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About the Blue Badge map

Find out about an interactive tool to find Blue Badge parking bays - and much else besides - near you and across the UK.

Overview of the Blue Badge map

The Blue Badge map can be used to find:

  • Blue Badge parking bays in over 100 towns and cities across the UK
  • petrol stations and their service facilities on major routes in the UK
  • accessible public toilets in over 100 towns and cities across the UK
  • railway stations and their accessibility
  • taxi ranks
  • Shopmobility centres
  • accessible beaches
  • wheelyboat locations
  • Mobility centres
  • locations of interest, like town halls, hospitals, museums and tourist attractions
  • parking rules for all councils in the UK

How to use the map

You can search the map by entering a street, town or postcode. Alternatively, you can pick a town or city from a list of all the locations covered by the service.

You can choose the facilities you would like to see displayed on the map from a list by ticking the box next to the desired facility and then clicking on 'show'. You can see the details about a facility by clicking on its icon.

The map has eight different scales. The facilities will be displayed in the three largest scales (showing the most detail). To change the scale, you can either use the bar above the map or the wheel of your mouse, if it has one.

To move the map, you can use the arrows placed around the outside of the map. Alternatively, you can click and drag it. To do this, place the mouse on the map, hold down the mouse button and move the mouse. You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard, although that method is much slower.

Different councils have different parking rules, and the map uses a colour-coding system to show the rules in any given area.

To see what the different colours mean, click on 'Parking rules'. There is an explanation of the colour scheme and a list of councils.

If you would like to find out more details about the rules for a particular council, scroll down the list if to find it, if necessary. Choose the council and a pop-up box with the detailed rules, including any special exceptions etc, will be displayed on the screen.

About the facilities featured on the map

The map features Blue Badge bays, council car parks, taxi ranks and public toilets in 115 towns and cities across the UK. In addition, petrol stations along major routes are featured, indicating their services. This includes cash machines, 24 hour-opening, accessible toilets and ServiceCall. New on the map are railway stations, including their access level. There are three access levels:

  • accessible - step-free access to all platforms and staff to help
  • partly accessible - step-free access to all platforms but there may not be any staff to help
  • inaccessible - steps to some or all platforms

Where applicable, there is also information on reductions for drivers with disabilities on tolls for bridges and tunnels. There are also a number of other features, some of which may need an introduction:

Shopmobility

Shopmobility is a scheme which lends manual wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs and powered scooters to anyone who needs help with mobility. Shopmobility centres are usually located in a town centre or shopping centre, enabling people to go shopping and to visit leisure and commercial facilities.

Each scheme varies, so it is important to contact the scheme you wish to visit prior to using the service. In some centres, for example, you need to book in advance. There is sometimes a charge for using the service, though some centres provide it for free.

Mobility centres

Mobility centres offer advice and assessment to people who wish to begin or return to driving following an illness, injury or accident. They also offer advice with regard to getting in and out of a vehicle and with regard to loading and transporting a wheelchair or a scooter in a motor vehicle.

There are 17 Mobility centres across the UK. Although independent, the centres are recognised by other mobility organisations including Motability and the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).

Wheelyboats

Wheelyboats provide people with disabilities with easy and safe independent access to a variety of water-related activities, such as pleasure boating, angling and nature watching.

There are different models, but all are designed to accommodate people with disabilities - particularly wheelchair users - and are completely accessible.

Accessible beaches

Accessible beaches provide access to the beach by a ramp or slipway and have accessible toilets and parking for drivers with disabilities. Some beaches also have boardwalks along the beach and to the water.

Accessibility of the Blue Badge map

This service uses mapping technology and, while every endeavour has been made to ensure that the service is as accessible as possible, mapping tools are not fully accessible with some types of screen readers.

There is a text-only version of the Blue Badge parking bays, petrol stations and public toilets search. You can find full details about NIDirect's accessibility policy in the 'Help' section.

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