A mum is calling on the government to change its rules around Blue Badges after an application on behalf of her disabled twins was turned down.

Sarah Johnson’s two-year-old daughters were diagnosed with cerebral palsy last July and struggle to walk.

Astrid uses a Kaye Walker but Iris chooses to walk independently, which means she falls over a lot and can only walk a few steps at a time.

When Sarah, of Rhodendron Avenue, Meopham, applied to Kent County Council for a blue badge she was told she did not meet the criteria and would need to wait until November, when the girls are three, before they could be assessed.

“I was told they could use the buggy,” Sarah, 41 said.

“There is no mum in the world who takes their child to the park just to sit in their pram and look at the things they could play with.

“If I had a Blue Badge I would have the opportunity to park close to a playground and use the Kaye Walker to walk in and play on the equipment.

“They could enjoy the world rather than be a passive onlooker.”

Sarah explained the dilemmas she regularly faces when attending hospital appointments without a Blue Badge.

“I can’t park close by so I need to take the pram and the Kaye Walker which is not easy with all the doors in a hospital.

“If I could park closer we could manage without the pram as well.

“It’s not going to revolutionise my world but it would make things a little bit simpler when things are really, really difficult.”

Sarah added that by forcing her daughters to always use the pram she is not helping their muscles to develop.

“Telling me to just put them in the pram is not helping their physical development at all. They need to walk to develop their muscles.”

If she had a Blue Badge she says she could park closer to places such as the park, swimming and the doctors’ surgery and not need to lug the buggy and the walker around.

She added: “We tried swimming as it is good for their muscles but it was impossible with the buggy and the Kaye Walker and if I couldn’t park near so we gave up in the end which was a shame as it was good for there development.

“I don’t go a lot of places or I try and then I have to turn around and come home because I can’t park close enough.”

Sometimes facilities will let Sarah use their disabled spaces after she has explained her situation.

“But I shouldn’t have to beg each time,” she explained. “Or worry I am going to get a ticket or get into an argument.”

Even buying shoes is an issue.

“I need to take the buggy to get to the shop and then the Kaye Walker to see how she walks in the shoes,” the mum said.

Taking the buggy and the walker is not an option as she says they are too cumbersome for her to transport for any length of time.

To get the government to respond to her petition, which has already been signed by more than 2,500 people, Sarah needs 10,000 signatures.

To get an amendment considered in Parliament she needs to collect 100,000 names. To sign the petition click here.

Sarah said it is too late to help her daughters get a blue badge any earlier but she is hoping her fight will have a long-term effect for others.

“If I can make a difference to other children and parents in the future I will feel like my arguing has not been fruitless.”

According to government guidelines children under three-years-old may be able to get a Blue Badge if they have to always have medical equipment with them or if they have to always be close to the vehicle in case of emergency.

But Sarah said this does not seem to include the Kaye Walker.

A spokesperson for Kent County Council (KCC) said: “We understand that the council’s decision is disappointing.

“However, KCC must assess Blue Badge eligibility against the national Department for Transport guidance and legislation which provides a very clear set of eligibility criteria for children aged under three years old which were not met at initial assessment or appeal in this case.

“The council considers all Blue Badge applications for children under three as special cases but also has a responsibility to be fair and consistent when issuing Blue Badges.

“When children reach the age of three, the eligibility guidance allows for a greater scope in assessment of how children mobilise independently and KCC is always happy to reassess children at this time.”