Medical Bus Pass

• Partially sighted' is a less severe loss of vision.
• Partially sighted people can see more than someone who is blind, but less than a fully sighted person.

• Hearing loss is measured in decibels across the normal hearing spectrum, as dBHL (Hearing Level). People are generally regarded as having a severe hearing loss if it reaches 70-95 dBHL and a profound loss if it reaches 95+ dBHL. 40

•  Included within this category are people who are unable to communicate orally in any language. Those people will be:

• unable to make clear basic oral requests e.g. to ask for a particular destination or fare;

• unable to ask specific questions to clarify instructions e.g. 'Does this bus go to the High Street?'

• It does not cover people who are able to communicate orally but whose speech may be slow or difficult to understand, for example because of a severe stammer.

• A person would have to have a long term and substantial disability that means they cannot walk or which makes walking very difficult.
• Passes will be issued to people who can only walk with excessive labour and at an extremely slow pace or with excessive pain. Their degree of impairment should be at comparable level to that required to claim the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance.

• This category includes people with a limb reduction deficiency of both arms, bilateral upper limb amputation, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury, motor neurone disease, or a condition of comparable severity.
• It also covers both people with deformity of both arms, and people who have both arms, if in either case they are unable to use them to carry out day-to-day tasks, for example, paying coins into a fare machine.

• A person with a learning disability has a reduced ability to understand new or complex information, a difficulty in learning new skills, and may be unable to cope independently.
• These disabilities must have started before adulthood and have a lasting effect on development.
• The applicant should be able to qualify for specialist services and they may have had special educational provision.

• Under Section 92 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 the Secretary of State may refuse to issue a driving licence on the grounds of the applicant's medical fitness.
• Those who are currently barred from holding a licence are people with:

i. epilepsy (unless it is of a type which does not pose a danger - see below);

ii. severe mental disorder;

iii liability to sudden attacks of giddiness or fainting (whether as a result of cardiac disorder or otherwise);

iv. inability to read a registration plate in good light at 20.5 metres (with lenses if worn);

v. other disabilities which are likely to cause the driving of vehicles by them to be a source of danger to the public.

• You are not covered by this category if you have been refused a licence because of persistent drugs or alcohol misuse.
• You will not qualify if your licence has been revoked for a driving offence such as driving while under the influence.
• There are a number of categories of "severe mental disorder" under which people may qualify. 
• Such conditions include (but are not limited to) dementia (or any organic brain syndrome); behaviour disorders (including post head injury syndrome and Non-Epileptic Seizure Disorder); and personality disorders.
• Other groups include:
• People with restricted visual fields, who will be refused a licence if they do not have a horizontal field of vision of at least 120 degrees, or if they have significant scotoma encroaching within 20 degrees of the central fixation point in any meridian or, sometimes, if they have restricted vertical fields of vision;
• Insulin dependent diabetics. from driving until their diabetes is controlled.

• in receipt of one or both of the following state benefits,

• Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance (HRMCDLA);

• War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement (WPMS).

• Provided you are of fare paying age and the award of the benefit has been for at least 12 months or is expected to be for at least 12 months.

• You will need to be able to provide documentary evidence of your entitlement.
• If you require a copy of your award letter for Higher Rate Mobility Allowance this can be obtained from the DWP.
• If you receive WPMS and need a copy of your award letter this can be obtained from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (Free-phone enquiry number 0800 169 22 77).
• Eligibility may also be considered automatic where a disabled person of fare paying age has been issued with a disabled persons’ parking badge ("Blue Badge").