Getting Disability travel help

Fawn Hunkins-Beckford

Hi Fawn. I'm sorry that you can't figure out another way to get to your appointments etc... as I am assuming that is why you need the travel assistance? Here are a couple things to consider:

Each state will allow you to carry a photo id that is usually gotten from the license bureau (DMV) just like your driver's license for a similar fee. It's function and appearance is the same when you're talking about identification.

All of us as patients find ourselves giving up something to get our health back. I too drive over 7 hours to get to my specialist and count myself lucky, truth be told. I should say, my Hubs takes days off work and drives me, as I am not a dependable driver, to say the least. In fact, I've had nearly constant aura for many weeks and have not been really driving since spring. I went for years with no specialist and just continued to get worse. That said, it seems to me that temporarily losing my driver's license (which I have basically done at this point anyway) is a pretty good trade-off for getting my life back. Maybe the key is to look at this from a different perspective?

Remember, if you get better, you won't have the need for that travel to the extent you do now. 😀

~Ellen

Hi, Thanks for the reply.

The scheme means I don't have to worry about travel costs because I'm on low income and when I'm worse I'll need to use a taxi, so getting a bus and a taxi is very expensive.
I'm on low income so having a free bus pass is useful, it means on my better days I can afford to leave the house. Whereas right now even on my physically good days I'm not financially able to get out.

The fact that I need to lose my ID is very upsetting because that's another form of isolation and reduces how much Id go out once again.

I don't think we have alternative ID forms in the UK, and if we do (I've seen one thing try to do this) they're not widely known about or accepted so it's again a waste of money.
I mean how will I change a bank if I have no photo ID, how do I go into an 18+ area? I'm so stressed out about how this will just take me a massive step back.

If you have more information on that ID thing I'd be interested although I know it's for the wrong country. There has to be something... I can't walk around with a photo copy of my Birth certificate and my face glued on it...

And here, if you have a health condition that affects your driving you HAVE to, by law, tell the DVLA, and for Vertigo they will take your License from you. Even though mine is a provisional and I don't drive!!! I need to go that far just to prove I'd have difficulty driving (which is obvious if I have difficulty walking; it's like demanding a paralysed man to hand back his drivers license, it's just the last thing you want, something else to be taken from you when you're dealing with a new disability.

Also mine is getting worse and worse. I'm on an Anti-migraine, Anti-sickness, Anti-depressant and Anti-psychotic all to control the Vertigo/migraine symptoms, (8 a day) and I still have moderate-severe attacks every day which reduce my hand eye coordination to flailing around, and make me have awful mood swings because I literally can't think normally because of the disruptive and distressing effects. It's every day, and starts up around 10am (if I havent woken up with it) and continues to get worse throughout the day until I'm bedridden around 8pm and end up passing out from meds later on.

I don't think I'd get better, so having no ID now means having no ID always as far as I see it. =/

Fawn

Fawn, Have you talked to your license bureau to see what others in your country do in this situation? Here another option might be to keep your passport on you. It is considered Id here.

~Ellen

The problem is that I don't have a Passport. They're really expensive and almost twice the cost of a Provisional Drivers License. Again, being on low income, it means I'm just incurring more charges or ending up more isolated. It's like the scheme makes you worse off.

I was told that the DVLA didn't have to take your ID but could say they would refuse you or something but they're saying they will take it, as though they don't trust me to not get behind the wheel. Which is stupid, as it's not a full license and I don't have a car. I don't really see why it needs to be revoked when they know it's used as ID; something they said it's not supposed to be used as!!