On this page, you can find out information about the Fair4All Card. Clicking on the links below will take you to the right place on the page.
- What is the Fair4All Card?
- How does the Fair4All Card work?
- How to apply for a Fair4All Card
- Why BuDS created the Fair4All Card
- What makes the Fair4All Card different to other schemes?
What is the Fair4All Card?
The Fair4All Card is a secure photo card only for disabled people. It has a photograph of the Card Holder to prove that it is being used by the right person.
BuDS issues the Fair4All Card only to disabled people who are legally entitled to reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 or exemptions from Covid regulations.
Over time, the Fair4All Card will be widely recognised by retailers and service providers in Buckinghamshire so disabled people can have fair access to all places.
Places that recognise the Fair4All Card will have a window sticker or poster (shown below), and they are also listed on this website.
Reasonable Adjustments and Exemptions
Reasonable adjustments include needing flat access, needing to lip-read, needing a carer with you, having access to a disabled toilet, etc.
Exemptions from Covid regulations include not being able to wear a face covering (being legally exempt), not being able to queue, difficulties with social distancing, etc.
The Fair4All Card helps disabled people get the reasonable adjustments and exemptions they need. It does this by helping disabled people prove that they are entitled to them. It also helps shops, services and organisations understand what disabled people need and are entitled to.
Recognition and Support
Unlike many other schemes, BuDS will actively support shops, services, and organisations to recognise the Fair4All Card and we will give them free training and accessibility advice.
The Fair4All Card scheme is recognised by Thames Valley Police and we are working for it to be recognised by Buckinghamshire Council and other Town and Parish Councils.
You can download a flyer that asks shops, services and organisations you visit to join the scheme as Fair4All Card Partners.
How does the Fair4All Card Work?
The Card works in three main ways:
- It confirms that the card holder is a disabled person as defined in law, and is therefore legally entitled to adjustments and exemptions. BuDS experts will assess every application against the strict legal test.
- The card lists the adjustments and exemptions that the card holder is entitled to in law. Again, BuDS experts will decide this by applying the strict legal tests.
- BuDS will work with shops, services, and organisations across Buckinghamshire to help them recognise the Fair4All Card and to have confidence that anyone presenting the card is genuinely a disabled person who has a legal entitlement to the adjustments and exemptions listed on the card.
Applying for the Fair4All Card
You can apply online through this website (or by phone if this is not possible).
BuDS does not charge for the Fair4All Card, but we do ask for a £5 administration fee to cover the cost of producing the card. However, if you have difficulties paying the fee, we will always see how we can help you. We do not want payment to be a barrier to anyone having the Fair4All Card.
We do not ask for payment until you have been approved for the Fair4All Card, so please wait until we ask you before paying.
Examples of evidence
Evidence can include a copy of a formal written document, such as:
- A local record/patient summary
- A consultant letter
- An education health care plan
- A care plan
You can also provide any other documents you may have access to, the documents suggested above are simply examples.
If you are struggling to provide evidence due to not having access to these documents, you can also email us at fair4allcard.apply@buds.org.uk or leave a voicemail on 01494 211179 to request a phone call. This will allow our disability experts to have a conversation with you to work out how we can help you.
Please note that your evidence must prove that your disability/condition has a substantial impact on your ability to carry out day-to-day activities. It must also prove that your disability/condition is long-term (i.e. likely to last more than a year).
Secure Application Process
The Fair4All Card has been designed by disabled people for disabled people. It is different from all other schemes in the UK because it has a secure and thorough application process run by expert disabled people within BuDS.
As part of the application process, BuDS will apply strict legal tests so that only disabled people as defined in law can get a Fair4All Card, and only the adjustments and exemptions they are entitled to in law will be shown on the card. BuDS will help disabled people provide evidence to prove their entitlement – we will not rely on benefit awards as proof.
How to Apply
You can find more about applying for a Fair4All Card by clicking on this button:
Why has BuDS Created the Fair4All Card?
BuDS is an organisation of disabled people, and we know the difficulties and barriers that disabled people can face while out in the community. Although the law requires shops, services, and organisations to change how they do things to allow disabled people the same access as non-disabled people, disabled people often find it difficult to claim these “reasonable adjustments”. Also, many shops, services, and organisations find it difficult to know how to help disabled people.
The Covid-19 pandemic has made life even more difficult for many disabled people. The public health precautions needed to help stop the spread of the virus often do not take into account the needs of disabled people.
The Fair4All Card helps disabled people claim the reasonable adjustments that they are entitled to under the Equality Act 2010, and the exemptions from the Covid Regulations.
The Fair4All Card is completely different from the sunflower lanyard and other similar schemes used by some shops and other public places. These schemes have no application checks and so can be and are widely abused by non-disabled people. The Fair4All Card will only be issued to disabled people after a strict application process.
What Makes the Fair4All Card Different?
There are lots of identification schemes for disabled people, such as the sunflower lanyard, “disabled identification card”, “autism card”, and several phone apps.
However, none of these schemes have a secure and thorough application process open to all disabled people. Most schemes do not even check if the applicant is disabled, and the few that do ask for proof rely on receiving a DWP benefit to confirm that the applicant is disabled.
Sadly, most disabled identification schemes are widely abused by non-disabled people and this means that shops, services, and organisations are often reluctant to recognise them.
Another problem with other disabled identification schemes is that they often do not help shops, services, and organisations to understand how to help disabled people.
Finally, the Fair4All Card does not disclose your disability, instead focussing on how other people can support you.
Card Scheme Features
Each card has photo identification of the person to reduce the risk of the card being abused or used by someone else.
It also has a credible and efficient complaints program that means that disabled people who are denied support feel able to challenge discrimination. This means that service providers can also report anyone abusing a card