for three years. Unlike other rail discount cards, there are no usage time restrictions. Other acceptance criteria include having a Disabled Persons Bus Card, a Blue Badge, or being in receipt of ADP, DLA or PIP.
Paul is an ADHD and AuDHD Coach. He blogs about neurodivergency, inclusivity, and tech. More details at: https://naturallypaul.com
Paul Ginsberg (UK)
ADHD and AuDHD Life Coach
Website & Blog: https://naturallypaul.com
LinkedIn: paulginsberg
Bluesky: naturallypaul
