NATIONAL DISABILITY CARD: Why we got one for our autistic child, and you should consider it too.

sunshinelayla
Jan 7
5 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

Autist child using a yellow sensory fidget toy

The National Disability Card provides disabled individuals and parent carers with a way of communicating their need for help and support, and offers great discounts too.

The Hidden Disability Sunflower Lanyard: How to get a free one and why your autistic child should wear it

Special Assistance for Families Travelling with Autistic Children

Flying with Autistic Children: A Parent Carer Guide

About the National Disability Card

The National Disability Card was launched in 2019 by a family who had lived experience of caring for a child with cystic fibrosis.

The card can be used by people with visible or hidden disabilities and is accepted as proof of disability at locations throughout the UK, and sometimes abroad. It also offers cardholders discounts at selected retailers for online shopping as well as discounted e-gift cards.

I really like this organisation and think it has a great ethos, with inclusivity at its heart - 50% of their workers identify as disabled. Their mission is not so different from ours here at Travelling with Sunflowers: "...to ensure that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations."

The best thing about having a National Disability Card

The best thing for our family has been the ability to access free adult carer tickets at attractions without having to carry around personal information such as DLA letters etc. Below you will find a breakdown of where we used the card and how much we saved in the first six months.

SKIP THE QUEUE & FAST TRACK ENTRY FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN

We have shown the National Disability Card at a number of venues which has allowed us to access fast track entry queues, or to avoid queueing altogether. Having the card to hand also helps back up why we / our son is wearing the hidden disability sunflower lanyard.

This sunflower lanyard is another powerful tool for autistic families to get support for our children when accessing services and leisure spaces / venues. If you have not heard of the sunflower lanyard - read more here and find out why should definitely get a free sunflower lanyard for your family this year.

FREE CARER TICKETS

Exterior of Bath Abbey, with crowds in front — Bath Abbey, Bath

At many organisations the National Disability Card is accepted as proof of eligibility for concessions and discounts and this has certainly been our experience.

In the first 6 months of having having the National Disability Card we showed it at the ticket office at the following attractions and received either discounted entry for our child and free carer entry for an accompanying adult, or free entry for our child / family:

In England:

The American Museum in Bath - blog post (£17 saved)

The Chedworth Roman Villa - nr Circencester (£15 saved)

Bath Abbey - Bath (£9 saved)

Bekonscot Model Village - Beaconsfield (£11 saved)

London Wetlands Centre - Barnes (£17.95 saved)

In Italy we received free family entry for all the family at:

Scaligero Castle - Lake Garda (18 euros saved)

Campanone Tower - Bergamo (12 euros saved)

As you can see this equates to around £95 in savings when visiting attractions in six months, so we are really pleased!

We can also use the national disability card at our local leisure centre to receive a free adult ticket when we take our son to the family swim time sessions - a further saving of £7 a visit.

As yet we haven't made as much use of the online discounts and e-cards as I would like, but I plan to change that going forward as I (hopefully) become a bit more organised!

On this note, you can also access similar online retailer discounts from the website Discount For Carers - I have used it in the past so it is always worth shopping around.

Where and how can I get a National Disability Card?

I applied for the National Disability Card using their online application portal, it was a relatively straightforward process.

During the application I was asked to provide evidence of my child's disability. They defined disability as a substantial (more than minor) impairment that has had a negative effect on your child's ability to do normal daily activities for more than 12 months.

Evidence you can submit includes:

Back of your child's Blue Badge
Disabled persons' Bus Pass
A letter from your doctor or other relevant medical letter
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) decision letter
Personal Independence Payments (PIP) letter
Or any other relevant documentation that shows your child is disabled

Apply for a National Disability Card here.

How much does it cost?

The National Disability Card costs £20 + postage and is valid for 2 years - so basically £10 a year. I think this is great value. We actually paid an extra £10 to get a second card, mainly because I am terrible at losing things but also so my husband could carry it as well as me, and we wouldn't have to remember to put the card in our wallet / purse each time we went out.

Should I get the National Disability Card for my autistic / adhd child?

This is a very good question! There are a number of other 'disability' cards out there such as the Access Card and local borough council cards. It really depends upon why you want a card in the first place.

For the purpose of my eldest child, the National Disability Card has been a great option. It allows us (as parents) to easily demonstrate that he is disabled and to access carer tickets and concession rates in the UK. Personally I prefer showing this card at venues, rather than something like a DLA letter, as this has personal information on it that is not really the business of a museum staff member.

Although autism is classified as a hidden disability, the use of the international sign for disability - the white wheelchair on a blue background - on the front of the card has also proven very helpful. In places where autism is less understood it uses a common language, and it was also recognized and accepted by organisations when we were abroad in Italy.

Whatever your decision, it is important to make sure that you are making full use of the discounts that are available to disabled children and adults, as well as carers!

For more information on travelling with or using special assistance for autism and adhd (adults and kids) visit our dedicated pages:

Introduction to Special Assistance

Special Assistance at Airports

Special Assistance on Airlines

Special Assistance on Eurostar departing London

Special Assistance on Eurostar departing Paris

Useful Links to some UK airports and their special assistance pages and resources:

London Gatwick

Sunflower lanyards - hidden disabilities and general accessibility

AccessAble Guides page to the Airport

e.g. South Terminal Toilet and Changing Places Facilities

London Heathrow

General Accessibility Page

Sunflower Lanyard Scheme

Sensory pack:

To support passengers with non-visible disabilities, Heathrow is currently offering free sensory objects packs in all terminals. The pack includes; a fidget toy, key ring with mobility and feelings cards. The cards are designed to help communicate with our Heathrow colleagues. The pack is free and can be requested at the following locations .

London Stansted

General Accessibility page

Non-visible disabilities page

Selection of Familiarisation videos about the airport with the aim of reducing anxiety

Bristol

Special Assistance homepage

Hidden disabilities page

A helpful Autism Alert card (pdf)

Manchester

Special Assistance homepage

Invisible disabilities page

Familiarisation video - Accessibility Journey