An agoraphobic university employee who needed to be on campus just four days a year has claimed she was discriminated against when her parking spot was taken away.
Amanda Barrow said it was not ‘unreasonable for her to have onsite parking for the odd event’ when she was denied parking for the first time after losing her permit two years prior.
She admitted that her permit had expired and she had never tried to renew it, but when the university suggested she get a blue badge she said she ‘did not need it for anything else’.
The university tried to make adjustments for her, including letting her book twice as far in advance as other staff members, but she claimed she had been discriminated against.
She argued she needed the parking space because of her agoraphobia – an anxiety condition that causes people to be scared of leaving environments that they consider to be safe.
Her claims were both dismissed.
open image in galleryShe began working for the Library and Student Services at Leeds Beckett University in 1984. Ms Barrow was employed as a learning technologist.
The university employs over 2,500 people and has a parking policy specifically for disabled workers.
It reads: “Staff with a disability or occupational health need should apply online. Applicants holding a Blue Badge in their name will not be charged. A scanned copy of the blue badge should be uploaded at the time of application. Blue Badge permits have no expiry date.
“Applicants for Occupational Health permits are required to pay, and must have been recommended for a permit by the Leeds Beckett Occupational Health team before applying online.
“Occupational Health permits will be issued for a period of no more than one year at a time. Allocation of a permit in any one year should not be taken as a guarantee of eligibility in future years.
“Possession of a valid permit does not confer a right to a parking space.”
The parking space costs one per cent of a worker’s annual salary.
Since 2013, Ms Barrow ‘worked mostly from home’, and would have a call with occupational health ever year to check if she still needed the parking space.
However after Covid in 2020, people with her job role were expected to attend campus just four or five times a year.
In March 2020, Ms Barrow’s ‘last annual on-campus parking permit expired’ and she never applied to renew it.
open image in galleryBecause she did not have a blue badge she would be unable to park in the disabled bays without the permit.
It was not until over three years later in April 2023 that she next requested a parking space, which she did with a week’s notice in line with the ad hoc arrangement to secure staff parking.
Even in her request, Ms Barrow admitted she had lost her permit.
She said: “Prior to Covid I had an orange pass but it expired during lockdown. I have had disability parking since 1984 for an ongoing issue, supported by OH.
“Can I book a space for the 21st April please (this Friday). I will park in a normal space unless the carpark is full.”
That request was granted – but a year later in April 2024 she was required to attend a seminar at the university, which she was ‘looking forward to’, and her parking request was denied.
This was due to the car park already being fully booked.
Ms Barrow replied saying it was for her disability and a parking space was arranged for her on a one-time basis.
Even after being granted the space, Ms Barrow continued to complain, writing: “When I worked onsite, I had a permanent parking place organised by OH [occupational health] for 36 years without a break.
“Now I work at home I need a parking space occasionally. However, you have made it clear in your email that this is not to be the case.
“It is of some concern to be that people without disability have priority over those that do.
“I don’t need a blue badge for anything else and as I said, I have had onsite parking for 36 years without a break until Covid.
“I’m sorry but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to have onsite parking for the odd event, when I used to take up a place full time.”
A manager promised to look into her situation and in the meantime assured her she could book parking two weeks in advance – a week more than most people – so she should always be able to get parking.
However this was not good enough for Ms Barrow, who took sick leave on May 5 2024 and then left employment with the university on May 30.
She then took the university to an employment tribunal in Sheffield alleging indirect disability discrimination and failure to make reasonable adjustments.
But Employment Judge Andrew James dismissed the claims.
He concluded: “The ad hoc arrangements had worked for [Ms Barrow] and the University until April 22 2024.
“[Ms Barrow] retained the option of applying for an annual pass; she was reminded of that in April 2023. She declined to make an application. Had she done so, the matters which gave rise to these allegations may well never have arisen.
“Requiring claimants with disability issues to make an annual application was a reasonable requirement, given the demand for car parking spaces
“After March 2020, [Ms Barrow] chose to rely on ad hoc parking arrangements, in relation to which no problems were experienced until one occasion in April 2024.
“[Ms Barrow] was able to apply for an annual pass as an alternative, something which she was reminded about in April 2023, but chose not to do so, presumably because the ad hoc arrangements were working perfectly fine for her.
“Allowing [Ms Barrow] to apply two weeks in advance meant it was even more likely that in future, the ad hoc arrangements would continue to be sufficient.”
Her claims were dismissed and she has also been ordered to pay £20,000 in costs.