This page serves as a vital resource hub, delivering a wealth of information, services, and strategies tailored to enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities in the Perth & Kinross area. Visitors can access in-depth information on various support services and initiatives that aim to promote accessibility, independence, and equality.
Access various travel services for disabled individuals in Scotland, including bus passes, parking assistance, community car schemes, and passenger support for train travel.
Find ways to access accessible toilets through schemes like the Radar Key, ‘Can’t Wait’ toilet passes, and facilities offering toilet access without service usage.
Explore initiatives like ‘The Keys to Life’ and the Physical Disability Strategy, addressing health inequalities, care contributions, and improving the lives of people with disabilities.
Engage in community discussions and activities, access an Access Guide, and benefit from the Cinema Card for enhanced participation and enjoyment.
Avail services like the JELS for equipment loans and the Community Alarm for emergency assistance related to physical disabilities.
Gain insights into laws like the Equality Act, human rights, and the Social and Medical Model, which address discrimination and societal barriers faced by disabled individuals.
Transport
| Bus Pass | Bus Pass – Bus pass for people with disabilities for free travel in and around Scotland. A companion concession card may be available for those requiring a companion for travel. |
| Blue Badge | Blue Badge – The Blue Badge scheme is designed to help disabled people who have severe mobility problems lead independent lives by allowing them to park near to a venue and have easier access to the services they want to use. |
| Community Car Scheme | Community Car Scheme – These services are made up of volunteers who organise transport to and from hospitals in the Perth & Kinross Council area. Charges depend on the mileage and cost of fuel. |
| Shopmobility | Shopmobility – Perth Shopmobility is a PKAVS project which lends wheelchairs and scooters to people with mobility Impairment. |
| Passenger Assistance | Passenger Assistance – Assistance for those who need help when travelling on trains whether this has been booked in advance or not. |
| Thistle Assistance | We all welcome a little extra assistance now and again, particularly when travelling alone. Thistle Assistance is an initiative to help you feel safer and more comfortable when using public transport. |
| MotaClarity | The number one destination for a nearly new or second-hand wheelchair accessible car, MPV or minibus from UK suppliers and mobility conversion specialists. |
| Trainline | Trainline is Europe’s leading train and coach app. Working with 270 rail and coach companies to offer our customers travel to thousands of destinations in and across 45 countries in Europe. |
Toilets
| Radar Key | Radar Key – A key which opens Accessible toilets which have Radar locks. |
| Toilet Pass | Toilet pass – Our ‘Can’t Wait’ card is available to help you gain access to toilet facilities when you need them most. |
| Comfort Scheme | Comfort Scheme – Organisations in Perth and Kinross which allow access to their toilets without having to use their other services. |
Strategies
| Keys to Life | The Keys to Life – In 2013, the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) developed the ‘Keys to Life’ strategy in order to tackle health inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities as well as other standards of living. |
| Physical Disability | Physical Disability Strategy – Improving choices for people with a physical disability and/ or sensory impairment and ensuring they have control over any support they require to go about their daily lives. |
| Contribution Charges | Contribution Charges – The amount that someone may have to contribute towards their care services. |
| ISPA | The ISPA project is an ambitious 5-year participatory mixed method study that will explore and understand how the stigma attached to where people live can intersect with experiences of disability and ageing. |
Activities
| Your Community PK | A one-stop shop for information and things to do to support your health and well-being in Perth and Kinross |
| Access Guide | Advice and directions to places of interest such as restaurants and car parks suitable for people with disabilities. |
| Cinema Card | Cinema card – The Card enables a disabled cinema guest to receive a complimentary ticket for someone to go with them when they visit a participating cinema. |
Adaptations
| JELS | Jels – The Joint Equipment Loan Service (JELS) provides a priority-driven delivery, fitting and collection service throughout Perth & Kinross; supplying equipment to meet the assessed needs of service users with physical disabilities, and acute and chronic illness. |
| Community Alarm | Community Alarms – The user is provided a base unit which has a button on it that can be pressed to call for assistance. You will also receive a pendant that you can wear and it has a similar button on it. When one of the buttons is pressed, the Control Centre is automatically contacted by phone. The base unit has a loudspeaker and a strong microphone on it so you and the Control Centre can speak to one another. |
| Access Team | Early intervention and prevention team/ Access Team – Our Early Intervention and Prevention Team is now the first point of contact for people who need access to health and social care services. |
Further Information
| Equality Act | Equality Act – The Equality Act is a law which protects you from discrimination. It means that discrimination or unfair treatment on the basis of certain personal characteristics, such as age, is now against the law in almost all cases. |
| Human Rights | Human Rights – ‘Human Rights’ are basic rights and freedoms. We should all expect to have these rights met. |
| Social and Medical Model | Social Medical Model – The model says that people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference. Barriers can be physical, like buildings not having accessible toilets. Or they can be caused by people’s attitudes to difference, like assuming disabled people can’t do certain things. |
| Service Navigator | The Service Navigator is an interactive map of services provided by local charities, social enterprises and community groups. The Service Navigator allows you to search for services by category and region, and you can learn more about each service by clicking its point on the map. |