Publications

Reverse the Ban was selected in the autumn of 2022 as a partner for postgraduate students at York Law School, University of York, to conduct independent research on an agreed area of study. The chosen topic was ‘The Blue Badge Test in York: Can the realisation of disabled people’s rights and the prevention of terrorism be reconciled?‘ Overall, the findings suggest that the Blue Badge ban in York is not proportionate to the threat to life from terrorist activity and that the rights of disabled people were given insufficient weight in the decision-making. There were 18 Key Findings, each of which were carefully evidenced.

The study took place between October 2022 and February 2023. The reseachers interviewed counter-terror academics and disability rights academics including from University of Oxford, London School of Economics, University of Leeds, and Durham University; the former-Superintendent of North Yorkshire Police; a disability expert; a city planner; an access expert; the founder of York Access Hub and the York ME Community; and the Chair of CYC’s Protect and Prepare (Counter Terrorism) Task Group.

The full study was published on 5th April 2023 and is available by clicking here

Reverse the Ban was selected in the autumn of 2022 as a partner for postgraduate students on the MA in Applied Human Rights course at the University of York, to conduct independent research on an agreed area of study. The chosen topic was the City of York’s approach to consultation during the process leading up to the decision to impose the permanent ban. Their report, published 5th April 2023 is called ‘Nothing about us without us’: A qualitative analysis of City of York Council’s local transport and access consultation practice 2020-2022 and is available by clicking here.

The researchers conducted thirteen semi-structured interviews with a range of local activists, local residents, consultants, and charity spokespeople. Specific quotes from CYC as to their intentions in their consultations were used as a benchmark from which participants could reflect on their actual experiences of the consultations. In addition the researchers used the Gunning Principles as laid out in the Local Government Association national guidelines to provide an independent measure against which to evaluate CYC actions.

Their five core findings were that the council failed to: (i) ‘care and respect others’ views’ (CYC, 2017), (ii) ‘support and enable individuals and communities’ (CYC, 2017) in both day-to-day situations and in their decision-making processes; (iii) use the social model of disability in consultations, policy language, and public interactions with local activists, local residents, and charity spokespeople; (iv) co-produce local transport and access policy with local residents, specifically members of the disabled community; (v) adhere to the Gunning Principles two and four.

Additional publications of interest

Martin Higgitt Associates – York City Centre Active Travel Final Report October 2021 – a report commissioned by City of York Council and which, among other things, suggests ways of enabling Blue Badge holders to continue to access parts of the city centre.

York Human Rights City Network – Human Rights Report on Blue Badge Exclusion in York, October 2021 – a report requested by the Human Rights and Equalities Board for guidance on how the Council can best respect the human rights of all when taking complex decisions concerning counter-terror and disabled people’s rights.