Homes Under The Hammer’s former presenter Lucy Alexander, 48, is mother to two children, including 17-year-old daughter Kitty, who is a wheelchair user. A vocal campaigner for improved services for people with disabilities, the TV presenter took to Twitter to speak out on the news blue badge parking permits had been extended to people with hidden disabilities. “I would like to see some ‘dedicated’ bays purely for wheelchair users though?” she tweeted her 26,000 followers. “Some need to have space beside the car for their chair if paralysed like my daughter?
“There is NEVER enough blue base spaces… don’t get me started,” Lucy fumed.
However, one Twitter user appeared offended by the former Homes Under the Hammer star’s response to the news, replying: “Are you actually annoyed about this? My son has severe autism and has to be helped in and out of his car.
“He also needed a special needs pram at one stage and they are huge like wheelchairs.
“He also has no awareness of danger or even what car could do to him,” they added.
Lucy soon responded to the tweet, insisted she was “not annoyed”.
“I’m actually really pleased BUT would like designated wheelchair user bays for people who cannot walk,” she clarified.
“She [Kitty] can ONLY park in a wife disabled bay due to getting out her wheelchair, building it next to her then transferring into it.”
The social media user then hit back that Lucy should be clearer when it came to her views on the range of disabilities.
“Maybe you should explain that you want the bars made larger, because all the replies you have are so negative about hidden disabilities,” they criticised.
“For so long we have waited for this, he’s always only been given medium rate mobility just because he has legs, even though mentally he isn’t capable.”
The change in the blue badge permit scheme means people with hidden disabilities, including dementia, autism and anxiety disorders, will now be eligible to apply.
The decision was hailed by charities including the National Autistic Society, whose representative Tim Nicholls told the BBC: “A blue badge can be life-changing.”
Policy and campaigns manager at Scope Ceri Smith also told the publication the move would make a “real difference” to disabled people with invisible impairments.
However, she emphasised the need for councils to issue blue bashes to those who are newly eligible and to increase the number of blue badge parking spaces in order to meet the increasing demand.”
Lucy’s daughter was left paralysed in 2010 after suffering from a rare neurological disease, Transverse Myelitis, which causes the immune system to attack the spinal cord.
Earlier this month, Homes Under The Hammer favourite Lucy Alexander launched into a furious rant after Kitty’s birthday was “ruined” by a lack of facilities for wheelchair users at a train station causing them to miss their train.
Homes Under The Hammer airs weekdays at 10am on BBC One.