Blind and disabled passes
Blind and Disabled Passes
If you are a West Yorkshire resident and have a disability, you may be able to get a Blind or Disabled Person’s Travel Pass.
Am I eligible?
You must be a West Yorkshire resident of bus fare paying age (aged 5 and over) and have an eligible disability which is long term or expected to last at least 12 months.
How to apply or renew a Blind or Disabled Person's Travel Pass.
If you already have a pass, you can apply to renew it up to 90 days before it is due to expire. You will need to have a new account with us to get your Pass.
You can apply online now. You will need evidence of your disability and a digital photo (taken in the last 12 months) to upload from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
Applying on behalf of someone else:
You can apply for a friend or relative by creating an account in your name and then adding them as a dependent.
Uploading evidence:
You will be asked to provide evidence of your disability, and you can upload this when you fill in the online form.
After you have applied.
Your application is passed to your local council for them to assess, this may take up to 8 weeks. If you don’t provide or upload evidence of your disability when you fill in the form, you will have to provide it later and this may delay your application.
If your application is approved, your new pass will be posted to your home address.
Applying through your local council.
If you are not able to apply online, your local council has information about other ways for you to apply.
Blind Person’s Passes.
You are entitled to a Blind Person’s Pass if you live in West Yorkshire and you are registered, or entitled to be registered, as blind (severely sight impaired).
Disabled Passes
You are entitled to a Disabled Person’s Pass if you live in West Yorkshire and you are:
Partially sighted (sight impaired)
Profoundly or severely deaf
Without speech
Someone who has a disability or injury, which has substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to walk
Someone who does not have arms, or has a long-term loss of the use of both arms.
Someone who has a learning disability, which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning
Someone who has been, or would be, refused a driving licence on certain medical grounds (other than because of the misuse of alcohol or drugs)
Mental health problems are not a qualifying disability. However, if mental health problems are so severe that someone would be refused a driving licence then they may be able to apply under that category.
Evidence of your Disability
You may qualify for a blind or disabled person's pass if you receive any of the following:
Blue Badge (Disabled Person’s Parking Permit) issued by your local council
Higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with an award of at least 8 points for 'Moving Around' or 'Communicating Verbally' activities
War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement (WPMS)
Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) award Tariff Level 1-8
You need to be awarded these benefits for at least 12 months and you need to provide your Blue Badge serial number or a copy of your full benefits award letter as proof.
Other ways to provide evidence
If you are not in receipt of any of the benefits detailed above, you will need to provide other evidence of your disability. Please check below to see what evidence is needed for each category.
Blind or partially sighted
Please provide one of the following:
Proof of registration with your Local Council
A Certificate of Vision impairment (CVI)
A BD8 form signed by an ophthalmologist
A letter from an eye specialist confirming that you would qualify to be registered as being severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted)
Please provide one of the following:
Proof of registration with your Local Council
A letter or audiological report from your consultant confirming that your hearing loss has reached more than 70 dBHL in both ears
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form
Without speech
Please note that this does not include people who have slow speech or a severe stammer.
Please provide one of the following:
A letter from a medical professional* confirming that you are unable to communicate orally in any language
For a child - a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) confirming that you are unable to communicate orally in any language.
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form
Do not have arms or have long-term loss of use of both arms
This includes people with a limb reduction deficiency of both arms; bilateral upper limb amputation; muscular dystrophy; spinal cord injury; motor neurone disease; or a condition of comparable severity.
Please provide one of the following:
A letter from a medical professional* confirming that you do not have the use of both arms and that this is a long term condition (12 months or more)
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form
Have a learning disability
Please provide one of the following:
A letter from your Social Services key worker or a medical professional* (including a member of your local Learning Disability Nursing Team) confirming that you have a learning disability which includes both a significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning. These disabilities must have started before adulthood and have a lasting effect on development.
A Statement of Special Educational Needs, or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) confirming that you have a learning disability which includes both a significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning.
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form
Have a walking disability Please provide the following:
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form confirming that you have a disability or have suffered an injury which has a substantial and long term impact on your ability to walk.
Have been or would be refused a driving licence on certain medical grounds
This includes conditions such as dementia, sudden attacks of dizziness or fainting, epilepsy (unless it is of a type which does not pose a danger if you drive) and any other disability which would cause you to be a danger to yourself or others when driving.
Please note:
You need not have ever applied for a driving licence, but you will need to provide evidence that you are not eligible for a driving licence on medical grounds.
You will not qualify if your condition is related to the persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.
Please provide one of the following:
A letter from the DVLA including refusal or withdrawal of your licence for a minimum of 12 months. The letter that you provide must be dated within the last 12 months, or state that your licence has been withdrawn permanently.
A letter from a medical professional* confirming that you are unfit to drive, detailing the reason and the length of time for which you will be unfit to drive (this letter must be dated within the last 12 months).
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form
Severe Mental Ill Health
If you are applying because you would be refused a driving licence due to severe mental ill health, ask a medical professional* to complete this form
*Medical professionals
Medical professionals are those who can provide supporting evidence; this includes hospital consultants,occupational therapists, physiotherapists, general practitioners and nurses.
Evidence Forms
If you are unable to provide the evidence listed above, you can ask a medical professional to complete one of our Evidence Forms.
If you are a West Yorkshire resident and have a disability, you may be able to get a Blind or Disabled Person’s Travel Pass.
Am I eligible?
You must be a West Yorkshire resident of bus fare paying age (aged 5 and over) and have an eligible disability which is long term or expected to last at least 12 months.
How to apply or renew a Blind or Disabled Person's Travel Pass.
If you already have a pass, you can apply to renew it up to 90 days before it is due to expire. You will need to have a new account with us to get your Pass.
You can apply online now. You will need evidence of your disability and a digital photo (taken in the last 12 months) to upload from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
Applying on behalf of someone else:
You can apply for a friend or relative by creating an account in your name and then adding them as a dependent.
Uploading evidence:
You will be asked to provide evidence of your disability, and you can upload this when you fill in the online form.
After you have applied.
Your application is passed to your local council for them to assess, this may take up to 8 weeks. If you don’t provide or upload evidence of your disability when you fill in the form, you will have to provide it later and this may delay your application.
If your application is approved, your new pass will be posted to your home address.
Applying through your local council.
If you are not able to apply online, your local council has information about other ways for you to apply.
Blind Person’s Passes.
You are entitled to a Blind Person’s Pass if you live in West Yorkshire and you are registered, or entitled to be registered, as blind (severely sight impaired).
Disabled Passes
You are entitled to a Disabled Person’s Pass if you live in West Yorkshire and you are:
Partially sighted (sight impaired)
Profoundly or severely deaf
Without speech
Someone who has a disability or injury, which has substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to walk
Someone who does not have arms, or has a long-term loss of the use of both arms.
Someone who has a learning disability, which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning
Someone who has been, or would be, refused a driving licence on certain medical grounds (other than because of the misuse of alcohol or drugs)
Mental health problems are not a qualifying disability. However, if mental health problems are so severe that someone would be refused a driving licence then they may be able to apply under that category.
Evidence of your Disability
You may qualify for a blind or disabled person's pass if you receive any of the following:
Blue Badge (Disabled Person’s Parking Permit) issued by your local council
Higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with an award of at least 8 points for 'Moving Around' or 'Communicating Verbally' activities
War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement (WPMS)
Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) award Tariff Level 1-8
You need to be awarded these benefits for at least 12 months and you need to provide your Blue Badge serial number or a copy of your full benefits award letter as proof.
Other ways to provide evidence
If you are not in receipt of any of the benefits detailed above, you will need to provide other evidence of your disability. Please check below to see what evidence is needed for each category.
Blind or partially sighted
Please provide one of the following:
Proof of registration with your Local Council
A Certificate of Vision impairment (CVI)
A BD8 form signed by an ophthalmologist
A letter from an eye specialist confirming that you would qualify to be registered as being severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted)
Please provide one of the following:
Proof of registration with your Local Council
A letter or audiological report from your consultant confirming that your hearing loss has reached more than 70 dBHL in both ears
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form
Without speech
Please note that this does not include people who have slow speech or a severe stammer.
Please provide one of the following:
A letter from a medical professional* confirming that you are unable to communicate orally in any language
For a child - a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) confirming that you are unable to communicate orally in any language.
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form
Do not have arms or have long-term loss of use of both arms
This includes people with a limb reduction deficiency of both arms; bilateral upper limb amputation; muscular dystrophy; spinal cord injury; motor neurone disease; or a condition of comparable severity.
Please provide one of the following:
A letter from a medical professional* confirming that you do not have the use of both arms and that this is a long term condition (12 months or more)
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form
Have a learning disability
Please provide one of the following:
A letter from your Social Services key worker or a medical professional* (including a member of your local Learning Disability Nursing Team) confirming that you have a learning disability which includes both a significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning. These disabilities must have started before adulthood and have a lasting effect on development.
A Statement of Special Educational Needs, or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) confirming that you have a learning disability which includes both a significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning.
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form
Have a walking disability Please provide the following:
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form confirming that you have a disability or have suffered an injury which has a substantial and long term impact on your ability to walk.
Have been or would be refused a driving licence on certain medical grounds
This includes conditions such as dementia, sudden attacks of dizziness or fainting, epilepsy (unless it is of a type which does not pose a danger if you drive) and any other disability which would cause you to be a danger to yourself or others when driving.
Please note:
You need not have ever applied for a driving licence, but you will need to provide evidence that you are not eligible for a driving licence on medical grounds.
You will not qualify if your condition is related to the persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol.
Please provide one of the following:
A letter from the DVLA including refusal or withdrawal of your licence for a minimum of 12 months. The letter that you provide must be dated within the last 12 months, or state that your licence has been withdrawn permanently.
A letter from a medical professional* confirming that you are unfit to drive, detailing the reason and the length of time for which you will be unfit to drive (this letter must be dated within the last 12 months).
Ask a medical professional* to complete this form
Severe Mental Ill Health
If you are applying because you would be refused a driving licence due to severe mental ill health, ask a medical professional* to complete this form
*Medical professionals
Medical professionals are those who can provide supporting evidence; this includes hospital consultants,occupational therapists, physiotherapists, general practitioners and nurses.
Evidence Forms
If you are unable to provide the evidence listed above, you can ask a medical professional to complete one of our Evidence Forms.
